IND vs ENG: Varun Chakravarthy's five-fer in vain as England beat India in Rajkot to keep T20 series alive

England defeated India by 26 runs in the third T20I of the five-match series in Rajkot on Tuesday, with the scoreline now reading 2-1 in favour of the hosts. After being asked to bat first, England posted a challenging total of 171/9, with key contributions from Ben Duckett (51 off 28 balls) and Liam Livingstone (43 off 24 balls).

Despite the early loss of wickets, Duckett’s explosive knock helped England recover, but the Indian bowlers, led by Hardik Pandya (2/33) and Varun Chakravarthy (5/24) kept the pressure on throughout the innings.

Pandya and Chakravarthy were instrumental in England’s collapse towards the end of their innings. Their lower order failed to get going, with the likes of Jamie Smith (6), Jamie Overton (0), and Brydon Carse (3) unable to build partnerships. Adil Rashid (10*) and Mark Wood (10*) managed to add some late runs, but England seemingly fell short, having finished with 171/9 after their allotted 20 overs.

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Indian batters fail to fire

Chasing 172 for victory, India’s batting line-up struggled from the outset. Sanju Samson (3) was dismissed early, and despite a rapid 24 from Abhishek Sharma off 14 balls, India could not gain the necessary momentum. Suryakumar Yadav (14) was dismissed cheaply, and although Hardik Pandya fought with a patient 40 off 35 balls, wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals. Rashid (1/15) and Wood (1/29) were key in taking crucial wickets, and Overton’s 3-wicket haul ensured that England maintained control.

Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya gave the Men in Blue a glimmer of hope, forging 38 runs for the sixth wicket. However, it did not take much time for India’s middle and lower order to fall apart as Axar (15), Dhruv Jurel (2), and Mohammed Shami (7) all perished in quick succession. Pandya (40) was left to fight a lone battle before being dismissed in the 19th over.

#HardikPandya is leading #TeamIndia's fightback as he finds a smashing boundary off #JamieOverton!

📺 Start watching FREE on Disney+ Hotstar: https://t.co/cA9YJDYNul#INDvENGOnJioStar 👉 3rd T20I LIVE NOW on Disney+ Hotstar & Star Sports! | #KhelAasmani pic.twitter.com/OCJavzbWFk

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 28, 2025

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India were eventually restricted to 145/9, falling short by 26 runs. With England’s bowlers firing on all cylinders, India never truly threatened the target, and the visitors sealed a well-earned victory to keep the series alive.

The win was a team effort, with England’s bowlers and key batters playing crucial roles. Despite ending up on the losing side, Varun Chakravarthy was named the Player of the Match for his five-wicket haul. India had won the first T20I by seven wickets in Kolkata and followed it up with a two-wicket win in the second in Chennai.  The fourth and penultimate T20I in the five-match series will be held in Pune on Friday (31 January).