England defeated India by 125 runs in the third T20I at Trent Bridge on Tuesday to take an undisputed 2-0 lead in the five-match series after being dumped out in the first match.This defeat is one that India wants to forget as soon as possible. Chasing 202 runs, the visitors scored just 76 runs in 11.4 overs, registering their biggest defeat in men’s T20I history and the second-lowest total in the tournament. For Shreyas Iyer, the defeat also extended the wait for his first win as India’s full-time T20I captain.
Salt, Curran lay the foundation
Asked to bat first, England overcame a quiet start to post an impressive 201/7, thanks in no small part to Philip Salt’s flowing 70 off 44 deliveries.India’s new-ball attack, led by Arshdeep Singh, was disciplined early on but Jos Buttler turned the momentum around with a counter-attacking 32 runs. Debutant Prince Yadav then made an immediate impact as he dismissed Buttler with a pinpoint yorker in the first delivery before sending skipper Harry Brook back shortly afterwards.Harshit Rana dismissed Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton in consecutive overs to keep India in the game, but Salter continued to dominate the innings with a controlled attack. The opener brings half a century of creation before Axar Patel finally ends his stay.Sam Curran’s unbeaten 41 off 24 balls ensured England crossed the 200-run mark despite India’s late comeback. Prince Yadav (2/30) impressed on his debut while Harshit Rana (2/40) also picked up two wickets.
Archer, tongue rips India apart
India’s chase never gained any momentum as England’s pace attack disrupted the batting order. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi briefly hit two towering sixes but fell behind Jofra Archer in 13 runs. Ishan Kishan soon followed, forcing Josh Tongue to Jacob Bethell before Archer delivered the decisive blow by dismissing skipper Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel.India’s innings collapsed at an alarming pace as they lost their first five wickets in six overs for the first time in T20I history. The visitors found themselves in complete disarray against Archer’s pace and tongue-in-cheek accuracy.Will Jacks dismissed Tilak Varma to join the team, while Tongue dismissed Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana to finish with impressive figures of 4/28. Archer returned with 3/29 and Adil Rashid ended the innings by bowling to Varun Chakravarthy to seal the clinching victory.
India UK tour goes from bad to worse
The defeat continued India’s dismal run on the tour. Before arriving in England, Iyer’s side had been beaten 2-0 by Ireland and have yet to win a single game since lifting the T20 World Cup. Tactical errors, fragile batting and an inability to absorb pressure all contributed to a worrying decline in form.With two games to go, England have sealed the series and India will now look to salvage their pride and avoid a clean slate.
summary score
England: 201/7 in 20 overs (Philip Salt 70, Sam Curran 41*; Prince Yadav 2/30, Harshit Rana 2/40)India: Sixers were all out in 11.4 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 13; Josh Tongue 4/28, Jofra Archer 3/29)result: England won by 125 runs.series: England lead 2-0 in the five-match series (the first T20I was abandoned due to rain).
