A 199-run target was no mean feat during India’s series decider against England on Sunday, 8 July. But opener Rohit Sharma made it seem like a cake-walk, as he smashed an unbeaten century and guided the visitors to a seven-wicket win in Bristol. With this, India sealed the three-match T20 series 2-1.
Opening batsman Jason Roy rained sixes in his blistering innings of 67 off just 31 balls, but India put up a superb fight on the back of Hardik Pandya's four-wicket haul to restrict England to 198/9. The visitors then reached their target with seven wickets in hand and eight balls remaining.
With the win in the three-match T20I series against England, the Indian team extended its streak of consecutive series wins in T20 Internationals to six.
England’s Innings
Roy and his opening partner Jos Buttler (34 runs of 21 balls) shared 94 runs from 7.5 overs and made a flying start in their innings as the duo dealt in fours and sixes initially.
Roy reached his third T20I half-century off only 23 balls, inclusive of four fours and five sixes.
India’s breakthrough came in the eighth over just as India were starting to wonder where to bowl to the opening duo. Kaul (2/35) bowled a quicker, fuller delivery and Buttler missed as he was bowled.
Two overs later, after England crossed 100 in the 10th over, Roy departed against the run of play. He tried to play late down to third man, but only ended up edging behind to Mahendra Singh Dhoni with Deepak Chahar (1/43) taking his maiden international wicket.
In the 14th over, Chahar missed a chance to dismiss Eoin Morgan (then on 4), failing to latch onto a high catch at cover only to end up banging his head on the ground. But Morgan did India a favour with another skier off the very next ball and Dhoni completed the catch this time around.
Pandya, who had earlier made a poor start, was not done yet. The all-rounder finished with his career-best figures (4/38) in T20 cricket.
Ben Stokes (14) and Jonny Bairstow (25 off 14 balls) then stitched a 37-run stand.
England had lost four wickets for 46 before this partnership set in, with Bairstow, the aggressor, hitting two fours and two sixes. There was another mini collapse thereafter, as the hosts lost five wickets for 21 runs in the last 14 balls to finish below the 200-run mark.
During the England innings, Indian wicket keeper MS Dhoni completed a coveted double in T20 Internationals, becoming the first cricketer to take five catches in a match and also reach 50 scalps in the shortest format.
India’s Innings
Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma stitched a 21-run stand before the former was dismissed by Willey for five runs.
KL Rahul (19) then joined Sharma at the crease and added 41 runs before being brilliantly caught by Chris Jordan running back from mid-on. The all-rounder took another outstanding catch to dismiss Indian captain Virat Kohli off his own bowling for 43. But this was after Kohli and Sharma had combined to add 89 runs and steady India’s ship.
Sharma continued to flay the ball all around the ground with a mixture of raw power and good timing, finishing on 100 not out, before leaving the field amid a standing ovation.
Hardik Pandya (33 not out) shared a 50-run unbeaten partnership with Sharma and hit the winning runs with a six over the boundary.
India reached 201-3 with eight balls to spare in reply to England's 198-9 at the County Ground.
The sides start a three-game one-day international series on 12 July before playing five tests.
(With inputs from PTI)
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