Jos Buttler and Phil Salt - (Source: AFP)
England got off to the worst possible start against India in the 2nd T20I. Openers Jos Buttler and Phil Salt both departed for ducks while chasing a 191-run target. Notably, the Three Lions couldn’t bat in the 1st T20I due to rain, and it was their first time batting in the ongoing five-match T20I series.
As mentioned above, India, batting first, put 190 runs on the board, courtesy of Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 50-run stand. The same was expected from England since Manchester is a high scoring venue. However, both openers returned to the pavilion in the first over of the match.
Arshdeep Singh Spills Magic With 2 Wickets In 1st Over
Arshdeep Singh spilt his magic in the first over of the 2nd innings. Phil Salt returned to the pavilion on the 1st ball of the run-chase. It was a tempting delivery wide outside off-stump, which produced a faint edge and keeper Ishan Kishan made no mistake.
Jos Buttler was next to depart as he threw his wicket away. On the 5th ball of the 1st over, Jos Buttler looked for a flick but gave a simple catch to Varun Chakaravarthy, who made no mistake.
Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Hits Jofra Archer For A First-Ball Six
With the magical over, Arshdeep Singh silenced his critics as the left-arm seamer took a wicket on the first ball of his over for the second time in his career.
Indian Bowlers to take a wicket on the first ball of the T20I Innings:
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Sri Lanka, Lucknow, 2022 (Pathum Nissanka)
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs England, Edgbaston, 2022 (Jason Roy)
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Zimbabwe, Melbourne, 2022 (Wessly Madhevere)
- Hardik Pandya vs West Indies, Providence, 2023 (Brandon King)
- Arshdeep Singh vs United States, Nassau County, 2024 (Shayan Jahangir)
- Mayank Yadav vs Bangladesh, Hyderabad, 2024 (Parvez Hossain Emon)
- Hardik Pandya vs Pakistan, Dubai, 2025 (Saim Ayub)
Jos Buttler And Phil Salt Register Unwanted Record For England
Notably, with two ducks, it was the first time in England's history that both of their openers got out for a duck in a T20I match. It also reflects that England have had a rich history of openers, because it is quite common these days for both openers to get out for a duck.
Talking about Jos Buttler, the right-handed batter extended his lead at the top for most ducks for England in T20Is.
Most Ducks for England in T20Is
Jos Buttler* – 11
• Moeen Ali – 9
• Luke Wright – 9
• Jason Roy – 7
• Phil Salt* – 7
• Jonny Bairstow – 6
Jos Buttler And Phil Salt Struggling For Runs
Things are not going well for Jos Buttler and Phil Salt. It started during the 2026 T20 World Cup, where the pair amassed just 66 runs together. Further, Buttler scored 62 runs in 7 matches (average 8.85).
Phil Salt, too, had a poor T20 World Cup 2026 and spent most of IPL 2026 injured. Therefore, both players are looking to regain their lost mojo.
Also Read: Axar Patel Rewrites India's Record Books With 100 T20I Wickets
.jpg?type=mq "Fans React As Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Flops")
