IND vs ENG: England defeated India by 26 runs in the 3rd T20I at Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot. England made a strong comeback to keep the series alive with a dominant bowling performance.
[ Image Source: X/@BCCI ]
After winning the toss, India invite England to bat first. England faced an early dismissal of their opening batter Phil Salt, who fell for Hardik Pandya for just 5 off 7 balls. Following Phil Salt’s dismissal, Ben Duckett took control, energizing England’s innings with a flurry of boundaries. He then formed a solid partnership with captain Jos Buttler, as the duo comfortably put together a 76-run stand, expertly handling both pace and the spin.
However, the partnership came to an end when Varun Chakravarthy dismissed captain Jos Buttler for 24 off 22 balls. Axar Patel then struck shortly after, removing Ben Duckett just after his superb fifty, as Duckett scored 51 off 28 balls, including 7 fours and 2 sixes.
From a commanding position at 83/1, England collapsed to 127/8 in no time as Varun Chakravarthy cast a spell with his magical spin, claiming a five-wicket haul. While Liam Livingstone fought back, hitting a few boundaries off Ravi Bishnoi to spark some hope for England. But his momentum was halted by Hardik Pandya, who dismissed him for 43 off 24 deliveries with the help of 1 four and five sixes.
At the end, England posted a respectable total, with the help of a strong 24-run partnership for the 10th wicket. They finished their innings at 171/9 after 20 overs.
IND vs ENG: India Response
India’s chase never gained momentum as they faltered at 145/9. They lost their first three wickets during the powerplay. Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson scored (3 off 6) and Abhishek Sharma contributed (24 off 14 balls) along with captain Suryakumar Yadav added (14 off 7 balls) got starts but couldn’t capitalize on them. Sanju Samson, in particular, struggled once again against the pace attack.
Tilak Varma (18 off 14) was dismissed by a brilliant delivery from Adil Rashid. Hardik Pandya stood out as the lone fighter with the bat, scoring 40 off 35 balls, but did not receive support from the other end.
India fell short by 26 runs, finishing their innings at 145/9 after 20 overs.
For the next match, India will look to recover and clinch the series, while England will aim to carry forward their momentum and equalize the series.
Also Read: BBL Final 24-25: Mitchell Owen’s Fiery Ton Powers Hobart Hurricanes To Win