It will be all on the line in the third T20, after England snatched defeat from the jaws of victory last time out against India. Join The Roar for live scores of the match from 12:30am (AEDT).
England came into the last over of their run chase needing just eight runs, but after losing two wickets, conceding a bye, and making just one run off the bat, they went down by five.
It was a sensational display of death bowling from Jasprit Bumrah, who removed Joe Root and Jos Butler, both of whom had guided the tourists to that point, the side having six wickets in hand for the final over.
The Poms should have got the job done – probably before the last over – and the way their run chase was structured shows a lack of firepower in their batting order.
During the first game, they controlled the chase well to win with 11 balls to spare, but again it was a small total to chase down, no one seriously got going after their openers made a blistering start.
Chasing 144 in Nagpur, mainly thanks to a sensational 71 from Lokesh Rahul, the English didn’t make a fantastic start to the chase, with both Jason Roy and Sam Billings dismissed cheaply.
Root, Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan and Butler all scored runs, but none of them – maybe with the exception of Stokes – scored fast enough and they left too much pressure on themselves come the final over.
Given India’s powerful batting order haven’t really fired – MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have barely got going in the series – they haven’t made a real good score and England have stayed in the chase in both matches because of it.
While credit has to go to the touring side’s bowling, their batsmen must step up their game in the third match, because it’s difficult to assume the hosts’ big-hitting weapons will fail yet again.
Prediction
India don’t lose at home very often and England have had two victories all tour. With both Kohli and Dhoni due for a score, it’s difficult to see England getting over the line.
India, probably with a bit of dominance on display.
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