By Naman Suri
India secured a 3-1 series victory over England with a well-rounded performance in the fourth T20I, winning by 15 runs. The middle order, led by Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube, rescued the first innings before bowlers Ravi Bishnoi and Harshit Rana took three wickets each to seal the win.
However, the major talking point of the match was India’s shrewd use of the ICC’s concussion rule, swapping batting all-rounder Shivam Dube for specialist fast bowler Harshit Rana. The move paid off, with Dube making an impact with the bat and Rana delivering with the ball.
But England won’t be overly concerned by that. Instead, they will likely go back to the drawing board to analyse where they lost the game. A fiery start from their openers set the stage as they raced to 50 within the first five overs.
A red-soil-dominant, windy Pune was always going to be beneficial for the pacers. England, who stuck to their pace-heavy strategy throughout the series, continued with the same approach after winning the toss and opting to bowl first. The pitch, though cracked in places, had a covering of dead grass, providing good pace, bounce, and carry.
Facing Saqib Mahmood for the first time, the Indian batters struggled, making him the first English bowler to bowl a triple-wicket maiden over in T20Is. The Birmingham-born bowler, with Pakistani ancestry, was on a hat-trick after dismissing Sanju Samson—who has now fallen in the same manner four innings in a row—and Tilak Varma on the first two balls of his spell.
Capping off a series of poor shot selections by Indian batters, captain Suryakumar Yadav, who had been enduring a difficult series, fell into Jos Buttler’s fielding trap, flicking it straight to short mid-wicket off Mahmood’s final delivery of the over.
Abhishek Sharma and Rinku Singh tried to steady the ship—India were 12/3 after the first two overs—with a counter-attacking approach. By the end of the powerplay, India stood at 47/3 as the duo continued to go after anything within their reach.
However, Abhishek’s “you miss, I hit”-esque innings ended when he attempted to slog Adil Rashid to mid-wicket. Rinku didn’t last much longer either, falling while trying to charge a short-pitched delivery from Brydon Carse.
England stuck to their strategy of bowling short and hard, aiming to trouble Shivam Dube, who looked more comfortable against the spinners. However, Hardik Pandya’s arrival at the crease brought a sense of stability, helping India resist England’s pace attack.
The duo combined for a blistering 87-run partnership—the second-highest for India in T20Is for the sixth wicket. Dube neutralised the Rashid threat, while Hardik took his time before shifting gears. Both reached half-centuries, smashing a flurry of boundaries to propel India past the 180-run mark on a traditionally low-scoring ground.
Hardik, striking at over 175, contributed 53 runs with a mix of power and finesse. He struck four fours and six sixes, with the standout shot being a no-look lofted drive against Jamie Overton. Dube continued his aggressive approach before being run out on the final ball, also scoring 53.
England squandered the chance to take the series to a decider in Mumbai. Harry Brook’s eagerness to attack Varun Chakravarthy—despite hitting him for a boundary the previous ball—might have been the turning point.
The Indian spin trio—Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, and Varun Chakravarthy—took six of the ten wickets on offer, with Bishnoi being the pick of the bowlers. He provided breakthroughs at crucial junctures, quickly adapting to the bounce on offer.
England still had a chance, needing 25 runs off the last 12 balls. However, Overton’s insistence on keeping the strike backfired, piling on the pressure and ultimately leading to Harshit Rana’s third wicket. And with that, India sealed the series 3-1.
India 181 for 9 (Hardik 53, Dube 53, Mahmood 3-53) beat England 166 (Brook 51, Bishnoi 3-28) by 15 runs.
The post India Clinch T20I Series 3-1 as Hardik, Dube, Harshit, and Bishnoi Shine in Pune appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports.
