PUNE, India — In an exciting match, India secured a thrilling victory over England by 15 runs, clinching the Twenty20 series with one game remaining. This win took place on Friday, and it marked a notable debut for concussion substitute Harshit Rana, who took three wickets for just 33 runs.
As the tension built in the final overs, England needed 19 runs from the last over to pull off a win. However, Indian bowler Rana delivered a crucial blow by bowling out Jamie Overton in the 19th over, leaving England’s last two batters, Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood, with a daunting task. The duo managed only three runs before Mahmood was caught out, leading to England’s dismissal at 166, with two balls remaining.
Earlier in the match, India faced a rocky start, tumbling to 12 runs for three wickets in just the second over and struggling at 79-5 in the 11th over. The hopes of the home crowd lifted significantly when Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya came together for a game-changing partnership. They added 87 runs in just 45 balls, stabilizing the innings. Dube, who hadn’t played a T20 match for India since July, scored 53 runs off 34 balls, while Pandya matched his performance with another 53 runs, but from just 30 balls.
In a dramatic turn of events in the final over for India, Dube was hit on the helmet by a delivery from Overton and had to leave the field due to a concussion. Rana stepped in as a substitute and quickly made his mark by dismissing both Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell.
With this victory, India now leads the series 3-1, setting the stage for the final match this Sunday at Wankhede Stadium. The team will be looking to finish strong and conclude the series on a high note.
