India fell 26 runs short in their chase of 172 against England in the third T20I in Rajkot on Tuesday, despite having the visitors in deep trouble at 127/8 in the 16th over. England’s lower order, led by Adil Rashid and Mark Wood, helped them recover to 171/9, and India’s batting faltered under pressure.
Suryakumar Yadav: “We Let the Game Slip”
India captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted that the team failed to capitalize after reducing England to a precarious position.
“I felt the game was in our hands when Hardik and Axar were at the crease. However, full credit to Adil Rashid—he bowled brilliantly and didn’t allow us to rotate the strike,” said SKY during the post-match presentation.
He also emphasized the need to learn from mistakes, particularly in closing out an innings while bowling.
“From 127/8 to 170, I believe that was just too much to chase in the end. We need to go back to the drawing board and fix those things.”
Adil Rashid & England’s Tail Rescue the Innings
England started strong with Ben Duckett (51 off 28) playing an aggressive knock in his 76-run partnership with Jos Buttler (24 off 22). However, after a middle-order collapse, England slipped from 83/2 to 127/8, putting India in a commanding position.
That’s when Adil Rashid and Mark Wood stepped up, adding 44 crucial runs for the 9th wicket, pushing the total to 171/9.
“Rashid is the most important player in our team. He has all the variations. Jofra is consistent, and if he goes for runs, he always comes back,” said England captain Jos Buttler after the match.
Chakravarthy’s Five-Wicket Haul Goes in Vain
Despite the loss, Varun Chakravarthy was the standout performer for India, taking 5/24 in 4 overs. His brilliant spell put India in control, but the failure to clean up England’s tail proved costly.
Chakravarthy revealed he has been working on a new flipper variation and hopes to improve further.
“Sad that we didn’t win, but that’s the nature of the game. I’ve been working on a flipper, and it’s coming out well. Hope to do better in the future,” he said.
India’s Struggles in the Chase
Chasing 172, India never got going as Adil Rashid (3/20) and Jofra Archer (2/28) kept the pressure on. Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel showed resistance, but India’s batting crumbled under scoreboard pressure, finishing at 145/9.
Series Situation
With this win, England has kept the five-match series alive, reducing India’s lead to 2-1. The fourth T20I is now a must-win game for India to seal the series, while England will look to level things up.
