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| Fifth Twenty20, Ahmedabad |
| India 224-2 (20 overs): Kohli 80 * (52), Rohit 64 (34) |
| England 188-8 (20 overs): Malan 68 (46); Bhuvneshwar 2-15 |
| India won by 36 runs |
| Scorekeeper |
England lost their decisive game of the Twenty20 series to a team from India that followed a batting masterclass with some wonderful bowling in Ahmedabad.
Virat Kohli pinned India with 80 and failed to eliminate 52 balls, allowing Rohit Sharma (64 of 34), Hardik Pandya (39 not 17) and Suryakumar Yadav (32 of 17) to burn around him.
The hosts’ 224-2 was their highest T20 score against England and set the tourists off what would have been their second highest successful chase in the shorter format.
They were on course at 127-1 after 12 overs, only for Bhuvneshwar Kumar to throw a brilliant 13th, conceding three runs and crucially Jos Buttler caught Jos Buttler at the length of 52.
Dawid Malan remained, but when he was thrown by the impressive Shardul Thakur for 68, 83 of the last five overs was a big question.
England finished 188-8, losing by 36 runs, with India winning the series 3-2.
A three-game one-day international series in Pune begins on Tuesday.
England falls short
England wanted this series to put them to the test before the World Cup, with the decisive one delivering the toughest challenges.
After the assault on India, Jason Roy was thrown into Bhuvneshwar from the second ball of the chase, only for Malan to arrive with a fluidity that was lacking in the previous four games.
Buttler was typically powerful, and with Malan leading and swerving, his society of 130 had England on the hunt.
However, in a field full of races, it was Bhuvneshwar’s performance that proved the difference. Without great pace, he stood his ground with precision and deception to return incredible 2-15 from his four overs.
Thakur supported with his own changes of pace. Around the time of Buttler’s wicket, England passed 22 deliveries without meeting the limit.
Jonny Bairstow, Malan and Eoin Morgan fell for two runs in the space of seven deliveries, all on slower balls, and England stopped.
India shines
Kohli’s decision to start alongside Rohit brought India’s two best players together, with devastating and exciting results.
The languid Rohit played beautifully, driving and pulling with astonishing force. A wild attack on the inside edge of a slower ball from Ben Stokes on the stumps was the first mistake he made.
The wicket’s top spot of 94 came in just nine overs, but there was no respite for England, with Suryakumar connecting two glorious lofted units for Adil Rashid’s sixes from the second and third balls he faced.
Kohli was the anchor, taking just 25 of his first 23 balls, then 55 of the next 29. He was joined for the final round by Hardik, who pushed the limits from the back foot.
England was almost powerless in the face of such destruction on a superb surface, but sometimes the bowling alley lacked variety.
Still, Chris Jordan’s outrageous moment of brilliance in eliminating Suryakumar will live on. Running around the long limit, he had perfect control when he held Suryakumar at waist level in his right hand, the catch was complete when Jordan put the gun on Roy, who could only laugh in disbelief.
And the World Cup?
England have wanted to emphasize the importance of this series, with the World Cup in India now only seven months away.
Morgan even said it might be the last time he rallies his first-choice team before the team is named for that tournament.
England have learned that Mark Wood’s fast pace is a great asset in the power game, while Malan recalled why he is ranked the number one hitter in the world after a streak of low scores.
Tourists only won games by hitting second and there are doubts about the quality of their backup bowls. Jordan and Sam Curran struggled to make an impact, while Moeen Ali never made it onto the field.
There is also a suspicion that they are not finding the best way to use Stokes in the shortest format.
However, England’s power-packed hitting means they will always carry a threat. India will probably start the World Cup as favorites, but England is still to be feared.
‘Many positives for England’
England Captain Eoin Morgan: “[It has been] Extremely productive. Playing against a strong Indian team on their own terms was fantastic. Ideally we would have played on more spinning terrains just to get that exposure. Regardless of the result, we seek to grow and improve. We play cricket very well. There are a lot of positives to build on. “
England T20 Tymal Mills bowler hat: “It was an excellent performance in all aspects of India. They kept their nerves when Buttler and Malan were flying. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s third over was ultimately the one that gave him the course to India.”
Captain of India, Virat Kohli: “It was a complete game for us. We totally outplayed the opposition. The fact that Rishabh and Shreyas didn’t have a chance to hit and were still close to 230 is a testament to how we did it with the bat.
“I’ve hit different positions in the past, but I feel like we now have a solid middle order. Now it’s about the top two players getting the maximum number of balls in T20 cricket. I’d like to partner with Rohit at the top.”
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