PUNE: India defeated England by 15 runs in the fourth T20I on Friday, securing the series with an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match contest.
Harshit Rana claimed three crucial wickets amid controversy over his substitution for Shivam Dube as a concussion replacement. India’s spinners turned the tide in the hosts’ favor after Ben Duckett and Phil Salt gave England a blazing start in their chase of 182.
The duo smashed 62 runs in the powerplay before Duckett was dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi on the final ball of the sixth over. Salt followed in the very next over, falling to Axar Patel, while Bishnoi delivered another breakthrough by taking the prized wicket of Jos Buttler.
The momentum firmly swung back in India’s favor as Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube smashed brilliant half-centuries, rescuing the team from a precarious 79/5 to post a competitive 181/9 in 20 overs. Pandya raced to his fifty in just 27 balls and eventually fell for 53 off 30 to Jamie Overton. The duo’s remarkable counterattack powered India’s recovery in the death overs.
India had found themselves in deep trouble early on, with Saqib Mahmood wreaking havoc. He dismissed Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma off his first two balls before removing Suryakumar Yadav later in the same over, leaving the hosts reeling just 12 balls into the match.