India fell short by 26 runs in the third T20I against England in Rajkot, failing to chase down a target of 172. Despite having England at 127/8 in the 16th over, the Indian bowlers allowed the visitors to reach 171/9.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted his team struggled to finish off England’s lower order and credited Adil Rashid’s exceptional bowling for India’s batting collapse. Rashid’s tight spell restricted India’s run flow, making it difficult for batters to rotate the strike. “We had the game in our hands when Hardik and Axar were batting, but credit goes to Adil Rashid.
That’s why he is a world-class bowler; he didn’t allow us to rotate strike,” Suryakumar said during the post-match presentation. He also emphasized the importance of learning from mistakes, particularly in bowling and batting under pressure situations.
England’s Lower-Order Rescue and Bowling Excellence
England started well, with Ben Duckett’s aggressive 76-run partnership with captain Jos Buttler (24 off 22) setting the tone. However, from a strong position at 83/2, England suffered a collapse, slipping to 127/8. It was then that Adil Rashid and Mark Wood contributed crucial runs, pushing the total to a competitive 171/9.
England captain Jos Buttler acknowledged his team’s batting struggles but praised the tail-enders for extending the innings and the bowlers for executing their plans effectively. “The bowlers performed brilliantly. It’s not just about speed but also how well they adapt to the wicket,” Buttler remarked.
He also emphasized Rashid’s importance, calling him “the most important player in our team” due to his variations. Buttler further credited Wood and Rashid for their vital partnership, which proved to be the turning point of the match.
Varun Chakravarthy’s Strong Performance and Future Goals
Despite India’s loss, Varun Chakravarthy emerged as a standout performer with impressive figures of 5/24, earning the Man of the Match award. Reflecting on his performance, Chakravarthy shared that he has been working on a flipper and is satisfied with his bowling progress. “Sad that we didn’t make it, but that’s the nature of the game.
When you play for the country, you must take responsibility,” he stated. While pleased with his current form, Chakravarthy believes there is room for improvement and aims to refine his bowling further. India will now look to regroup and address their shortcomings before the next match in the series.
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