Rajkot: Team India faltered in their chase of 172, losing the third T20I against England by 26 runs. The batting order failed to accelerate in the middle overs, leading to India’s first defeat in five T20I matches.
Pietersen Questions India’s Batting Strategy
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen criticized India’s batting order, particularly the decision to hold back Dhruv Jurel until No. 8 in the pursuit of a left-right combination.
“India didn’t get the batting order right. Dhruv Jurel is an accomplished batter. Having him lower down the order for the left and right combination was not right. I’m a firm believer in your best batters batting up front,” Pietersen said on Star Sports.
India’s Batting Collapse
- Top 4 batters dismissed inside the first 10 overs.
- Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav fell within the powerplay.
- Hardik Pandya (40 off 35), Washington Sundar (6 off 15), and Axar Patel (15 off 16) struggled to score at a brisk pace.
- Jurel (2 off 4) came in too late (18th over) and couldn’t make an impact.
England’s Game-Changing 10th-Wicket Partnership
Despite India’s strong bowling effort, England’s Adil Rashid and Mark Wood stitched a 24-run 10th-wicket stand, pushing England to 174—a total that ultimately proved too much for India.
What’s Next?
- Next Match: 4th T20I
- Date: Friday, January 31
- Venue: MCA Stadium, Pune
India will look to bounce back and level the five-match series in Pune.
