Jacob Bethell's unbeaten 76 anchored England's successful chase of 191 as the hosts defeated India by four wickets in the second T20I on 5 July at Old Trafford, Manchester, completing the chase with an over to spare. The victory gave England a commanding position in the series, with captain Harry Brook singling out Bethell's match-winning knock as the defining contribution of the evening.

Bethell steals the show

Bethell, who claimed the Player of the Match award, was effusive in his praise from his captain. Brook described the left-hander as a player whose influence stretches well beyond his batting — someone who lifts the team in the field and provides leadership despite his young age.

'He's awesome to have out there. He rallies the troops really well when we're out in the field, and gives me a massive hand out there as well. And he's so mature for his age, and he's got a very long career ahead of him,' Brook said after the match.

A chase built on recovery

England's innings began in chaos, with both openers falling in the first over. Yet Brook said the dressing room remained composed, confident that the ground's dimensions and the prevailing wind made the target achievable. After weathering the powerplay, Bethell took control and, in Brook's words, played 'phenomenally'.

'We knew that we could chase that with the wind and the dimensions of the ground. The idea was to get off to a really good start in the powerplay. That didn't quite work in the first couple of overs. But we were happy with where we were after that powerplay. And then the way that Beth played there was phenomenal,' Brook said.

The Curran-Jacks spell that proved decisive

Brook identified a brief but critical phase involving Sam Curran and Will Jacks as a turning point in the match. The pair conceded only around 10 to 12 runs in their combined spell, which Brook described as 'vital in the context of the game.' It was a reminder that T20 matches are often shaped by overlooked middle-over exchanges rather than headline-grabbing boundaries.

England's fielding edge

Beyond the batting, Brook was particularly pleased with England's work in the field. The team had set a pre-match target of cutting off easy twos, and the numbers backed up their execution — England conceded 11 twos against India's five, a differential Brook pointed to as evidence that the plan had worked.

'I thought the lads toiled around in the field — outstanding. And it's one of the things that we spoke about, trying to get off the rope and stop the twos. I think we had 11 twos and they had five. So we were pretty happy with that,' he said.

What's next

With the series now level or tilting in England's favour depending on the first match result, attention turns to the next fixture. Bethell, still early in his international career, is fast becoming England's most important middle-order asset in the shortest format — and Saturday's innings will only deepen that conviction.