Pune, Jan 31 Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav lauded his team's resilience and positive mindset after India secured a 15-run victory in the third T20I against England at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium. The win sealed the five-match series 3-1 in India’s favour.
"A top effort from everyone on the field. A great crowd from the start till the end, they were always behind us and there was support from everyone. We didn't want to go back after 12/3 and boys know what brand of cricket we wanted to play," Yadav said after the match.
India's innings was rocked early by Saqib Mahmood’s record-breaking triple-wicket maiden, reducing the hosts to 12/3 within two overs. But Yadav emphasized the unwavering spirit of his team, particularly the way Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube responded to the crisis. The duo stitched together an 88-run partnership, with both players scoring 53 runs, propelling India to a competitive 181/9.
"Three wickets in one over, it was too much for us. But the way they batted, the way they responded, the positive intent they showed in the middle and the way Hardik and Dube showed their experience, it was great. This is one thing we've been talking about - expressing yourself and you bat the same way as you bat in the nets," said Surya.
England’s chase began with aggressive intent as openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett punished India’s seamers during the power-play. Duckett, in particular, was in sublime touch, racing to 39 off just 19 balls. England seemed well on track at 62/0 in six overs.
But India’s bowlers made a swift comeback. Ravi Bishnoi dismissed Duckett on the final ball of the power-play, and Axar Patel followed up with the crucial wicket of Salt. Bishnoi struck again, removing Buttler for just 2 runs, leaving England at 67/3 in the eighth over.
Yadav's confidence in his team’s approach was evident when he spoke about the pivotal phase of the match after the powerplay. "I knew post-powerplay, between 7-10 overs, that was the time we could control the game, and the same thing happened. We picked a few wickets and controlled the game."
Despite the setbacks, England's Harry Brook stepped up, launching a counter-attack. His blistering fifty off 26 balls kept the visitors in the hunt. But just as England were regaining control, Varun Chakravarthy made the breakthrough, removing Brook for 51 and Brydon Carse in quick succession, leaving England in disarray.
Harshit Rana, who made his T2OI debut as a concussion substitute, had a quick impact. He dismissed Liam Livingstone first, and his debut performance continued to impress as the pacer struck again to remove Jacob Bethell and then Jamie Overton in the final over. His figures of 3/33 were crucial to India’s victory.
Debutant Rana's contribution earned a special mention from his skipper. Replacing Shivam Dube as a concussion substitute, Rana delivered an incredible performance, claiming three wickets in his debut match and turning the tide in India’s favour. "Post-drinks, when unfortunately Shivam Dube couldn’t come in, Harshit Rana came in as the third seamer and delivered for us. That was incredible."
Looking ahead to the final T20I at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Yadav expressed optimism, while predicting a thrilling encounter. "Lot of fireworks, I’m sure."
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