IND vs ENG, 4th T20I: Suryakumar Yadav’s maiden fifty, bowlers give India a series-leveling victory

India survived some more late overs after a blistering half-century knock of Suryakumar Yadav to register an eight-run win over England in the fourth T20 International on Thursday. Told to bat, India scored 185 runs in 8, their highest total in the series, thanks to Suryakumar’s innings of 57 off 31 balls, and then restricted England to 177 for 8 and extended the match to 5-2. Won the series 2–2. After Ben Stokes (46 off 23 balls) and Johnny Bairstow (25 for 19), the visiting team was at the crease and the Indian bowlers were scoring runs in the middle overs.

Dew also made it difficult for the bowlers to catch the ball. But the home team performed brilliantly with Hardik Pandya and senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

England needed 23 runs in the last over and Jofra Archer hit a four and a six but could not score the required runs in the end.

132 runs for 4 wickets at the end of the 15th over, England were able to add just 45 runs in the final five overs.

India was leading these Rohit Sharma as Virat Kohli walked out of the ground.

Shardul Thakur took 3 wickets for 42 runs, while Pandya took 2 wickets for 16 runs. Rahul Chahar also took two and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took one wicket.

Earlier, India kept England on a tight lease by conceding just two runs in the first two overs and dismissing the dangerous Jose Butler (9) in the third over.

But Jason Roy (40) and Dawin Malan (14) started picking up the pieces, with England scoring 48 for 1 after the powerplay.

Malan was dismissed by Shardul Thakur at 3, but did not add too many runs as Rahul Chahar bowled him cleanly in the eighth over.

With a pass rate of one over 10, England were supposed to play shots, but Roy failed to keep his complete control over Pandya in the ninth over to complete an easy catch off Pandya off the bridge.

Asked for 71 for 3 on the half stage and a rate of 11 runs per over, England had to take the risk and Ben Stokes hit just two huge sixes, one Washington Sundar and the other Chahar.

The dew is making the spinners difficult, with Stokes and Johnny Bairstow getting the boundaries needed to keep the score over 10 runs.

Stokes was particularly inauspicious as he cleaned the boundaries with ease. But after Bairstow was dismissed in the 15th over and two overs, Stokes turned the match in India’s favor.

Both shared a 65-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Shardul Thakur took two wickets after sending Stokes back. Earlier, Suryakumar hit a half-century in the form of an Atishi maiden and led India to 185 for 8 on asking the hosts to bat.

Suryakumar, who replaced the injured Ishan Kishan, hit six fours and three sixes in his innings of 57 off 31 balls.

He made his second T20I debut but did not bat in that match. India did not have a big partnership but the pace bowlers of Shreyas Iyer (37 off 18 balls) and Rishabh Pant (30 off 23) brought the hosts to their highest score of the series.

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England opened the attack again with leg-spinner Adil Rashid, but Rohit Sharma (12) gave him a six off the first ball of the match. But Rohit’s brilliant innings in the fourth over was cut short as he was caught and bowled by Jofra Archer, who took a career-best 4/33.

Suryakumar faced the first ball in international cricket, hitting a six over Archer, picking up the gap and finding boundaries to advance the scoreboard, although the England bowlers were by no means ahead.