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| Virat Kohli and Shardul Thakur celebrating |
England's tour of India came to an end today with the final ODI as India won by 7 runs to claim the series 2-1.
India made only change for the final game. T Natarajan was included in the place of Kuldeep Yadav. England also made change to their winning eleven as Tom Curran was replaced by Mark Wood. For a third time in a row, England won the toss and elected to bowl first. The previous two games had proved that their lineup is capable of chasing a target of 300+ and so they sticked to their original plan.
India's inability to score big in the middle overs was one of the key reason why they were unable to score to 350 runs or above. This time they got off to a flier,as Rohit Sharma and Shikhar took on aggressive gameplay. The duo added a 100 run opening partnership in just 14 overs. Only Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly have more 100 run opening partnership (21) then Sharma and Dhawan (17). In the process Dhawan would complete his fifty.
After 14 overs, Jos Butter introduced Adil Rashid into bowling attack. In the fourth ball of the over, Rashid bowled out Rohit Sharma as he broke the partnership. Rohit once again despite getting a start was unable to convert it big as departed for run-a-ball 37.
In Rashid's next over, he dismissed the dangerous looking Shikhar Dhawan as both openers were sent back to pavilion in quick succession. Dhawan tried to play it down the left side but ended up scooping it straight back into the hands of Rashid. Dhawan departed for a knock of 67 runs off 56 balls.
India were then pegged back as Moeen Ali cleaned up Virat Kohli in the next over. The Indian Skipper tried to play a cut short and opened up a room, but failed to connect it and the ball ended up hitting the stumps. By the time Kohli departed, India's score was 121/3.
Once again it was time for KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant to pull India out of trouble. Pant played aggressive as always,whereas Rahul played the second fiddle.
In the 25th over, Buttler decided to give the ball to Liam Livingstone who was playing just his second match. He was called in as Pant was smashing Rashid in and out. On the second ball of his International Career, Livingstone got the better of Rahul. A full toss was bowled and Rahul tried to sweep it but timed it all wrong and gave away a catch to Ali as India found themselves at back foot.
Hardik Pandya then walked in to support Pant. Two Batsmens who know only one way to play i.e aggressive. The duo kept the run rate above 6, as they fast start Dhawan and Sharma provided didn't go to waste.
The duo added a much needed 99 run stand which saw both them complete their fifties. Pant who had just broken his high score of 77, (set in the previous game), tried to flick the ball but got a thick outside edge and a sharp catch by Buttler ended his innings. It was the 9th ball of the over as Sam Curran had bowled three wide balls in the over. Pant departed for 78 off 68 balls with 5 fours and 4 sixes leaving India at 256/5.
India then quickly lost Hardik Pandya as well. Ben Stokes bowled him out when he tried to play it on the leg side but completely missed it, resulting the ball hitting the leg stump. Junior Pandya departed scoring 64 runs off 44 balls with 5 fours and 4 sixes as well.
Senior Pandya however was not able to contribute much with the bat. India lost the last 4 wickets in just 8 runs as they went from 321/6 in 45.4 overs to being bowled out at 329 in 48.2 overs. Where once it looked it 380 would be possible, India then lost the plot in the middle but thanks to Pant and Pandya, India had notched up a defending score....
.... However they knew, wickets will be the only thing that saves them. This time England were unable to replicate what they had done in the first two ODIs as Jason Roy and Johnny Bairstow were both sent back by Bhuvenshwar Kumar in this First two overs.
Ben Stokes started were he left off. He was extremely unlucky in the previous game as he missed his well deserving century by one run.
This time though, he was unable to have the similar impact he would have hoped for. Natarajan got the better of him when he bowled a full toss. Stokes came down the track to power it over deep mid Wicket. Shikhar Dhawan took the catch. After several replays of checking no ball, Stokes had to walk back.
There was huge scenes of joy by Virat Kohli when DRS overturned the decision to give Buttler out. Thakur's bowl had strucked him on the pads. The Indian fielders thought it might be an inside edge but Kohli was confident it was not and the replays proved him right. After Buttler's departure the scoreboard read 95/4 after in 15.1 overs.
Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone then stagged up a partnership of 60 runs as it looked like, England's comeback was on. Shardul Thakur was brought back and once again delivered as he first dismissed Livingstone by caught and bowl and then Malan in his next over by caught wicket as England found themselves starring at the face of defeat. Despite Malan's run-a-ball 50, England were languishing at 168/6.
They now needed a miracle if they were to win the match. After Moeen Ali's departure it looked all set and dusted for England. With 200/7, Adil Rashid then walked out to bat with Sam Curran. In terms of equation, England were well and truly in the game. It was the wicket section that was the major concern for them.
Sam Curran and Adil Rashid kept the sail sailing for England as they kept on rotating the strike and hitting boundaries at regular intervals. The duo added a brillant partnership of 57. The resilience was broken down by Shardul Thakur, who was brought back but credits should also go to Virat Kohli for taking a stunning catch with his left hand.
England's last remaining hope was Sam Curran. He completed his maiden fifty as he kept the hopes alive for the visitors. Curran kept on firing and 18 runs from the 47th over meant the equation was reduced to 23 runs in 18 balls.
Just 4 runs came in the 48th over as the equation was then reduced to 19 runs in 12 balls. At the third ball of the 49th over, Mark Wood was dropped on by Shardul Thakur. At the next ball, main man Sam Curran's catch was dropped by T Natarajan as the display of poor fielding continued. They say catchs wins matches..
With a single of the last ball only a single followed bringing down the equation to 14 runs of 6 balls. And ironically the last over was to be bowled by T Natarajan, whose dropped Curran in the previous over.
The first ball of the 50th over saw England get one run, but Curran slipped at the Bowlers end which lead to Wood to go back but was just short of the crease as he was runned out. A single by Reece Topley, lead Curran to back at the crease with 12 runs needed off 4 balls.
Two back to back dots made it 12 needed of 2. A four of the next ball meant England needed 8 runs off the last ball. Only one run of the last ball meant India won the match by 7 runs. Despite Curran's Unbeaten 95, England were unable to get over the finishing line. Infact due to Curran's 95, the match which once appeared to be one sided became such a close encounter. England finished with 322/9.
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