A ruthless India rode the brilliant performances of Suryakumar Yadav and Shardul Thakur to defeat England by 8 runs in the 4th T20I in Ahmedabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
While Suryakumar Yadav scored an exquisite half century, Shardul Thakur dismissed Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan off consecutive deliveries and then bowled a brilliant final over to wrap up the win.
Suryakumar’s half-century aside, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer helped post 185/8 during their innings.
England captain Eoin Morgan has won the toss again and asked India to bat first in the fourth T20I in Ahmedabad. England are playing the same XI as the third T20I whereas India have made two changes. Virat Kohli said India would have possibly batted first too if he had won the toss.
Rohit Sharma started the game with a first ball six off Adil Rashid before KL Rahul got off the mark in that over. A more assured looking Rahul then rounded off the second over bowled by Jofra Archer with a crisp backfoot punch through point for a boundary. However, England found a breakthrough in the 4th over when Rohit was caught and bowled by Archer off a slower one for 12.
That’s when Suryakumar Yadav took charge, picking up the first delivery he faced in international cricket from his hips and into the stands off Archer. He played a few more exquisite shots through the rest of the powerplay as Rahul continued to play himself in at the other. India finished the powerplay with the score on 45/1.
The new man continued to attack at his end and kept the scoreboard moving at good pace but Rahul, who looked more assured today, could not carry on beyond 14 as he was caught by Archer of Ben Stokes.
Captain Virat Kohli joined Suryakumar Yadav in the middle but made the long walk back soon after as Adil Rashid bamboozled him with a googly. Kohli was stumped for 1.
Suryakumar kept going on his merry ways and completed a 28-ball 50 in the 12th over. India, with Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar in the middle, reached the 100-run mark in the 13th over.
Suryakumar welcomed Sam Curran with a sweep from outside off stump and over fine leg for 6 before being dismissed for 57 when Dawid Malan took a contentious catch off the next ball.
Suryakumar, who played a some exquisite shots, smashed 6 boundaries and 3 sixes. Malan, as per replays. seemed to have grassed the catch but a lack of conclusive evidence meant the on-field umpires decision of out stood.
Rishabh Pant kept up the momentum at his end and played a brisk 30 before being cleaned up by Archer. Shreyas Iyer then walked in and attacked from the first ball but Hardik Pandya at the other end could not get going. Hardik was dismissed for 11 with Stokes taking a fantastic catch at mid-off off Mark Wood.
Iyer, who smashed 5 fours and 1 six during his 18-ball 37, went after Jordan in the 18th over, as India scored 18. Iyer became Archer’s third wicket when Malan took a less controversial catch in the final over.
Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur added some handy runs as India asked England to chase 186 to win the series.
England, who need to win the game to clinch the series, lost Jos Buttler (9) in the 3rd over when a miscued pick-up shot towards leg side landed in the hands of KL Rahul off the bowling of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who began the innings with a maiden over.
Jason Roy decided to up the ante on his end and attacked Washington Sundar’s first over as England made sure they were on track at the end of the powerplay with the score at 48/1.
While Roy was racing along Malan found it hard to get a move on and was eventually cleaned up by Rahul Chahar round his legs with a googly for 14. Off the next over, Roy, who has missed out on a couple of fifties in the series, looked towards cow corner off Hardik and holed out to Suryakumar for 40 as England were 66/3 and in a spot of bother in the 9th over.
Ben Stokes joined a struggling Jonny Bairstow and quickly went through the gears in the next few overs, taking a liking to the spinners Sundar and Chahar.
However, Bairstow soon got going against Sundar, who conceded more than 50 runs in a T20I for the first time. Bairstow and Stokes put on a 65-run stand for the fourth wicket before Chahar made the right-hander his second wicket of the night when he miscued the big shot to Sundar at point.
With the game getting tight, India turned to Shardul Thakur and he responded with wickets of the on-song Ben Stokes (46) and Eoin Morgan (4) with slower deliveries that saw both batsmen caught in the deep in the 17th over.
Hardik Pandya, who has returned to bowling full tilt for the first time since coming back from a back injury, finished his spell with the wicket of Sam Curran in the 18th over as the visitors’ fight tapered away.
Bhuvneshwar and Shardul conceded 24 in the final 2 overs as England threw the kitchen-sink with Jofra Archer but fell short by 8 runs.
India’s comprehensive win means the five-match series is now level at 2-2.
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