England triumphs over India in Rajkot, ending their home streak with a thrilling 26-run victory. Explore match insights and highlights on our site.
Introduction:
England staged a spirited comeback to keep the T20I series alive with a 26-run victory over India in Rajkot. The triumph ended India’s ten-match winning streak at home, thanks to a disciplined bowling display led by Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Jamie Overton, and a masterclass from Adil Rashid. The thrilling encounter demonstrated England’s resolve and set the stage for a nail-biting series decider.
See also: Tilak Varma’s Heroics Seal a Tense Chase as India Clinches 2-0 Lead
England’s Batting: Resilience Amid Struggles
After being sent in to bat for the third match in a row, England put up 171 for 9—a competitive total but one that seemed modest given the favorable batting conditions. A promising start, however, soon gave way to turbulence in the middle overs, and it was clear that partnerships were the key to success in T20 cricket.
Ben Duckett impressed as an opener, scoring his maiden T20I fifty. His steady 50 provided a strong platform as England reached 83 for 1 by the ninth over. Duckett anchored the innings with a mixture of precise placement and calculated aggression, demonstrating his ability to adapt to the shortest format.
However, India managed to get rid of England’s middle order with Varun Chakravarthy using his precision and variations. His spell triggered a collapse, and England was in damage control, hoping to post a par score.
Liam Livingstone’s contribution came in 43 runs off 24 balls as he plundered five towering sixes, which gave the innings the energy it badly needed. His counterattacking mode against the spinners was crucial while making sure that the run rate stayed competitive.
The most important unbroken 24-run stand for the last wicket between Adil Rashid and Mark Wood brought in much-needed runs. Their resilience at the tail-end saw England cross the 170-mark, which, as it was, proved a defendable total.
India’s Chase: An Uncommon Collapse at Home
India, confident on home turf, faltered under the pressure of England’s pace attack and spin precision. The hosts struggled to find momentum in their chase and never fully recovered from early setbacks.
The innings began shakily as Sanju Samson was dismissed for a duck, his second consecutive failure in the series. Samson’s inability to contribute at the top of the order added pressure on India’s middle order.
Abhishek Sharma briefly entertained with a quick 14-ball cameo, hitting five boundaries, but fell to a brilliant catch by Archer. India’s in-form batter, Tilak Varma, came to the crease following this dismissal.
Tilak Varma, India’s star performer in the recent games, did give glimpses of brilliance as he slapped a second-ball cover. However, he fell to Rashid for 18 off 14. It was his first T20I dismissal in five innings. Rashid’s delivery dipped and spun sharply past Tilak’s defense and rattled the stumps—a pivotal moment in the match.
England’s Bowlers Shine
England’s bowling attack came good under pressure, using a combination of pace and spin to strangle India’s chase. The bowlers exploited the conditions very well, varying their lengths and speeds to keep the Indian batters guessing.
Adil Rashid was the best bowler of the game, with a spotless 4-0-15-1. He really needed to limit the runs and get key wickets in order to spoil India’s flow. The removal of Tilak Varma particularly made the balance all in England’s favor.
Jofra Archer, back to his best, delivered the pace and accuracy in every delivery that gave him two match-winning wickets. His skill of extracting bounce and movement from the surface made it quite troublesome for Indian batters across the innings.
Brydon Carse and Jamie Overton were also at it, taking five wickets together. Sharp bouncers by Carse and line-and-length bowling by Overton made the Indian middle and lower order not bat in a proper rhythm.
Turning Points
A perfectly flighted delivery bowled Tilak through the gate, ending his sensational streak and silencing the Rajkot crowd. This wicket dismantled India’s hopes of a stable chase.
England’s Powerplay Dominance: When India were reduced to 48 for 3 in the powerplay, the visitors took firm control of the game. Early breakthroughs by Carse and Archer disrupted India’s top order.
Hardik’s Dismissal: At 40 off 35, there was hardly anything left to be hoped for a late Indian turnaround. Overton’s astute variations made Hardik pull and hit one thick outside edge at long-off to his own hands.
End of India’s Home Streak
This was the first time India had lost a T20I on home soil since November 2023. Their middle order did show glimpses of resilience, but not being able to find boundaries between the 7th and 15th overs—there were only two in that period—cost them dear. The death bowling, aided by Rashid’s spell, choked the life out of India’s chase.
Series Decider Awaits
Now that the series stands at 2-1 in favor of India, England will infuse the final match with new energy. Both teams are going to tinker with their plan in a bid to make this a defining end to this closely contested series. This victory will make England feel thrilled, and India will try to get back and win the series in front of their home fans.
Key Performers
England:
Ben Duckett: 50 runs (anchor role), Liam Livingstone: 43 off 24 (late flourish), Adil Rashid: 4-0-15-1 (game-changing spell), Brydon Carse & Jofra Archer: Early breakthroughs
India:
Varun Chakravarthy: Middle-order wreckage, Hardik Pandya: 40 off 35 (valiant effort), Abhishek Sharma: Quick 29 off 14