Suryakumar Yadav’s India National Cricket Team locked horns with the Jos Buttler-led England National Cricket Team in the fourth T20I of the five-match series on Friday, January 31.
Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India clinched a 15-run victory against the Three Lions at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune to seal the series 3-1, with one match remaining.
Also Read: Watch: Gautam Gambhir goes berserk in ultra-aggressive celebration for Harshit Rana’s maiden T20I wicket
India win a thriller against England
After losing the toss, the Men In Blue were invited to bat first. They were off to a horrible start, with Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and Suryakumar Yadav getting out in the same over.
However, stunning half-centuries from Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube powered India to a big total of 181 runs in their 20 overs.
Defending the total, the Indian bowlers were initially smashed all over the park. However, they made a stunning comeback, and the addition of Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute made things even greater for them. Eventually, the hosts bowled out England for 166 runs in 19.4 overs to seal the victory.
Three wickets in one over was too much – Suryakumar Yadav
At the post-match presentation ceremony, Suryakumar Yadav hailed the ‘top effort’ of his players. He admitted that losing three wickets in one over in the powerplay was ‘too much’ but was happy that Dube and Pandya bailed the team out of trouble.
“A top effort from everyone. A great crowd, they were always behind us. We didn’t want to go back after 10/3. Three wickets in one over was too much. The way Hardik and Dube showed their experience was great. This is one thing we’ve been talking about – you bat the same way you bat in the nets. I think we are moving in the right direction,” Suryakumar Yadav said.
Suryakumar Yadav further said that he had confidence in the abilities of his bowlers and lauded Harshit Rana for doing a great job.
“I knew we could control the game after the powerplay. We picked a few wickets. Post drinks, Harshit Rana came in as the third seamer and delivered. (What to expect in Mumbai?) Lot of fireworks, I am sure,” Suryakumar Yadav added.
How did India Perform in the previous T20I vs England?
In the 3rd T20I between India and England at Rajkot on January 28, India suffered a 26-run defeat as they fell short of the target set by the visiting team.
Electing to bowl first, India saw a brilliant bowling performance from Varun Chakravarthy, who took 5 wickets for 24 runs, helping restrict England to 171/9 in their 20 overs. His key wickets included Jos Buttler, Jamie Overton, and Jamie Smith.
However, the chase of 172 runs proved challenging for Suryakumar Yadav & Co. Their batting line-up failed to deliver, with the top order struggling to build partnerships. Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav were dismissed early, leaving India at 48/3 in the first 6 overs.
Hardik Pandya was the top scorer for India with 40 runs off 35 balls. He tried to steady the ship, but his dismissal in the 19th over dashed India’s chances of winning. The other batters also couldn’t do much as the English bowlers showed sheer dominance. India were eventually restricted to 145/9 in their 20 overs.