Following their defeat against India in the fourth match of the T20I series, England skipper Jos Buttler admitted that his team had started the game brilliantly but ultimately lost momentum.
Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi’s three-wicket hauls helped India secure a thrilling 15-run win over England at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday, giving India an unassailable lead in the five-match series.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Buttler praised Shivam Dube for playing a strong innings. He explained that despite being in a fantastic position with the bat, they lost wickets in quick succession.
“We started brilliantly, taking lots of wickets in the powerplay. At the end of the batting powerplay, we were in a great position, and I think we should have gone on to win. [Let it slip?] Disappointing, we did some good things. I dropped a catch and Dube played a really good innings. We were in a fantastic position with the bat, then lost wickets together. [Lessons] We’ve doubled down on how we want to play, and I’m really impressed with how we did that. I think we can commit more, and then when we do that, we’ll get more out of ourselves,” Buttler was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying.
Match Recap:
England won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Three Lions started strong, with three quick dismissals at just 12 runs. However, India turned the game around with solid partnerships, setting a hefty target.
The opening partnership of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma struggled, contributing only 12 runs. After the early wickets, Abhishek and Rinku Singh formed a 45-run partnership, giving India the momentum.
Hardik Pandya put on an excellent performance, smashing a half-century in the 18th over. Along with him, Shivam Dube also contributed significantly, reaching his fifty in the 19th over. Together, Hardik and Shivam propelled India to 181/9 in their innings.
Chase:
During the run chase, the hosts gained an advantage when Harshit Rana replaced the concussed Shivam Dube in the second inning. Rana’s presence gave a much-needed boost to the Indian bowling attack, making him the hero in the crunch situation.
Harry Brook was the only England batter to challenge India’s bowling attack, with a fiery knock that gave the visitors hope. However, Brook was dismissed in the 15th over by Varun Chakravarthy, effectively sealing the match for India.
In the final stages of the game, Jamie Overton and Adil Rashid tried to add some runs to the board but ultimately fell short against the Indian bowlers.
Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi led India’s bowling attack, taking critical wickets and helping them bundle England out for 166.