England, batting first, could only manage 165 for 9. The score was led by skipper Jos Buttler who scored 45 off 30 balls with the help of two fours and three sixes. However, it was Brydon Carse who scored 31 off just 17 balls at the end of the innings to take England to 104 for 6.
India used five spinners in the innings with Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy taking two wickets each while Abhishek Sharma and Washington Sundar took one wicket each.
In reply, England kept the hosts in check by taking regular wickets. In fact, at one point, India were struggling at 78 for 5 but Tilak Verma produced another brilliant performance of 72 off just 55 balls to take India home in a tough chase. Carse continued his impressive form with figures of 3 for 29 in his four overs. All England bowlers took at least one wicket each.
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England defeated India by 26 runs in Rajkot to reduce India’s lead to 2-1 in the five-match series. Here are the key highlights:
Match Result
- England: 171/9 (20 overs)
- Ben Duckett: 51 (28 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes) 48
- Liam Livingstone: 43 (24 balls, 1 four, 5 sixes) 411
- Varun Chakravarthy (IND): 5/24, including Jos Buttler and Duckett 78
- India: 145/9 (20 overs)
- Hardik Pandya: 40 (35 balls, 1 four, 2 sixes) 811
- Jamie Overton (ENG): 3/24, dismissing Hardik and Shami 79
- Player of the Match: Varun Chakravarthy (India) for his five-wicket haul 78.
Key Moments
- England’s Batting Collapse & Recovery
- England lost 7 wickets in 7 overs after Duckett’s 51 and Buttler’s 24, but a 43-run blitz by Livingstone and a 10-run last-wicket stand between Adil Rashid and Mark Wood lifted them to 171 48.
- India’s Chase Derailed
- India’s top order faltered: Abhishek Sharma (24) and Sanju Samson (3) fell early. Suryakumar Yadav (14) was caught off Mark Wood’s bouncer 411.
- Adil Rashid’s Spell: Dismissed Tilak Varma (18) with a turning delivery, stifling India’s momentum 89.
- Hardik Pandya’s Lone Fight
- Hardik’s 40 kept India’s hopes alive, but his dismissal in the 19th over sealed the game for England 811.
- Death Bowling Masterclass
- England’s pacers, led by Overton and Jofra Archer (2/33), executed yorkers and slower balls effectively. Archer removed Axar Patel (15) with a low full toss 79.
Post-Match Reactions
- Jos Buttler (ENG): Praised Adil Rashid and pacers for “controlled aggression,” highlighting Duckett’s innings 78.
- Suryakumar Yadav (IND): Admitted middle-order struggles and credited Rashid’s spell. Backed Varun’s performance despite the loss 79.
Series Status
- India leads 2-1 with two matches remaining.
- Next Match: 4th T20I in Pune on January 31, 2025 (7 PM IST) 811.