New Delhi: England defeated India by 26 runs in the third T20I of the five-match series at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Tuesday, January 28. The Men in Blue are currently leading the series by 2-1.
England scored 171 runs in the 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Varun Chakravarthy bowled a brilliant spell as he took a five-wicket haul. But the half-century by Ben Duckett and a 43-run knock from Livingstone helped the visitors post a total of competitive total.
Chasing the 172-run target, The Men in Blue lost an early wicket in the form of Sanju Samson who struggled to get going once again. Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were also dismissed in the powerplay, while in-form Tilak Varma was removed on 18 runs. The Indian batters struggled to score in the middle over as Adil Rashid kept bowling tight lines and as a result, the required run rate shot over the roof.
Washington Sundar and Hardik Pandya struggled to keep the scoreboard ticking when the England pacers were bowling. Boundaries were difficult to come by for Suryakumar Yadav and Co. and as a result, Team India fell 26 runs short of the target.
Varun Chakravarthy’s unwanted record
Varun Chakravarthy picked up five wickets and gave away just 24 runs in his four-over spell in the Rajkot. But his brilliant performance went in vain as India lost the match. He became the first Indian bowler in T20Is to take a fifer in two defeats. The 33-year-old picked up his maiden five-wicket haul against South Africa in 2024, which India lost by 3 wickets. In the second T20I against South Africa, Varun Chakravarthy registered 5/17 in his four overs, with India ending on the losing side.
Apart from Chakravarthy, Bhuvneshwar and Kuldeep have picked up a fifer in T20Is twice but he is the first Indian bowler who took two five-wicket hauls in a losing cause.
Despite Varun Chakravarthy’s brilliant efforts, England beat India by 26 runs in the third T20I at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Tuesday, January 2. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
