England Keep Series Alive with 26-Run Win Over India in Third T20u

England defeated India by 26 runs in the third T20 International, thanks to half-centuries from Ben Duckett and Liam Livingstone, to keep their hopes alive in the five-match series.

England kept their hopes alive in the five-match T20 International series against India with a 26-run victory in the third match on Tuesday. The tourists were put into bat and managed to post a modest total of 171-9, thanks largely to contributions from Ben Duckett (51) and Liam Livingstone (43).

Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy was the standout performer for the hosts, claiming 5-24 to restrict England's batting. However, the English bowlers rose to the challenge and delivered a strong performance to limit India to 145-9. This win denied India an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

#Breaking England have beaten India by 26 runs in the third T20 international in Rajkot and trail the five-match series 2-1 pic.twitter.com/nZFKlr2MMT

— PA Sport (@pasport) January 28, 2025

England had faced comprehensive defeats in Kolkata and a narrow loss in Chennai, making the third match a must-win encounter. Under the guidance of new white-ball coach Brendon McCullum, England needed to secure a victory at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium. The match began with India seamer Hardik Pandya dismissing Phil Salt in his first over, but Ben Duckett and England captain Jos Buttler (24) steadied the innings with a 76-run partnership.

England used “common sense” in their 26 run victory, says Sir Alastair Cook 💬

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Varun Chakravarthy continued to cause problems for the England batters, eventually dismissing Buttler caught behind to trigger a batting collapse. Despite this, England's total proved sufficient, as their bowlers delivered a strong performance to secure a 26-run victory and keep the series alive.

England captain Jos Buttler was initially given not out, but a review prompted by wicketkeeper Sanju Samson and India captain Suryakumar Yadav led to the decision being overturned. Replays confirmed that Buttler had indeed gloved the ball, resulting in his dismissal. Ben Duckett, who had been batting well, reached a 26-ball fifty but soon fell to Axar Patel's left-arm spin.

Varun Chakravarthy continued to pose problems for the England batters, dismissing Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton with successive deliveries. Although he narrowly missed out on a hat-trick, Chakravarthy's impressive bowling helped restrict England's total. Liam Livingstone, realizing he was running out of partners, launched a counterattack, hitting spinner Ravi Bishnoi for three sixes in an over.

India seamer Mohammed Shami made a tidy return to international cricket after a year-long injury layoff, conceding just 25 runs in his three wicketless overs. England's Jofra Archer, however, made a more significant impact, dismissing Sanju Samson in his second over and then taking a remarkable tumbling catch to remove Abhishek Sharma, who had been looking dangerous with 24 runs. Mark Wood and Adil Rashid also chipped in with crucial wickets, sending back Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, respectively.

Hardik Pandya kept India's hopes alive with a defiant 40, but his dismissal in the 19th over effectively sealed the match in England's favor. The 26-run victory keeps England in contention for the series, which now moves to Pune for the penultimate T20 match on Friday.