Rajkot: India skipper Suryakumar Yadav admitted his side’s shortcomings after the hosts’ ten-match unbeaten streak at home came to an end with a 26-run defeat against England in the third T20I of the five-match series at the Niranjan Shah Stadium here on Tuesday.
Electing to bowl first, India had their moments but couldn’t prevent England from reaching a challenging 171/9. Opener Ben Duckett’s blistering 51 off 28 balls laid the foundation, while Liam Livingstone’s 43 off 24 ensured momentum through the middle overs. However, England’s middle and lower order struggled against the guile of Varun Chakravarthy, who delivered a career-best 5 for 24, dismantling their plans.
England’s bowlers, particularly Adil Rashid (1-15), Jamie Overton (3-24), Jofra Archer (2-33), and Brydon Carse (2-28), executed their plans to perfection, ensuring a vital victory to keep the series alive. Lauding Adil Rashid’s game-changing spell, Suryakumar hailed him as a world-class player.
“I felt there’ll be a little bit of dew. With Hardik-Axar batting and us needing 55 off 24, still felt we had the game in our hands. Credit to Adil Rashid wanted to rotate the strike, but he didn’t let us, that’s why he is a world-class bowler. We always learn from a T20 game, conceding 170 from 127/8 was too much. Batting also, we have a few things to learn. Good to see Shami bowl like that. Varun’s one guy who has been working very hard, has good discipline that’s why he’s got the results,” Yadav said after the match.
India’s reply was cautious, with Jofra Archer and Mark Wood applying early pressure. Sanju Samson managed just three runs before falling to Rashid in the third over, attempting an ill-timed expansive shot.
Abhishek Sharma offered hope with a flurry of boundaries, smashing 24 off 14 balls, but his aggression led to his downfall, mistiming a big hit off Brydon Carse. At 35/2, India looked shaky, needing a partnership to steady the ship. Suryakumar Yadav briefly ignited hopes with his trademark flair, hitting a six and a boundary, but his adventurous scoop off Mark Wood ended his cameo at 14 off 7 balls.
Tilak Varma (18 off 14) and Hardik Pandya began rebuilding, but Adil Rashid’s clever variations stifled India’s progress. Rashid’s brilliance continued as he dismissed Tilak, leaving India struggling at 78/4 at the halfway mark. Washington Sundar (6 off 15) struggled to find a rhythm and eventually chipped Jamie Overton to Jos Buttler, leaving India at 86/5. Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel tried to accelerate, but the asking rate continued to climb.
Brydon Carse bowled a tight 16th over, conceding just seven runs, before Pandya injected life into the chase by smashing a six and a four off Mark Wood’s 17th over. However, the equation remained steep with 41 needed off the last two overs. Jofra Archer removed Axar Patel in the 18th over, leaving Pandya as India’s sole hope. Jamie Overton delivered the decisive blow in the 19th, dismissing Pandya for a gritty 40 off 35 balls. Overton’s disciplined bowling sealed the match, leaving India needing an impossible 34 off the final over.
Brydon Carse wrapped up the proceedings by dismissing Dhruv Jurel on the first ball of the final over, with India finishing at 145/7.
(IANS)
