England kept the T20I series alive with a 26-run win over India in Rajkot. England’s bowlers, including Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and Jamie Overton, took seven wickets, with Adil Rashid delivering a brilliant spell to break India’s ten-match unbeaten streak in home conditions.
England’s Batting: Duckett’s Fifty and Livingstone’s Late Surge
England posted a total of 171 for 9, after being put in to bat for the third match in a row. At one point, they were 83 for 1 in the ninth over, thanks to Ben Duckett’s first T20I half-century. However, their middle order collapsed under pressure from India’s Varun Chakravarthy, and it was only Liam Livingstone’s quick-fire 43 off 24 balls, which included five sixes, that kept them afloat. A crucial unbroken stand of 24 between Rashid and Mark Wood helped push the total past 170.
India, chasing 172, found themselves in early trouble. Tilak Varma, India’s in-form batter, was dismissed for 18 off 14 by Rashid, ending his five-match streak of not being dismissed in T20Is. At 85 for 5, India’s chase faltered. Despite Hardik Pandya’s resistance with 40 off 35, Overton dismissed him, causing India’s hopes of completing the chase to fade.
Rashid’s Magical Spell Suffocates India’s Batting
Rashid’s brilliant bowling was key to India’s downfall. His immaculate figures of 4-0-15-1 suffocated the Indian batting, and Pandya’s late surge couldn’t shift the momentum. India struggled to find boundaries between the seventh and 15th overs, with only two boundaries hit. Shami, returning to the India XI for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup final, had little impact.
England’s Early Breakthroughs: Archer and Overton Shine
Earlier, England’s pace bowlers made early inroads. Archer played a key role, taking two wickets, while Overton also made an impact with a breakthrough, dismissing Suryakumar Yadav. Furthermore, Tilak, who had been in exceptional form, was finally dismissed by Rashid, with the ball ripping back through his stumps.
Duckett’s Aggressive Start and Varun’s Five-Wicket Haul
Ben Duckett’s aggressive knock laid the foundation for England’s total, but the middle order failed to capitalize. Varun, who had been the series’ leading wicket-taker, finished with figures of 5-24, dismantling England’s innings with his brilliant spell, including a second five-wicket haul in T20Is.
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