Vikrant Shekhawat : Jan 28, 2025, 11:29 PM
IND vs ENG: In the third match of the 5-match T20 series played between India and England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, England performed brilliantly and registered their first win in the series. England won this match by 26 runs and made the series score 1-2. After losing the first two matches, this match was like a do or die for England, which they made memorable with their excellent game.Strong batting by EnglandAfter winning the toss, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav decided to bowl first. England batsmen took full advantage of this opportunity and posted a challenging score of 171 runs in the stipulated 20 overs. Opener Ben Duckett strengthened England's innings and played a quick innings of 51 runs in 28 balls, which included 7 fours and 2 sixes. Liam Livingstone also maintained his aggressive style and scored 43 runs in 24 balls, which included 1 four and 5 sixes.In the middle order, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood strengthened the team by contributing 10-10 runs.Performance of Indian bowlersVarun Chakraborty proved his worth in Indian bowling. He sent 5 batsmen to the pavilion by giving only 24 runs in a spell of 4 overs at an economy of 6.00. Hardik Pandya also took 2 wickets, while Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel took 1-1 wickets. However, the Indian bowling unit could not prove to be very effective in front of England's aggressive batting.Indian batting failedThe Indian team, which came out to chase the target of 172 runs, had a very bad start. Opener Sanju Samson was dismissed after scoring 3 runs off just 6 balls. Abhishek Sharma played an innings of 24 runs off 14 balls, but failed to convert them into a big innings. Captain Suryakumar Yadav also returned to the pavilion cheaply after scoring 14 runs.Tilak Verma (18 runs) and Hardik Pandya (40 runs) struggled in the middle order, but their innings were not enough to give the team victory. In the lower order, Washington Sundar (6 runs) and Akshar Patel (5 runs) also could not contribute much. In this way, the Indian team could score only 145 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs.England's bowling performanceEngland's bowlers performed disciplined in this match. Their bowlers not only curbed the run rate but also took wickets at regular intervals. Adil Rashid and Chris Woakes bowled brilliantly and did not give the Indian batsmen a chance to play freely.Result of the match and status of the seriesEngland not only kept their hopes alive in the series by winning this match by 26 runs, but also put pressure on the Indian team. Now the score of the series has become 2-1, and both the teams are gearing up for the next match.The next match is importantThe fourth match of the series between the two teams can prove to be decisive. While the Indian team will want to strengthen its lead, England will try to level the series.This match gave the audience an exciting cricket experience and made the series more interesting. Now it remains to be seen which team wins the next match and strengthens its position in the series.