England Shake Up Bowling Lineup for Crucial Second T20 Against India

CHENNAI, India — England has made a key change to its bowling lineup ahead of the second T20 international against India on Saturday, replacing Gus Atkinson with fellow pace bowler Brydon Carse. The decision comes after England suffered a seven-wicket defeat in the series opener on Wednesday, where Atkinson conceded 38 runs in just two overs.

Carse, 29, has been in strong form this winter, having made his Test debut against Pakistan in October. The Durham bowler has previously played four T20 internationals and will look to bolster England’s attack in Chennai. Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Jamie Smith is on standby for his T20 debut if Jacob Bethell, who missed training on Friday due to illness, is unable to recover in time.

England’s struggles in the first match were compounded by their historical weakness against spin. India’s trio of Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravi Bishnoi combined for 5-67 from 12 overs, restricting England to a meager 132 runs. The defeat marked a disappointing start for Brendon McCullum in his new role as head coach of England’s white-ball teams.

Despite the loss, vice-captain Harry Brook remained optimistic. “We’re pretty chilled about the outcome of the opener,” Brook said. However, he acknowledged the challenges posed by Kolkata‘s smog, which made it difficult to read the Indian bowlers. “With the smog the other night, it was a lot harder to pick. Hopefully, the air is a bit clearer here, and we can see the ball a bit easier.”

Brook also reflected on his own struggles against spin, a common issue for England’s batters. “Facing spin in T20 cricket is probably the hardest thing in the game, especially because I always get out trying to absolutely smack it,” he admitted. “Maybe I’ve got to rein in a little bit, but we’ll see.”

England will aim to level the series in Chennai, with the match set to begin at 7 p.m. local time. The team’s performance against India’s spinners will likely be decisive as they seek to bounce back from their opening defeat.