Pune (Maharashtra) [India], February 1 (ANI): India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, heaped praise on the team after they successfully defended a target of 182 against England in Pune on Friday. The crucial wicket of Harry Brook, who was in destructive form, proved to be a turning point in the match.
Brook had been taking the attack to the Indian bowlers, smashing a quickfire 51 off just 26 deliveries. At one stage, England seemed well on course to chase the target, but Varun Chakravarthy’s dismissal of Brook shifted the momentum in India’s favour.
Reflecting on the match-defining moment, Morkel admitted that the Indian camp was aware of the threat that Brook posed.
“That was a massive moment in the game. Harry’s a quality player, he’s a real finisher, and we were sitting in the dugout–I was speaking to Ryan [ten Doeschate], and I said we need to get him out because if he bats another couple of overs here, we’re in trouble,” Morkel revealed.
Despite the pressure, India’s bowlers remained composed and focused on their attacking plans.
“Credit to the guys, they kept calm, they kept on looking for those attacking options, wicket-taking options, and we managed to get a breakthrough,” he added.
Morkel was particularly proud of the way India defended their total, given the conditions.
“The way we defended tonight, I’m just very proud of this team. Defending a 180 total on a good wicket with a wet outfield was top work,” he said.
Coming to the match, Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi’s three-wicket hauls helped India clinch a thrilling 15-run win over England in the fourth T20I match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday, handing the Men in Blue an unassailable lead in the five-match series.
The Indian bowling dominated the second innings with early wickets.
The hosts got an advantage after Harshit Rana replaced concussed Shivam Dube in the second inning. Rana’s presence in the playing eleven gave a huge boost to the Men in Blue bowling attack as he turned out to be the hero for the team in a crunch situation.
Philip Salt (23 runs from 21 balls, 4 fours) and Ben Duckett (39 runs from 19 balls, 7 fours and 1 six) cemented a partnership of 62 runs and gave a fiery start to the Three Lions.
Ravi Bishnoi drew the first blood in the second inning as he removed Duckett in the 6th over.
Skipper Jos Buttler (2 runs from 3 balls) failed to shine during the run chase and succumbed to Bishnoi in the 8th over.
Harry Brook (51 runs from 26 balls, 5 fours and 2 sixes) was the only England player to put up a show in the second inning. His fiery knock gave hope to the visitors to clinch the game. However, the youngster was removed in the 15th over by Varun Chakravarthy.
In the latter part of the game, Jamie Overton (19 runs from 15 balls, 1 four and 1 six) and Adil Rashid (10* runs from 6 balls, 1 six) tried to add some crucial runs on the board but fell short against the Indian bowling attack.
Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi led the Indian bowling attack as they picked up three wickets each in their respective spells. Varun Chakravarthy also bagged two wickets in his four-over spell while giving 28 runs. While Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel took one wicket each in their respective spells.
India will take on England in the final match of the series in Mumbai at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on February 2.
Earlier in the first inning, India had a sloppy start, however, it was the efforts of Hardik and Shivam that helped the Men in Blue to set a target of 182 runs for England on Friday.
After winning the toss, Jos Buttler-led England decided to bring Suryakumar Yadav’s India to bat first.
The Three Lions had a great start to the match with three quick dismissals at the score of 12. However, the Men in Blue turned around the match on a great note and set a whopping target.
The opening partnership of Sanju Samson (1 run from 3 balls) and Abhishek Sharma (29 runs from 19 balls, 4 fours and 1 six) had a disappointing start to the game as they could only cement a partnership of 12 runs.
England seamer Saqib Mahmood was on fire in the second over as he removed India’s top three batters without giving a single run to the opponent.
Mahmood removed Samson, Tilak Varma (0 runs from 1 ball) and captain Suryakumar Yadav (0 runs from 4 balls) in the second over.
It was also Mahmood’s first over of the tour and he started it with a triple-wicket maiden. It was the first time this had happened in a men’s T20 international.
Following the early wickets, Abhishek and Rinku Singh (30 runs from 26 balls, 4 fours and 1 six) had a 45-run partnership.
However, Adil Rashid removed Abhishek in the 8th over. While Rinku lost his wicket in the 11th over.
Hardik Pandya (53 runs from 30 balls, 4 fours and 4 sixes) displayed a stupendous performance and slammed his half-century in the 18th over.
Along with Hardik, Shivam Dube (53 runs from 34 balls, 7 fours and 2 sixes) also put up a show and smashed his fifty in the 19th over.
The duo of Hardik and Shivam took India to 181/9 in the first inning. Ravi Bishnoi remained unbeaten on the crease till the end. (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
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