RAJKOT: Disciplined bowling and a quickfire 51 by Ben Duckett helped England bounce back to win the third T20 international against India on Tuesday and keep the series alive.
Duckett’s 28-ball knock set up England to make 171-9 despite a collapse triggered by Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who returned figures of 5-24 in Rajkot.
England’s bowlers then combined to limit India to 145-9, sealing a 26-run win in a five-match series now only led 2-1 by India.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid impressed with figures of 1-15 from an excellent four-over spell, while England’s fast bowlers struck regularly.
Jamie Overton took three wickets while Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse claimed two each.
“The guys bowled really well, was nice to show-off their skills,” England skipper Jos Buttler said.
“Not about how fast they can bowl, but how well they can adapt to the wicket.”
Buttler praised Rashid as the “most important player” in the team.
Varma powers India home in T20 thriller against England
Hardik Pandya stuttered to 40 off 35 deliveries before being dismissed by Overton when the required run-rate climbed to more than 20 an over.
Archer struck first with the wicket of Sanju Samson, who was caught at mid-on by Rashid.
Carse dismissed Abhishek Sharma, for 24, with Archer taking a spectacular catch while running backwards from mid-off.
Mark Wood sent back skipper Suryakumar Yadav, with the batter top-edging a quick, rising delivery into the gloves of wicketkeeper Phil Salt.
Wickets kept tumbling as Rashid bowled Tilak Varma and Overton sent back Washington Sundar to reduce India to 85-5 and Pandya never seriously threatened to take India over the line.
Learnings and Shami return
Earlier, Duckett’s blazing start and then a 24-ball 43 by Liam Livingstone boosted the total and the lower-order chipped in after England slipped to 127-8 in 16 overs.
“We always learn from a T20 game, conceding 170 from 127 for 8 was too much,” said Yadav. “Batting also, we have a few things to learn.”
Duckett put on 76 runs with Buttler, who hit 24, after losing his opening partner Salt.
Chakravarthy broke the stand with Buttler’s wicket, a caught-behind dismissal given on review.
Duckett, who struck two sixes and seven fours, reached his 50 in 26 balls but was out in the same over off Axar Patel’s left-arm spin.
England soon lost their way against India’s spinners as Ravi Bishnoi bowled Harry Brook for eight and Chakravarthy struck twice to send back Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton in the next over.
Chakravarthy returned in his last over to take two more and register his second five-wicket haul in T20 internationals.
Livingstone stood defiant and smashed Bishnoi for three sixes in the space of four balls before he holed out off Pandya, but his knock proved key.
Fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who returned to international action for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup final, bowled three wicketless overs for 25 runs.
The fourth match is on Friday in Pune.
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