Hardik, Dube, spinners hand India series win – T20 IPL 2024

India 181 for 9 (Hardik 53, Dube 53, Mahmood 3-53) beat England 166 (Brook 51, Bishnoi 3-28) by 15 runs

England will be wondering how they managed to lose in Pune. They squandered a chance to take the series into a decider after winning the toss, reducing India to 12 for 3 and then 79 for 5, got off to a flying start on a flat pitch and heavy dew around it, but ended up losing wickets in clumps after getting to 62 for 0 inside the powerplay. They were still favourites at 129 for in the 15th over, but lost two wickets in Varun Chakravarthy‘s last over.

One of the answers they will get is they lost six wickets to spinners bowling on a true pitch with a wet ball. The other answer is India’s intent with the bat: they never really slowed down even as the wickets fell. Abhishek Sharma kept going after the triple-wicket maiden early in the innings, and Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya overcame the mid-innings blows with some targeted hitting to score 53 each and take India to a fighting total of 181.

Another answer – although they should never have let it play such a significant role – will be that India were allowed to play fast and loose with the concussion substitution. Dube, who was hit on the helmet in the final over and continued batting, complained of delayed onset of concussion symptoms, and was replaced by a full-time bowler in Harshit Rana even when a batting allrounder was available in Ramandeep Singh. Making his debut, Rana took the wickets to Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton to go with a six-run 19th over.

Saqib Mahmood checks in

India had the right idea to go after the bowling with the ball neither seaming nor swinging, but they ended up hitting everything straight to hand. Bowling his first over of the series, Saqib Mahmood accepted the gifts although England did play a part with some inventive fields. Sanju Samson found deep square leg, Tilak Varma edged the first ball he faced to deep third, and then Suryakumar Yadav middled one straight to short mid-on.

India don’t back down

Quite often in the past, India have been guilty of taking the conservative option when forced to make a choice. Over the last year and a half, though, they have played differently. Abhishek is the flag-bearer of brave options. He made sure India had some momentum even as Rinku Singh got stuck. Not for the lack of trying, though.

When Abhishek got out for 29 off 19, India held back Hardik in order to target Adil Rashid with Dube. Rashid responded beautifully with a teasing loopy delivery first up with an attacking field, but Jos Buttler dropped a half chance at slip.

Rinku’s dismissal to Brydon Carse meant Hardik had to come in with Rashid overs still left. He channelled in his inner MS Dhoni by blocking out Rashid with proper front-foot defence. Dube helped him out by making sure Rashid went for 35 in his four even as Hardik warmed up to 13 off 16.

He returned the favour when Mahmood and Jofra Archer came back with shots full of swagger. Those two comeback overs went for 37, which meant India had something to fight with even though Overton conceded just three off the last over. He also clocked Dube in the head, an event that would assume larger significance.

Duckett stuns India, but they spin their way back

The chase started on a batting beauty, and Ben Duckett silenced the raucous crowd. More importantly, he reverse-swept Varun for a boundary, took 16 off Axar Patel’s first over, and seemed to be getting the better of spin challenge. Ravi Bishnoi, who had been digging the ball in, gambled with the last ball of the powerplay. With no boundary rider down the ground, he bowled the only flighted delivery of the over, and drew the mis-hit to dismiss Duckett for 39 off 19.

Phil Salt, who managed to get to spin for the first time in the series, exposed his stumps in trying to cut Axar and was done in by one that skidded on. Buttler became the victim of a touch of extra bounce for Bishnoi to make it 65 for 3, but the presence of the fielder taking the catch at short third, Rana, left him infuriated according to Kevin Pietersen on air.

Rana strikes immediately

Even at 65 for 3, this was England’s game to lose. Harry Brook and Livingstone made an assured start to their stand despite the troubles Brook has had against spin all series. There was hardly any turn to worry about. They had added 27 off 21, and the asking rate was under 10 when Rana came on to bowl in the 12th over. Livingstone guided the second ball straight to the keeper. Done in by the extra bounce when attempting the late-cut.

Brook still has it, but not quite

Even then Brook showed how easy batting was in those conditions. He took down Rana for 18 in his second over and even managed to hit his nemesis Varun for two fours, but then pre-meditated a ramp off Varun, possibly expecting the seam-up variation so he could use his pace, but ended up lobbing the slower legbreak to short fine leg. Carse made it worse with a slog-sweep straight to deep square leg in the same over.

Overton and Rashid flickered for a moment, bringing it down to 21 off 11, but fizzled out amid Overton’s questionable tactics of not taking singles even though Rashid had slogged Arshdeep Singh for a six.

Sidharth Monga is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo

Source: ESPN Crickinfo

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