AHMEDABAD, INDIA – MARCH 20: Shardul Thakur of India celebrates the wicket of Jonny Bairstow of England captured by Suryakumar Yadav during the 5th T20 International between India and England at Narendra Modi Stadium on March 20, 2021 in Ahmedabad, India.
Surjeet Yadav | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
England collapsed to a 36-run loss to India in the crucial fifth T20 international match in Ahmedabad when the home side took a 3-2 win in the series.
India scored a massive 224-2 from their 20 overs after being reinstated by Eoin Morgan, and although Dawid Malan (68 of 46 balls) and Jos Buttler (52 of 34) both fired in a century, they stand for the second wicket. England eventually collapsed in response to 188-8.
On what is undoubtedly the best club in the series, India has been aggressive from the start. The new opening pair Rohit Sharma (64 of 34 balls) and Virat Kohli (80 of 52 balls) played 94 and achieved a rate of more than 10 over.
Both went through well into the 1950s, while Suryakumar Yadav (32 of 17) and Hardik Pandya (39 of 17) stepped in late with rapid-fire cameos – the former’s innings only ended with a jaw-dropping season frontier catch from Chris Jordan.
Jason Roy (0) went to the second ball of the English chase, which was bowled cleanly by Bhuvneswhar Kumar (2-15). He later returned to win Buttler’s key wicket in a 13th that cost only three runs and turned the game in India’s favor.
Buttler’s dismissal was the first of seven wickets to fall for 44 runs as England stumbled on their way to a series defeat.
Morgan had previously been successful in the throw, and although the English skipper lost the fourth T20 on Thursday when he chased and faced a belting track, he had no hesitation in asking India again to strike first.
But a change at the top of the order for India had the desired effect. After the out of shape KL Rahul fell, Kohli set out to open up to Rohit, who had returned to his best performance in the power play.
Rohit warned both his intent and good form as he crossed two boundaries through the ceiling of Jofra Archers second and then started Adil Rashid (1-31) over the deep midwicket fence in third.
That was one of five highs in Rohit’s breathtaking stroke when India smashed 60 out of six-over power play and he ran 30 balls for up to half a century.
Ben Stokes (1-26) made for the decisive breakthrough for England and fooled Rohit for the pace with a cutter that rattled into his stumps. But any hopes that the wicket would stall the Indian innings were soon dashed when Suryakumar – fresh from firing fifty in his first T20I innings – blew Rashid and Jordan three consecutive boundaries on the next run occupied the 12th.
Jordan would take revenge with a ridiculous frontier catch only to see Suryakumar’s back not long after. He sprinted around the deep midwicket fence for an effortless one-handed catch before passing it on to the observing (and laughing in amazement) Jason Roy as Jordan’s swing led him over the rope.
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Kohli, who was happy to play second fiddle up to that point – having had only 31 deliveries by the end of the 14th – he stepped on the gas with Pandya at the back of the Indian innings.
The pair put on 78 in the last six overs, with Kohli crossing to a 28th T20I fifty and Pandya, who battled the short ball during the series, this time holding onto something that slammed halfway – the all-rounder sent two of those Deliveries from Jordan passed the distance in the 19th.
AHMEDABAD, INDIA – MARCH 20: Shardul Thakur of India (C) celebrates Chris Jordan of England’s wicket with Virat Kohli during the 5th T20 International between India and England at Narendra Modi Stadium on March 20, 2021 in Ahmedabad, India .
Surjeet Yadav | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
In the hunt for such a stiff target, England’s innings had got off to a worst start when Roy was sent off by Bhuvneshwar for the second ball looking for the big swing to the deep Midwicket line.
Malan, his place on this English page under pressure, came out swinging and Looted 14 runs of three balls in Pandya’s second over.
Meanwhile, Butler found Rahul Chahar to his liking and smashed the leg spinner for three of his four sixes when he and Malan fired 62 off the power play en route to a good century score.
Malan raced through to a 33-ball-fifty while Buttler produced half a century of his own 30 deliveries, though then ran off with a long long-off in Bhuvneshwar’s 13th game.
This proved to be a turning point in the game. Jonny Bairstow (7), Morgan (1) and Ben Stokes (14) were all cheaply laid off when the rate required rose dramatically. Malan was one of three who fell on Shardul Thakur (3 -45).
