England hold the edge in what has been a ding-dong series against India, heading into the fourth T20I.
Image Copyright – Steve Haag Sports
That it is the fourth match at the same venue, namely the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad, adds a layer of intrigue as both sides now have a good idea of what to expect.
India vs England | Thursday 18 March | Motera Stadium, Ahmedabad | 15:30
To Win Match
India: 82/100
Tie 25/1
England: 21/20
India
India were let down by their batsmen for the second time in the series in the third T20I. Virat Kohli failed to find a partner capable of giving the innings the impetus to push beyond the 180 mark thought to be the minimum defendable score at the ground.
The opening partnership between KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma doesn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders, and one or both of them could find themselves excluded or moved into another position.
Kohli has floated up and down the order as dictated by the match situation but India have struggled when asked to set a total. Young prospect Ishan Kishan already carried a reputation of struggling in the first innings of T20 matches and will now be faced with the challenge of disproving the perception, which at the moment is backed by stats.
Rishabh Pant has been in great touch throughout the series but has managed to only have a limited impact on the scoreboard which hasn’t covered over the sins of the top order.
India’s bowlers had effectively stunted England’s attempts to launch in the second match of the series but faced with defending a modest total, they could neither put the squeeze on nor take enough wickets to make the game close in match three. Yuzvendra Chahal and Shardul Thakur were the men targeted and will have to bounce back to get India back into the series.
England
Jos Buttler came good in spectacular fashion to turn what might have been a tricky chase into a doddle achieved with ten balls to spare. Buttler hadn’t looked in great touch but led England’s recovery from the early loss of Jason Roy.
England seem to have the more settled batting order, even if there are a few players playing for their place in the XI, especially in a World Cup year.
Mark Wood and Chris Jordan surprisingly did the damage as England employed just one spinner in the third T20I while Adil Rashid took the new ball along with Jofra Archer, which suggests England wanted to put India on the back foot straight away.
England are likely to retain the same playing XI as they look to clinch the series in the fourth match.
Verdict: England 21/20
England shade this, but it should be noted that the team that wins the toss will start with a big edge.
