Dube, Pandya, Rana Power India to Series-Clinching Victory Over England
Patiala, 01 February (Sports Desk)
A crucial partnership and a strong bowling performance propelled India to a 15-run victory over England in Pune, securing an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match T20I series.
India’s innings got off to a shaky start, with the top order collapsing early, leaving them at 12/3. While Abhishek Sharma (29) and Rinku Singh (30) provided some resistance, India were five wickets down by the halfway mark. However, Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya forged a game-changing 87-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Pandya smashed 53 off 34 balls, while Dube contributed a quickfire 53 off 30 deliveries before being run out. Their explosive batting helped India reach a competitive total of 181.
England began their chase strongly, reaching 62/0 in the powerplay. However, Ravi Bishnoi’s crucial wicket of Ben Duckett on the last ball of the powerplay stemmed the flow of runs. Axar Patel then removed Phil Salt, and Bishnoi struck again, dismissing England captain Jos Buttler. Despite these breakthroughs, Harry Brook’s aggressive half-century (50 off 25 balls) kept England in the game. Just as England looked threatening, Varun Chakravarthy, fresh off a five-wicket haul in the previous match, dismissed Brook, shifting the momentum back to India.
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T20I debutant Harshit Rana, who came in as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube, also made a significant impact, taking three wickets. Rana and Bishnoi were the joint-highest wicket-takers for India in the match. Their combined efforts helped India restrict England and secure a 15-run win.
India now holds a 3-1 lead in the series, with the final T20I scheduled for February 2nd in Mumbai.
