Suryakumar Yadav praises team effort as India clinch T20I series against England

India captain Suryakumar Yadav hailed his team’s all-round performance after a thrilling 15-run victory over England in the fourth T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday. The win secured India an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, with Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi playing pivotal roles by claiming three wickets each.

Suryakumar lauded the resilience shown by the middle order, especially Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube, who turned the innings around after an early collapse. “Top effort from everyone, and the great crowd from start till the end. We didn’t want to go back after being 12 for 3, the boys know what brand of cricket we want to play. The way Dube and Pandya showed their experience in the middle was great,” he said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. He also credited the team’s commitment to playing fearless cricket and emphasized that they are progressing in the right direction.

England had won the toss and opted to field first, immediately putting India under pressure with a fiery spell from Saqib Mahmood. He produced a stunning triple-wicket maiden in the second over, dismissing Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and Suryakumar Yadav without conceding a run. India found themselves struggling at 12/3 before Abhishek Sharma (29 off 19) and Rinku Singh (30 off 26) steadied the innings with a crucial 45-run stand.

The momentum fully shifted in India’s favor when Pandya and Dube took charge in the latter half of the innings. Pandya smashed 53 off 30 balls, while Dube matched him with a 53 off 34, both reaching their fifties in the final overs to propel India to 181/9.

In response, England started strong with Philip Salt (23 off 21) and Ben Duckett (39 off 19) adding a quick 62 runs. However, Ravi Bishnoi provided a much-needed breakthrough in the sixth over by removing Duckett. England captain Jos Buttler failed to make an impact, departing for just two runs in the eighth over.

Harry Brook kept England in the chase with a blazing 51 off 26 balls, hitting five fours and two sixes, but his dismissal in the 15th over by Varun Chakravarthy tilted the game in India’s favor. Jamie Overton (19 off 15) and Adil Rashid (10* off 6) attempted to revive the innings, but India’s bowlers held firm, bundling England out for 166.

Harshit Rana’s inclusion as a concussion replacement for Dube proved decisive, as he made key breakthroughs alongside Bishnoi. Chakravarthy also contributed with two wickets, while Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel claimed one each.

“We started brilliantly but lost momentum”: Captain Buttler after England lose 4th T20I against India

England captain Jos Buttler admitted that his side started brilliantly but lost momentum as they fell to a 15-run defeat against India in the fourth T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday. The result handed India an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi played a crucial role in India’s victory, each claiming three wickets to derail England’s chase of 182. Speaking after the match, Buttler acknowledged that England had control at various stages but allowed the game to slip away. “We started brilliantly, taking lots of wickets in the powerplay. At the end of the batting powerplay, we were in a great position and I think we should have gone on to win,” he said. He also praised Shivam Dube for his impactful innings and admitted that England lost wickets in quick succession at a critical phase.

With the series wrapped up, India will now look to finish on a high as they take on England in the final match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 2.