RAJKOT: England secured a 26-run victory over India in the third T20 International on Tuesday as some sprightly bowling kept the tourists alive in the five-match series against the world champions.

Put into bat, England posted a modest 171-9 with Ben Duckett (51) and Liam Livingstone (43) providing major contributions.

India spinner Varun Chakravarthy claimed 5-24 but the English bowlers made their own mark and restricted their hosts to 145-9 to deny India an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

Beaten comprehensively in Kolkata and narrowly in Chennai, England had to win at Rajkot in what is their first white-ball series under coach Brendon McCullum.

India seamer Hardik Pandya dismissed Phil Salt in his first over but Duckett and captain Jos Buttler (24) propped up England with a 76-run stand.

An in-form Chakravarthy continued to torment the England batters and dismissed Buttler caught behind to trigger a batting collapse.

Buttler was initially adjudged not out but wicket-keeper Sanju Samson convinced captain Suryakumar Yadav to review the decision, which was overturned after replays confirmed the batter had gloved the ball.

Duckett raced to a 26-ball fifty but fell soon to Axar Patel’s left-arm spin. Chakravarthy dismissed Ja­mie Smith and Jamie Overton with successive deliveries.

Realising he was running out of partners, Livingstone counter-attacked hitting spinner Ravi Bishnoi for three sixes in an over.

For India, seamer Mohammed Shami conceded 25 runs in his three tidy, though wicketless, overs on his return to international cricket after a year.

Jofra Archer (2-33) removed Samson in his second over and then took a tumbling catch to remove other op­e­ner Abhishek Sharma (24), who was looking dangerous.

Mark Wood got rid of Suryakumar and Adil Rashid sent back Tilak Varma to put England in charge.

Pandya kept India’s hopes alive with a defiant 40 but his dismissal in the 19th over effectively sealed the match in England’s favour.

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND:

P. Salt c Sharma b Pandya 5

B. Duckett c Sharma b Patel 51

J. Buttler c Samson b C’varthy 24

H. Brook b Bishnoi 8

L. Livingstone c Jurel b Pandya 43

J. Smith c Jurel b Chakaravarthy 6

J. Overton b Chakaravarthy 0

B. Carse c Varma b C’varthy 3

J. Archer b Chakaravarthy 0

A. Rashid not out 10

M. Wood not out 10

EXTRAS (B-5, W-5, NB-1) 11

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 20 overs) 171

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-7 (Salt), 2-83 (Buttler), 3-87 (Duckett), 4-108 (Brook), 5-115 (Smith),

6-115 (Overton), 7-127 (Carse), 8-127 (Archer), 9-147 (Livingstone)

BOWLING: Shami 3-0-25-0 (1nb), Pandya 4-0-33-2 (2w), Sundar 1-0-15-0, Chakaravarthy 4-0-24-5 (1w), Bishnoi 4-0-46-1 (1w), Patel 3-0-19-1, Sharma 1-0-4-0

INDIA:

S. Samson c Rashid b Archer 3

A. Sharma c Archer b Carse 24

S. Yadav c Salt b Wood 14

T. Varma b Rashid 18

H. Pandya c Buttler b Overton 40

W. Sundar c Buttler b Overton 6

A. Patel c Rashid b Archer 15

D. Jurel c Salt b Carse 2

M. Shami c Brook b Overton 7

R. Bishnoi not out 4

V. Chakaravarthy not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-6) 11

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 20 overs) 145

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-16 (Samson), 2-31 (Sharma), 3-48 (Yadav), 4-68 (Varma), 5-85 (Sundar), 6-123 (Patel), 7-131 (Pandya), 8-140 (Shami), 9-140 (Jurel)

BOWLING: Archer 4-0-33-2 (1w), Wood 3-0-29-1 (4w), Carse 4-0-28-2, Livingstone 1-0-11-0, Rashid 4-0-15-1, Overton 4-0-24-3 (1w)

RESULT: England won by 26 runs.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2025