England's Adil Rashid, third left, celebrates with teammates the wicket of India's Tilak Varma during the Twenty20 cricket match between England and India in Rajkot, India, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) England's Adil Rashid, third left, celebrates with teammates the wicket of India's Tilak Varma during the Twenty20 cricket match between England and India in Rajkot, India, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

England have a problem. A big problem. Their batters have let them down in the first couple of T20Is against India and it is their inability to handle the local spinners which has been the bane of the English batting line-up at both Kolkata and Chennai. With the exception of skipperhawkplay, Jos Buttler, all other English batters have struggled to counter the Indian spinners which has led to their downfall in the series. This problem against the turning ball has hampered the English team post their historic triumph Down Under at the 2022 T20 World Cup. (More Cricket News)

England’s top-order woes against Indian spinners

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Eleven of the 19 wickets England have lost in the series are credited to the Indian spinners at an average of 17.3. They have lost a wicket to spin every 14 deliveries and have struggled to up the ante with a combined strike rate of just 121.8 against the slower bowlers. While they have found it difficult to cope with the good length delivery which has accounted for six such dismissals at an average of 21.2 and strike rate of 117.6, it is surprising to see the inability of the English top-order against the full-pitched delivery –they have mustered just 21 runs off 19 full-length deliveries in the series.

English batters have struggled to play the off-drive in the series and perished four times in 20 deliveries scoring just 17 runs. Interestingly, they have also succumbed thrice playing the pull shot, often mistiming a short-pitched delivery by the Indian spinners.

England’s top 7 have fared even worse and have an average of 13.8 and strike rate of 11.1 in the series. Four of these dismissals have been when the batters were in single digits and three more when they were between 10 and 20. Thus, the Indian spinners haven’t really allowed the English batters to settle and build any sort of momentum in the series.

With the exception of Jos Buttler, who has scored 63 runs off just 44 deliveries at a strike rate of 143.2 against the Indian spinners in the series, every other English batter has struggled against them. Even Buttler finally succumbed to Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel just when he looked set to post a big score which would have helped England post a challenging total in both the matches.

Liam Livingstone has scored just 13 runs off 16 deliveries in the series falling to spin in both the encounters. The much talented Jacob Bethell has managed to score just five runs against 10 deliveries of spin while Ben Duckett hasn’t quite found the success with his favourite reverse-sweep shot in the series! England’s latest batting sensation – Harry Brook – has also found the going tough. Though he has played a couple of attacking shots against the spinners, Brook has been castled by Chakravarthy in both the matches for just 17 and 13 failing to read the line and length on both occasions. The hard-hitting all-rounder, Jamie Overton, has succumbed to spin, getting dismissed for a single-digit score in both games.

England’s poor show against the slower bowlers is part of a larger problem for their batters. They do have a good record against spin since the team’s triumph Down Under at the 2022 T20 World Cup.

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England’s struggle against spin post 2022 World Cup

England have had it tough against the slower bowlers in the last couple of years. Since the start of 2023, their combined batting average of 22.7 in T20I cricket is the second-lowest amongst the top 10 teams in the world. Only Bangladesh with an average of 21.6 fares worse. England’s batters have, on an average, played just 17.1 deliveries per wicket – it is the lowest such ratio against spinners in this time-frame. Just for perspective and to highlight the gap between England and the best teams against spinners – India has the best batting average against spin since 2023 – 37.1! They also have the best balls per wicket ratio of 25.1.

There is a big contrast between the returns of the English batters against pace and spin since 2023. They have scored at a rapid rate of 9.8 against the fast bowlers in this time-frame which makes them the second-fastest after Australia. However, against spinners, England’s run-rate drops down to 8 and is lower than the corresponding rate of India, West Indies, Australia and South Africa.

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A breakup of their performance reveals that England have found the going tough against all types of spinners. While slow left-arm orthodox have accounted for the most dismissals of English batters since 2023 – 44 at an average of 24.9, leg spinners have an average of 23.1 against them. Interestingly, the English batters have also been bamboozled by off spin who average 20.1 and have struck every 14 balls against them in this period.

Amongst the current set of T20I batters for England, Livingstone has really struggled against spin in the last two years. He has been dismissed seven times in 15 innings against them at an average of 14 and strike rate of 83. Brook has been dismissed nine times in 15 innings at an average of 16.11 while Will Jacks has also succumbed to the slower bowlers seven times in 15 innings at an average of 18.6 and strike rate of 112.

Expect more trial by spin in Rajkothawkplay, Pune and Mumbai.