Pune, Jan 31: Ravi Bishnoi (3-28) and debutant Harshit Rana (3-33) claimed three wickets each as India beat England by 15 runs in the fourth T2OI at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Friday. India thus took an unbeatable 3-1 lead and sealed the series with the last T2OI scheduled to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

India came back after losing the third T20I in Rajkot. The hosts had started by winning the first two T20Is in Kolkata and Chennai.

Earlier, Hardik Pandya (53) and Shivam Dube (53) produced a counter-attacking partnership to rescue India from a precarious position and push them to a competitive 181/9 after Saqib Mahmood's (3 for 35).

Phil Salt and Ben Duckett came out with an aggressive mindset, making full use of the Power-play. Facing Arshdeep Singh in the opening over, Salt drove the ball elegantly down the ground, picking up two boundaries to get England going. Arshdeep, who had pitched the ball up looking for swing, found no real movement, and Salt was quick to capitalise. With Ben Duckett also making a charge, England’s innings gathered pace rapidly. He got off the mark with a fortunate edge past the keeper before opening up with well-placed flicks and drives.

Arshdeep, who had been India’s go-to bowler in the early overs, struggled to contain the left-hander, conceding three consecutive boundaries in his second over. The ball was coming onto the bat nicely, in stark contrast to the first innings, where India had struggled against England’s high pace.

The introduction of spin, however, did little to slow down England at first. Varun Chakravarthy was brought on early to change the tempo, but Duckett swept and reverse-swept him for quick runs, as England raced to 53/0 in five overs. Axar Patel was next, but Duckett showed no signs of slowing down, unleashing back-to-back reverse sweeps, including a towering six, taking England to 62/0 at the end of the Power-play.

Just when England seemed in complete control, India turned the tide. Ravi Bishnoi, brought on for the final over of the Power-play, provided the much-needed breakthrough, forcing Duckett into a miscued shot, which looped up to Suryakumar Yadav at mid-off. Duckett had blazed his way to 39 off just 19 balls with seven fours and a six, but his dismissal shifted the momentum back to India.

With India sensing an opening, Axar Patel delivered another crucial blow in the very next over. Phil Salt, who had been steadily accumulating runs, attempted to give himself room and drive through the covers, but Axar slid one in quickly, keeping it low and skidding through to crash into the stumps. Salt departed for 23 off 21 balls, and suddenly, England had lost two wickets in the span of six balls.

With England suddenly losing momentum, their in-form skipper Jos Buttler walked in, hoping to stabilise the innings. However, Ravi Bishnoi struck again, this time with a well-disguised leg-spinner that bounced slightly more than Buttler expected. The England captain could only manage a faint edge, and Harshit Rana at short third took an easy catch. Buttler, the key to England’s chase, was gone for just 2 off 3 balls, and England slumped to 67/3 in eight overs.

With three wickets lost in quick succession, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone were tasked with rebuilding the innings. They played cautiously against India’s spinners, ensuring no further setbacks. Bishnoi, Axar, and Chakravarthy continued to apply pressure, limiting England’s scoring options. Just eight runs came off the 9th over, and at the 10-over mark, England reached 86/3, with the required run rate creeping up.

However, it was Mahmood who stole the show, registering a historic triple-wicket maiden, the first-ever in men’s T20 internationals. Sanju Samson (1), Tilak Varma (0), and Suryakumar Yadav (0) all fell in quick succession, leaving India reeling at 12/3 in two overs. Samson guided a rising delivery straight to deep square leg, Varma sliced his first ball to Archer at short third, and Suryakumar chipped a catch to short mid-wicket, playing right into England’s well-set trap.

With India at 98/5 in 13 overs, the onus was on Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube to steady the innings and provide a strong finish. The duo stitched together an 88-run partnership to force India to a competitive total. With England needing 96 runs off the final 10 overs to chase down India’s 182-run target, the visitors were still in contention despite losing three early wickets.

Just as Brook began to settle in, an unexpected twist occurred — Suryakumar Yadav introduced Harshit Rana, who came in as a substitute for Shivam Dube, who suffered a concussion in the final over of India’s innings. The decision sparked debate, reminiscent of India’s controversial substitution of Yuzvendra Chahal for Ravindra Jadeja against Australia in 2020. While Dube was an all-rounder, Rana’s inclusion brought in an extra fast-bowling option, tilting the balance of the game further in India’s favour.

Rana wasted no time making an impact. Bowling at speeds touching 150 kmph, he rattled England’s middle order. His very first over saw Liam Livingstone edge one behind Sanju Samson, departing for 9 off 13 balls. England slipped to 99/4 in 12 overs and were suddenly losing all momentum in their chase. Brook, however, remained England’s best hope. Enjoying pace on the ball, he took on Rana, finding gaps and scoring freely. Commentator Nick Knight noted that India’s decision to introduce Rana could backfire, as Brook thrived against fast bowling and might have struggled more against Dube’s slower variations. Brook seemed to prove Knight right, as he powered a boundary to deep mid-wicket off Chakravarthy, keeping England in the hunt.

Just when England looked like regaining momentum, Chakravarthy struck twice in quick succession. Brook, who had just reached his fifty off 26 balls, attempted a cheeky scoop shot but only managed to lob a simple catch to Arshdeep Singh at short fine-leg. Brook departed for 51, leaving England at 133/5 in 15 overs.

Two balls later, Brydon Carse attempted a slog-sweep but misjudged the spin, top-edging a catch to Arshdeep again. Carse was gone for a duck, and in the span of a few deliveries, England had collapsed to 133/6. Chakravarthy, finishing his spell with figures of 4-0-28-2, had once again turned the game in India’s favour. With the match slipping away, England’s lower order needed to step up. Jamie Overton and Jacob Bethell were England’s last real hopes, but the chase was becoming steeper with every dot ball.

Sensing an opportunity, Rana cleverly slowed one down, luring Bethell into an ambitious lofted shot. The timing wasn’t right, and Suryakumar Yadav at long-on comfortably completed the catch. Bethell walked back for 6 off 9 balls, leaving England tottering at 140/7 in 16 overs. In the very next over Bishnoi, in his fourth over, cleaned up Jofra Archer with a ripper of a delivery, inside edge straight into the stumps. Bishnoi finished with 3/28. Rana in his last over claimed the wicket of Overton after getting smoked for a four and ended his debut with 3 for 33.

Arshdeep claimed the last wicket of Saqib Mahmood as India defeated England by 15 runs to seal the five-match series 3-1, making the last T2OI scheduled at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai inconsequential.

Brief scores:

India 181/9 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 53, Shivam Dube 53; Saqid Mahmood 3-35, Jamie Overton 2-32) beat England 166 all out in 19.4 overs (Harry Brook 51, Ben Duckett 39; Ravi Bishnoi 3-28, Harshit Rana 3-33) by 15 runs. (IANS)

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