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Exciting T20 Series Continues as England Faces India in Pune
The ongoing T20 series between India and England has been a thrilling affair, showcasing high-stakes cricket as the teams battle for supremacy. With England’s recent victory in Rajkot, anticipation builds for the next match in Pune, where both teams are looking to capitalize on their strengths.
Key Moments from the Match
3rd over: India 19-3 (Abhishek 11, Rinku 5) Rinku Singh made a bold move against England’s Archer, converting a full delivery into a half-volley that raced to the cover boundary. It was an impressive shot that reflected his intent.
2nd over: India 12-3 (Abhishek 10, Rinku 0) Saqib Mahmood’s exceptional form in the T20 series continues, having taken 12 wickets at a remarkable average of 7.93 since last year, with a strike rate that boasts a wicket every eight balls.
WICKET! India 12-3 (Suryakumar c Carse b Saqib 0)
In a stunning display, Saqib Mahmood bowled a triple-wicket maiden! Suryakumar managed to survive the hat-trick ball, but was eventually dismissed on the fourth delivery, caught at short mid-on. The bowling performance has been nothing short of phenomenal.
WICKET! India 12-2 (Varma c Archer b Saqib 0)
Tilak Varma, a shift from the traditional left/right batting combination favored by coach Gautam Gambhir, faced Saqib Mahmood for his first ball and unfortunately, was out on his very first delivery. He attempted to slice it to third man, where Archer took a low catch, leaving Saqib with astonishing figures of 0.2-0-0-2.
Additionally, Sanju Samson’s series performance has noticeably declined with scores of 26, 5, 3, and now just 1 run.
WICKET! India 12-1 (Samson c Carse b Saqib 1)
Saqib Mahmood made a significant impact by taking a wicket with his first ball! Samson’s continued struggle in the series resulted in a dismissive flick that went straight to Carse at backward square.
1st over: India 12-0 (Samson 1, Abhishek 10) In the opening over, Jofra Archer bowled sharply, hitting Samson in the stomach with a nipbacker. Duckett performed exceptionally by stopping a fierce cut at backward point, preventing a potential boundary. Abhishek quickly turned up the pressure by hitting a mammoth six and scoring four more runs on the following balls, ending the over on a high note.
Jofra Archer was tasked with opening the bowling for England against Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, while the pitch at Pune posed interesting dynamics due to its relatively short square boundaries.
Team Updates
Jacob Bethell and Saqib Mahmood have been brought into the England lineup, replacing Jamie Smith and Mark Wood. On the Indian side, Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh, and Shivam Dube are replacing Mohammed Shami, Dhruv Jurel, and Washington Sundar.
India’s Squad: Samson (wk), Abhishek, Varma, Suryakumar (c), Hardik, Dube, Rinku, Axar, Arshdeep, Bishnoi, Chakravarthy.
England’s Squad: Salt (wk), Duckett, Buttler (c), Brook, Livingstone, Bethell, Overton, Carse, Archer, Rashid, Saqib.
England Wins the Toss and Opts to Bowl
In a significant turn of events, Jos Buttler successfully called the toss, marking the first time on this tour that England will be chasing rather than defending a total.
Ben Duckett reflected on England’s previous win in Rajkot, indicating the importance of momentum. He noted that the team’s approach is centered on entertainment and that despite some setbacks, they could have easily been ahead in the series.
Looking Ahead
The fourth installment of the T20 series is highly anticipated, with the potential to keep fans on the edge of their seats as both teams vie for dominance. If England wins today, the series will proceed to a decisive final match at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
The match is set to begin at 1:30 PM.
Source
www.theguardian.com