Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan shared his thoughts on India’s 26-run loss to England in the third T20I of the five-match series at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Tuesday. With this victory, England kept the series alive, reducing India’s lead to 2-1.
India’s Struggle to Chase 172
After winning the toss, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav opted to bowl first. England’s innings was anchored by Ben Duckett, who scored a crucial half-century before being dismissed by Hardik Pandya, caught by Abhishek Sharma. Duckett and Jos Buttler provided a strong foundation, guiding England to 83/2.
However, Varun Chakravarthy turned the game in India’s favor with an impressive five-wicket haul (5/24), dismantling England’s middle order. England found themselves struggling at 127/8, but a late counterattack from Liam Livingstone (43 off 24 balls), supported by Adil Rashid and Mark Wood (10 runs each), helped England post 171/9.
While the total seemed slightly below par, England’s bowlers came out aggressively, picking up wickets at regular intervals. None of India’s top four managed to score beyond 24 runs, which proved costly in the chase.
Pathan Highlights India’s Late Surge
Irfan Pathan pointed out that India’s inability to rotate the strike on a slightly slower pitch made the chase more difficult.
“In T20 cricket, the ability to rotate the strike is crucial on slower wickets. India left it too much for too late in the end,” Pathan posted on X (formerly Twitter).
India’s Middle-Order Resistance Falls Short
Despite early setbacks, Hardik Pandya fought hard with a 40-run knock off 35 balls, building a 38-run partnership with Axar Patel. However, with Pandya dismissed in the 19th over by Jamie Overton, India’s hopes of a comeback faded, as the lower order failed to close the gap.
Series Continues with Fourth T20I in Pune
With this result, India leads the series 2-1, and the action now shifts to Pune for the fourth T20I on Friday. Fans will be eager to see whether India can bounce back to seal the series or if England levels the contest.
