Synopsis
Ravi Bishnoi and debutant Harshit Rana each took three wickets as India secured a thrilling 15-run victory over England in the fourth T2OI. This win granted India an unbeatable 3-1 series lead, with the final match set for the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.Key Takeaways
- Ravi Bishnoi and Harshit Rana excelled with three wickets each.
- Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube played crucial roles with their partnership.
- India bounced back after a loss in the third T20I.
- England lost key wickets during a critical phase of their innings.
- Saqib Mahmood made history with a triple-wicket maiden.
Pune, Jan 31 (NationPress) Ravi Bishnoi (3-28) and debutant Harshit Rana (3-33) each took three wickets as India triumphed over England by 15 runs in the fourth T2OI at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday. With this victory, India secured an unbeatable 3-1 series lead, with the final T2OI set to take place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
After suffering a defeat in the third T20I in Rajkot, India bounced back. The hosts had previously won the initial two T20Is in Kolkata and Chennai.
Earlier, Hardik Pandya (53) and Shivam Dube (53) formed a counter-attacking partnership that rescued India from a difficult situation, helping them reach a challenging total of 181/9 after Saqib Mahmood’s (3 for 35) impressive bowling.
Phil Salt and Ben Duckett adopted an aggressive approach, capitalizing on the Power-play. In the opening over from Arshdeep Singh, Salt elegantly drove the ball down the ground for two boundaries, setting the tone for England’s innings. Despite Arshdeep’s attempts for swing, he found no real movement, allowing Salt to take advantage.
Though the introduction of spin initially failed to slow down England, Varun Chakravarthy was brought on to change the game’s tempo. Duckett quickly scored runs through sweeps and reverse-sweeps, guiding England to 53/0 in just five overs. Axar Patel followed, but Duckett continued his assault, hitting back-to-back reverse sweeps including a massive six, leading England to 62/0 at the end of the Power-play.
As England seemed poised for victory, India turned the tables. Ravi Bishnoi, introduced for the final over of the Power-play, delivered a crucial breakthrough. Duckett, who had raced to 39 off 19 balls, miscued a shot that was caught by Suryakumar Yadav, shifting the momentum back to India.
With England in trouble, Axar Patel struck again shortly after, dismissing Phil Salt for 23 off 21 balls, as England lost two wickets in six balls, leaving them reeling.
In a further setback, Jos Buttler, England’s captain, entered the fray but fell to Bishnoi's leg-spin, managing only 2 runs before being caught. England's innings was now precariously at 67/3 in eight overs.
Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone then attempted to stabilize the innings, but India's spinners kept the pressure on. By the 10-over mark, England was at 86/3, with the required run rate climbing.
The match took a turn when Saqib Mahmood made history with a triple-wicket maiden, claiming three Indian wickets in quick succession, leaving India in a precarious situation at 12/3.
At 98/5 in 13 overs, Pandya and Dube's partnership of 88 runs was crucial in setting a competitive target. With England needing 96 runs from the last 10 overs, they remained in contention despite their early losses.
Just when Brook began to find his groove, Harshit Rana made his mark, taking out Liam Livingstone for 9 runs, pushing England to 99/4. Brook, however, remained hopeful for England, capitalizing on the pace of Rana.
As England seemed to regain control, Chakravarthy struck twice, dismissing Brook for 51 and Brydon Carse for a duck, leaving England struggling at 133/6.
With England's lower order in trouble, Rana cleverly lured Jacob Bethell into a misjudged shot, leading to his dismissal. Bishnoi then cleaned up Jofra Archer, finishing with 3/28. Rana concluded his debut with 3 for 33.
Arshdeep claimed the final wicket of Saqib Mahmood, sealing India's 15-run victory and the series 3-1, rendering the last T2OI at Wankhede Stadium inconsequential.
Brief scores:
India 181/9 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 53, Shivam Dube 53; Saqid Mahmood 3-35, Jamie Overton 2-32) defeated England 166 all out in 19.4 overs (Harry Brook 51, Ben Duckett 39; Ravi Bishnoi 3-28, Harshit Rana 3-33) by 15 runs.
