Parthiv Patel slams England’s bowling tactics in 2026 1st T20I vs India

Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Parthiv Patel criticised England’s bowling tactics against India in the first T20I, which was played at Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street on Wednesday. India posted a par score of 189 runs on the board after electing to bat first before rain played spoilsport in the second innings and eventually the match was called off.

Patel praised Shivam Dube, who added the finishing touches with a quickfire knock of 21-ball 42. However, the former left-handed batter questioned Harry Brook’s captaincy after the England skipper employed left-arm spinner Liam Dawson and leg-spinner Adil Rashid against Shivam Dube, a match-up which suits India’s southpaw batter.

Parthiv Patel said on Star Sports’ Game Plan, “It’s very important. We always talk about momentum. You want to finish your innings on a high. And that’s something which Shivam Dube has been doing consistently for India now. Then, especially, I thought England were well below par with their bowling plans. When Shivam Dube came out to bat, they gave an over to Liam Dawson too early, and then, when he was set, the 19th over was bowled by a spinner. So, it’s not rocket science.

“When you watch the IPL, you know what Shivam Dube does. He has played enough international cricket to know that his specialty is to play against spin, and that’s his class. That’s something which he does consistently. Yet England’s bowlers bowled to his strengths, and he made the most of it,” he added.

Patel added that India can pick three spinners in the team if the conditions at Manchester are dry or else they can select one between Ravi Bishnoi and Prince Yadav.

“I would still go with two spinners. But you still have to assess the conditions. When India go to Manchester, what the pitch is like and what the conditions are will matter a lot. If you look at the UK, there’s also a heatwave going on. Our in-house expert, Deep Dasgupta, also told us that the conditions in Durham were a bit dry. So, in my opinion, if the conditions are dry, then you can play three spinners. The question then will be whether you play Ravi Bishnoi or Prince Yadav.”

The second T20I between India and England will be played at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Saturday.