India level the series 2-2 with Saturday’s Grand finale
England Vs India 4th T20I at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
England won the toss and elected to bowl
India 185-8 0ff 20 0v, S Yadav 57 off 31, 6 fours, 3 sixes, Pant 30 off 23, 4 fours, Iyer 37 off 18, 5 fours, 1 six, Archer 3-33, Rashid 1-39, wood 1-25, Stokes 1-26, S Curran 1-16.
England 177-8 off 20ov Jason Roy 40 off27, 6, fours, 1 six, Stokes 46 off 23, 4 fours, 3 sixes, Bairstow 25 off 19, 2 fours, 1 six, Malan 14 off 17, 1six, B Kumar 1-30, H Pandya 1-16, R Chahar 2-35, Thakur 1-42
India won the match despite losing the toss, by playing better cricket reaching 185 for 8 then bowling with intelligence, and holding the nerve. They looked impregnable when England needed 27 with 7 balls left, but Archer’s trash to the covers and pull over midwicket for six earned 14 in a sequence of three balls. Shardul Thakur followed with a brace of wides. England needed 10 from three balls. But as Archer broke his bat trying to heave a Thakur cutter, England’s hopes disappeared.
Archer dupes Rohit who hits the first ball of the game for six, with a slower ball, and removes for 12. Rohit becomes the second Indian after Virat Kohli to get to the 9000-run mark in all T20 cricket at an average of 31.98 in 328 innings.
Suryakumar Yadav starts his international career with an exquisite six over fine-leg off Jofra Archer bouncer and then punches off the back foot for four, a 92.58mph delivery from Wood. Surya allows Chris Jordan delivery to come in and then just places it beautifully in the gap between the point and short third-man for four. At the end of the powerplay, India was 45/1.
Surya strikes over to cover a googly from Adil Rashid which was wide outside off.
Stokes gets Rahul after playing a loose shot the ball goes straight to Jofra Archer at mid-off. Virat Kohli charges down the track but completely misses the googly from Adil Rashid and Jos Buttler ensures agile stumping. India 70/3.
Surya gets his maiden 50 off 28 balls a boundary to finish the 12th over, India 92/3. Rishabh Pant collects two boundaries off Stoke, one slapped to mid-wicket fence and another an exquisite cover drive. India 102/3.
Surya scoops Curran for six and then attempts the scoop again but his time a terrific effort from Dawid Malan at fine-leg fence takes the diving catch. Surya’s knock of 57., India 120/4.
Jofra Archer after being smashed for a boundary, Pant looks to play the helicopter shot of a full searing length ball on off and is bowled, Hardik Pandya smashes Chris Jordan’s short ball for a six by hooking it over the backward square leg fence. Then Shreyas Iyer hits Jordan for four over the bowler’s head.
Wood traps Pandya who after missing to connect the previous two balls gets the bat-on ball which goes to the left of mid-off where an agile Stokes files to take a stunning catch. India 170/6. Jofra Archer gets his fourth wicket with a short ball around off traps Washington Sundar who looks to use the pace and guide it over the third man but succeeds only hitting down the throat of Adil Rashid at third man. Shardul Takur, who throws his bat which connects and goes to mid-off to take a single India to finish 185/8.
In reply Malan was dropped by Takur on 3 at short third tipping with one hand, Buttler caught via leading edge to mid-off, the Bhuvenshwar leg cutter delivery after miscuing out to midwicket where Kl Rahul makes no mistake for 9,
Sundar to Roy who gets down to one knee and sweeps for four and then clubs Sundar’s too full delivery straight down for a six. At The end of powerplay England are 48/1. Chahar flattens Malan’s leg stump as he tries to reverse sweep and failed England 60-2.
Jason Roy 40 holes out to deep midwicket, miscuing his pull shot straight down the throat of the sky, Hardik’s slower ball, and Suryakumar take the catch. England 66-3.
Bairstow nudges to Virat Kohli for at cover for one run and then Stokes hoicks Sundar over mid-wicket with a ballistic smash through long on for a six. England 91-3 after 12 overs. Stoke raises England’s 100 with a grand six down the ground off Chahar as England is picking up pace and needs 86 runs from 42 balls England 100/3.
Bairstow hits a huge six past the midwicket fence and goes on up with a wide sweep from outside off through cow corner. England now needs 68 from 36 balls. Stokes and Bairstow moved the gears to turn the game back on its head.
Chahar gets his revenge after being hammered in the previous over for 14 runs, traps Jonny Bairstow 25, as he top edges it to Washington Sundar at the point, which brings Captain Morgan.
Takur conjures a slower one to Stoke who carries straight to Suryakumar at long-off. Then Takur sends back Morgan with a slow cutter who attempts to slice it over point giving a leading edge straight to Sundar. England 147/6 after 17 overs.
Pandya bowls Curran England 153-7 after 18 overs and still needs 33 runs to win.
Archer finds a boundary off the final ball of Bhuvneswar’s over and England needs 23 off the final over.
Takur looks to level the series 2-2 as Archer storms one down the ground for boundary 18 needed off 4balls. Archer then pulls Thakur’ short ball to the stands and England needs 12 from three balls.
Two wides by Thakur inches England to the jaws of victory. Thakur decides to send a full and straight ball which hits the bottom of Archer’s bat which also breaks in the force. England 177/7 after 19.4 overs.
A Knuckleball sent by Thakur which Jordan sends straight to Pandya at long-off and England is 177/8 after 19.5 overs.
The last ball Thakur holds his nerve which Archer misses and India levels the series in a nail-biting finish.