IND vs ENG 3rd T20I: England Bounces Back, Keeps Series Alive With 26-Run Victory In Rajkot

IND vs ENG 3rd T20I: England's victory keeps the five-match T20I series alive and marks their first win after back-to-back defeats in first two games.

Clinical performance from Indian bowlers restricted England to 171/9 in 20 overs.

Source : PTI

IND vs ENG 3rd T20I highlights: Team India faltered across departments in the third T20I, allowing England to deliver a solid all-round performance in Rajkot and secure a 26-run victory on Tuesday (January 28) at Rajkot. The win keeps the five-match T20I series alive and marks England's first win after back-to-back defeats in first two games.

India's chase of 172 got off to a shaky start, with Sanju Samson falling early after another lackluster performance. Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were also dismissed during the powerplay, while in-form Tilak Varma also failed to deliver.

Adil Rashid's masterful spell in the middle overs weakend India's scoring, causing the required run rate to skyrocket.

Washington Sundar struggled to accelerate before his dismissal, and Hardik Pandya found it challenging to build momentum against England's disciplined pacers. With boundaries hard to come by, India succumbed to the pressure, allowing England to defend their total with ease.

Clinical performance from Indian bowlers restrict England to 171/9 in 20 overs

India won the toss and chose to bowl first against England. Batting first, the visitors posted a total of 171/9 in their 20 overs. Ben Duckett was the standout performer, scoring a quick-fire half-century, while Liam Livingstone contributed with a valuable 43.

Varun Chakravarthy was the hero for India, claiming a remarkable 5-wicket haul. Hardik Pandya picked up 2 wickets, and Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel added one wicket each to India's tally.

England got off to a shaky start as Hardik Pandya struck early, removing Phil Salt for just 5 runs off 7 balls in the second over. Ben Duckett then took charge, forming a key partnership with skipper Jos Buttler. Duckett reached his half-century off 28 balls, including 7 fours and 2 sixes, before he was dismissed.

India's bowlers then tightened the grip, with Varun Chakravarthy picking up the big wicket of captain Jos Buttler for 24 runs off 22 balls. Axar Patel then removed Duckett for 51 runs, breaking the partnership.

'Mystery spinner' Chakravarthy continued to dominate, taking 2 wickets in the same over. He dismissed Jamie Smith for 6 runs and followed it up with the scalp of Jamie Overton, who went for a duck. In the 16th over, Chakravarthy struck twice more, dismissing Brydon Carse for 3 runs and Jofra Archer for a duck, completing a five-wicket haul.

Hardik Pandya then removed the dangerous Liam Livingstone for 43 runs off 24 balls, which included 1 four and 5 sixes. At the end of 20 overs, England finished with 171/9, with India's bowlers, particularly Chakravarthy, putting on a clinical performance to restrict them to a manageable total.