Dube-Pandya flex batting muscles as India clinch series win over England

A counter-attacking partnership followed by a collective effort from the bowlers helped India trump England by 15 runs in Pune to clinch the five-T20I series, taking a 3-1 lead.

Having been put in to bat first by the visitors, India were wobbling at 12/3 as Saqib Mahmood ran through the top-order in his opening burst.

While Abhishek Sharma (29) and Rinku Singh (30) managed to chip in with vital contributions, half of the Indian batting lineup was back in the hut just as the innings crossed the halfway mark.

Shivam Dube then, combined alongside Hardik Pandya to turn the tide as the duo stitched a quickfire 87-run stand for the sixth wicket.

While Pandya scored 53 off 34 deliveries, Dube scored as many during his 30-ball stay in the middle before he was run out. The hosts managed to close the innings with 181 runs on the board.

England got off to a strong start and were 62/0 after 5.5 overs with openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett taking the attack to the Indian bowlers. However, Ravi Bishnoi removed Duckett on the last ball of the powerplay to break the deadlock.

Axar Patel removed Salt in the next over while Bishnoi returned with another wicket in his next over, getting rid of the England skipper Jos Buttler.

However, just when India looked to have momentum moving their way, Harry Brook took charge of the chase, blasting a 25-ball fifty as England made it to 133/5 in the 16th over.

Another attempt to secure a boundary though, brought an end to Brook’s stay as Varun Chakravarthy struck once again for the hosts, coming into the game on the back of a five-wicket haul.

Also among the wickets was T20I debutant Harshit Rana, who was introduced as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube.

Rana, finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker for India, collecting three dismissals to help India close the game with a 15-run win and take a 3-1 lead going into the final T20I on February 2 in Mumbai.