Highlights, India vs England, 3rd T20 at Ahmedabad, full cricket score: Buttler, Bairstow help visitors seal eight-wicket win

Jos Buttler is the player of the match

“It’s nice to spend time in the middle. It was a great team performance.  We got some good partnerships to see us home. The first six off Chahal got me up and running. It’s a special achievement to play 100 matches (on Eoin Morgan). Eoin has taken our white ball fortunes to a completely new place we’ve never been before.”

Highest unbeaten scores while chasing in T20Is by keepers:

84*: Tim Seifert v Pak, Hamilton, 2020
83*: Jos Buttler v Ind, Ahmedabad, 2021*
81*: Brendon McCullum v Zim, Harare, 2011

Most T20Is lost by India against an opposition:

9: Australia 
9: England*

It’s over! 

England win by eight wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Bairstow finishes the task with a slap over backward point off Shardul. Buttler finishes on 83 not out. A complete performance today by England. 

After 19 overs,England 158/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 83 , Jonny Bairstow 40)

After 18 overs,England 150/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 83 , Jonny Bairstow 32)

150 up for England and they are just seven away from the win. Nine from Bhuvi’s over. It has been an easy ride today and now even Bairstow seems to have found the form. Got a boundary in the over with a paddle sweep. He fell down attempting the shot but found the gap on leg.

After 17 overs,England 141/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 82 , Jonny Bairstow 24)

Shardul comes into the attack. A boundary on the first ball as the edge off Bairstow’s bat runs down to the third man. He then offers an opportunity with a miscued slice shot to the same region but Chahal doesn’t seem to be a keen believer in the adage that catches win matches. Nine from the over and only 16 more is required.

Butterfingers!

8 - Virat Kohli has dropped 8 catches in men's T20Is since the start of 2019, the most recorded by any fielder from a Test-playing nation. Repeat. #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/zg1Oksm7xb

— OptaJim (@OptaJim) March 16, 2021

After 16 overs,England 132/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 81 , Jonny Bairstow 16)

Washington Sundar continues. A pretty decent over with England only collecting five from it. The required run rate is under control and batsmen are not looking for something extraordinary. 25 needed now.

After 15 overs,England 127/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 78 , Jonny Bairstow 14)

Chahal into the attack now. He is a lot quicker today, hardly making his deliveries spin and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan is not happy in the comm box. He wants the spinner to be slower, to try to spin the deliveries. A leg spinner without leg spin is not the same. To make matter worse, Kohli drops Buttler at the backward point. Easy chance has gone begging. 30 needed now.

After 14 overs,England 120/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 73 , Jonny Bairstow 12)

Washington Sundar into the attack. 13 from the over and runs start flowing for England. The spinner started off with short deliveries. The first two went for two singles before Bairstow pulled the third one for a boundary. Buttler finished the over with a massive maximum down the ground. Just 37 needed now.

After 13 overs,England 107/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 66 , Jonny Bairstow 6)

Bhuvi has been called back into the attack and starts off with a loud appeal for lbw against Bairstow. The batsman was way forward and across. The impact was outside off. Five from the over as Englishmen continue to deal in singles and doubles.

After 12 overs,England 102/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 63 , Jonny Bairstow 4)

Chahal into the attack now. Buttler gets a boundary on the first ball with a special reverse sweep shot to point. It was amazing how he managed so much force behind the shot. He gets off the strike with a leg bye. Bairstow adds a double before taking a single which brings up England’s 100. Buttler finds a double on the last delivery with a nudge to cow corner.

After 11 overs,England 92/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 57 , Jonny Bairstow 1)

Nine from Hardik’s over with four leg byes as the short ball missed everyone on its way to the boundary. England very much in control with 65 still required but runs from bat have dried up a bit.

After 10 overs,England 83/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 53 , Jonny Bairstow 0)

Washington Sundar breaks the partnership for India. Malan gets out on 18. He had made his mind up to go down the track but Washington read his actions, pushed the away-turned a little fast and Pant affected the stumping. Jonny Bairstow is the new man in. England need 74 from next 60 deliveries.

WICKET! Malan st Pant b Washington Sundar 18(17) 

Malan’s plan to start slowly and attack later has failed here. He was looking to get aggressive, came down the pitch but Sundar spotted the run and pushed the off spinner hard for Pant to remove the bails.

After 9 overs,England 78/1 ( Jos Buttler (W) 50 , Dawid Malan 17)

Very good bowling by Hardik but still he ends up giving away 10 runs. That is T20 cricket. Four singles off first five deliveries with Buttler bringing up his fifty but the last delivery fetched Malan a six with the top edge flying over the wicket-keeper. Unlucky Pandya. it was a well thought short delivery.

After 8 overs,England 68/1 ( Jos Buttler (W) 48 , Dawid Malan 9)

Bowling change. Finally, India decide to make Washington Sundar have a bowl. Just four from the over with the field being well spread. Buttler is just two away from a fifty.

After 7 overs,England 64/1 ( Jos Buttler (W) 46 , Dawid Malan 7)

Hardik Pandya into the attack now. He starts off with a nice seven-run over that included a wide. Malan has been the perfect foil to Buttler so far, rotating the strike and that’s what both the batsmen did in the over.

After 6 overs,England 57/1 ( Jos Buttler (W) 43 , Dawid Malan 4)

Powerplay over. A very good start for England. They need 100 more. 11 from Chahal’s over with two boundaries for Buttler. He got the first one with a reverse sweep and the next one with a pull shot. Excellent batting.

After 5 overs,England 46/1 ( Jos Buttler (W) 34 , Dawid Malan 2)

An expensive over from Shardul. 16 came from it. The indisciplined self of Shardul was on full display in the over. Bowled one onto the pads that Buttler flicked it for a boundary. A harmless short ball was pulled to square leg for a boundary and another toothless short delivery was pulled over long leg.

After 4 overs,England 30/1 ( Jos Buttler (W) 20 , Dawid Malan 1)

Bowling change. Yuzvendra Chahal comes into the attack and gets India the first wicket. He started off by Buttler hitting him down the ground for a six but made a quick comeback with Roy’s wicket. The opener fell with Rohit catching the reverse sweep at the backward point. Buttler adds another six with a swing down the ground before getting beaten with a big leg spinner on the last delivery. A check for stumping but Buttler is safe. 14 from the over.