Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his international debut for India on Saturday but England young gun Jacob Bethell ensured it was the hosts who won the second T20 at Old Trafford.
At just 15 years and 99 days old, Sooryavanshi replaced batting great Sachin Tendulkar as India's youngest men's player and marked his entrance onto the world stage with two stunning sixes as he scored 14 from 10 balls.
Yet it was fellow left-handed batsman Bethell, a relative veteran at the age 22, who made the match-clinching contribution as England went 1-0 up in a five-match series following Wednesday's washout in Durham.
England were faltering at 51-3, chasing 191 for victory, when Bethell walked out to bat but he responded with an expertly-paced 76 not out to take his side to a four-wicket win over the T20 world champions.
The match turned decisively in favour of England in the 17th over of their chase when Bethell struck two free-hit sixes following back-foot no-balls from Ravi Bishnoi.
The spinner conceded 29 runs in that over and finished with expensive figures of 0-60 from his maximum four overs.
Bethell hit five fours and five sixes in his 46-ball innings as England won with an over to spare.
SOORYAVANSHI STUMPED
Earlier, Sooryavanshi opened in front of a majority Indian crowd in Manchester, with the match being watched by a primetime television audience back home.
He forced his way into the squad for the limited-overs trip following stunning displays in the Indian Premier League, where he emerged as the leading batsman this season with 776 runs for the Rajasthan Royals – a tally which included one century and five fifties.
After being left on the sidelines for India's shock 2-0 series loss to Ireland in Belfast and Wednesday's series opener, he finally made his international bow in Manchester.
He sent his fourth ball soaring over fine leg for six off Royals teammate Jofra Archer, stooping down on to one knee before he played a modified sweep shot off England's fastest bowler.
His seventh delivery also cleared the ropes, fellow debutant Josh Tongue banging out a good length yet still seeing the ball struck with incredible bat speed into the stands at wide long-on.
But spinner Will Jacks had a charging Sooryavanshi stumped by Jos Buttler as the batter lost his balance.
Abishek Sharma looked dangerous before he holed out off a low full toss from Sam Curran for 43, with the left-arm paceman also removing Ishan Kishan (49) and Shivam Dube (five) on his way to 3-33.
Arshdeep Singh then gave India renewed hope of victory by having openers Phil Salt and Buttler caught for ducks in the first over of the chase.
But England white-ball captain Harry Brook, who featured in the recent 2-1 test series loss to New Zealand that ended in the international retirement of red-ball skipper Ben Stokes, counter-attacked with 39 in 15 balls.
With 49 required off 24 balls, England had work to do until Bethell's assault on Bishnoi.
The series continues in Nottingham on Tuesday.
ENGLAND: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (capt), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue
INDIA: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (capt), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Harshit Rana, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy