Ahmedabad: After tasting a disappointing defeat in the previous game India came back strongly beating England by 8 runs in a thriller in the fourth T20I on Thursday (March 18).
Surya Kumar Yadav announced his arrival on International circuit with a 31 ball 57 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad before the India’s bowlers put on a gritty bowling display especially in the last few overs to restrict England to 178/8 in 20 overs levelling the series 2-2.
Bats once & right away bags the Man of the match award 😎🤙🏻#TeamIndia 🇮🇳
Onwards and upward from here on 💪🏻
2-2 & we are all set for the grand finale #INDvENG @paytm pic.twitter.com/bFHbl1IG03
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 18, 2021
Earlier in the game, the visitors put India to bat after winning the toss. Both the openers KL Rahul(14) and Rohit Sharma(12) went home cheaply as the hosts again troubled the Indian batsmen in the initial stages of their innings. Skipper Virat Kohli,d espite playing a couple of unbeaten knock was unable to open his account on Thursday getting stumped by Jos Buttler behind the stumps.
However, it was the day for debutant Yadav who grabbed and made the most of the chance he got right from the start as he smashed Jofra Archer improvising a hook off his first delivery in international cricket. He completed half-century off just 28 balls before getting caught by Dawid Milan off Sam Curran. Cameos from Rishav Pant(30) and Shreyas Iyer (37) fueled India posting a total on 185/8 in 20 overs. Jofra Archer was the pick of the England bowlers with his 33/4 with Mark Wood giving him good support(1/25).
Chasing a target of 186, the visitors stumbled early loosing last game’s star Jos Butler(9) in the third over. Jason Roy with his 27 ball 40 kept the pace of innings going before falling the in the trap of Hardik Pandya. Rahul Chahar sent Dawid Milan(14) home cheaply an over before Roy’s dismissal which increased pressure on England’s middle order.
With 105 runs need in the last 10 overs, Ben Stokes coupled with Johnny Bairstow started an onslaught smashing the spinners out the park. The latter however got dismissed for 25 before Stokes fell in the trap of Shardul Thakur after playing a swashbuckling 23 ball 46. Thakur sent skipper Eoin Morgan home on the very next ball giving India a ray hope. Pandya and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar bowled superbly in the death overs before Thakur kept his cool in the penultimate one to get things over the line.
Pandya was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 2/16 in his full-quota while Surya Kumar Yadav was adjudged the man of the match for wonderful knock. With the series perfectly balanced now, both the sides have all to play for on the final game of the series on Saturday.
