England Bowlers Excel in 26-Run Victory, Keeping Series Alive

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England Bowlers Excel in 26-Run Victory, Keeping Series Alive

Synopsis

In the third T20I match held in Rajkot, England's bowlers, led by Adil Rashid, achieved a thrilling 26-run victory against India, halting their unbeaten streak. This win brought the series score to 1-2, showcasing a disciplined bowling effort that kept England's hopes alive.

Key Takeaways

  • England's disciplined bowling led to a 26-run win.
  • Adil Rashid took 5 wickets for 24 runs.
  • Ben Duckett and Liam Livingstone were key contributors with the bat.
  • India struggled against England's pace attack.
  • Varun Chakravarthy excelled with the ball for India.

Rajkot, Jan 28 (NationPress) The England bowlers showcased their skills, spearheaded by a brilliant performance from Adil Rashid, to secure a convincing 26-run victory over India in their chase for 172 runs during the third T20I at the Niranjan Shah Stadium. This triumph ended India’s remarkable ten-match unbeaten streak at home. With a disciplined and strategic bowling display, England reduced the series score to 1-2, keeping their hopes alive.

Earlier, India won the toss and opted to bowl on a pitch that offered both grip and turn. England's innings commenced with a mixed bag, as opener Ben Duckett ignited the innings with a rapid 51 off 28 balls, establishing a strong early foundation. Liam Livingstone contributed significantly with a vigorous 43 off 24 balls, featuring several impressive boundary strikes.

Nonetheless, the remainder of the English batting lineup struggled against the clever bowling of Varun Chakravarthy, who delivered a career-best performance of 5 for 24. He was well-supported by Hardik Pandya (2-33) and Axar Patel. Despite losing wickets frequently, England managed to amass 171 for 9—a competitive total given the challenging conditions.

As India began their chase of 172, the innings commenced cautiously with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma as openers. England's pace attack, spearheaded by Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, bowled with precision, restricting India’s scoring opportunities. Samson’s struggles concluded in the third over, where he attempted an ambitious shot but ended up giving a simple catch to Adil Rashid, departing for just 3 runs.

Sharma exhibited promise with a series of boundaries, including consecutive fours against Wood. However, his aggressive approach proved to be his undoing as he mistimed a hit off Brydon Carse, leading to a brilliant running catch by Archer. He was dismissed for a quick 24 off 14 balls, leaving India in a precarious position at 35/2. Captain Suryakumar Yadav briefly ignited hopes with his signature style, hitting a six over fine-leg and a boundary off Archer before getting dismissed for 14 off 7 balls while attempting a scoop.

Tilak Varma, the hero from India's previous victory, and Hardik Pandya attempted to stabilize the innings, but England’s spinners, especially Rashid, maintained relentless pressure. Rashid’s diverse bowling tactics ultimately led to Tilak’s dismissal for 18 off 14 balls. By the halfway stage, India found themselves at 78/4, needing 94 runs from the final 10 overs.

Washington Sundar joined Pandya, but runs became hard to come by as England's bowlers tightened their grip. Sundar struggled to get going and eventually fell to a slower delivery from Jamie Overton, scoring only 6 off 15 balls and leaving India in a dire situation at 86/5 after 13 overs.

With 72 runs required from the last five overs, Pandya and Axar Patel made attempts to accelerate the scoring, but England’s disciplined bowling made it challenging. Carse’s over yielded only seven runs, with Axar managing to hit a boundary. Wood’s 17th over gave India a fleeting moment of hope as Pandya hit a massive six and followed it with a four. However, England struck back in the 18th over when Archer dismissed Axar Patel for 15 off 16 balls, leaving Hardik with a daunting task ahead.

In the 19th over, Jamie Overton sealed England's win. Pandya miscalculated a lofted shot off a slower delivery, resulting in a simple catch to Buttler at long-on. His commendable innings of 40 off 35 balls ended any chances for India. Overton’s over allowed just seven runs, leaving India needing 34 off the final over. Brydon Carse concluded the match effectively, dismissing Dhruv Jurel on the first ball. India ultimately finished at 145/7, falling short by 26 runs.

Brief scores:

England 171/9 in 20 overs (Ben Duckett 51, Liam Livingstone 43, Varun Chakravarthy 5-24, Hardik Pandya 2-33) defeated India 145/9 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 40, Abhishek Sharma 24; Jamie Overton 3-24, Brydon Carse 2-24) by 26 runs.