Kohli’s unbeaten 80 and fiery start from Rohit help India post 224-2 as England are thumped by 36 runs for T20 series; Shardul too good
India skipper Virat Kohli drives one against England in the fifth and final T20I series at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera on Saturday. Pic/AFP; (right) Rohit Sharma en route his 34-ball 64. Pic/PTI
Rohit Sharma set up a perfect launch pad and Virat Kohli carried his bat through for India’s imposing total of 224-2, which England couldn’t overhaul in the fifth and final T20 International at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.
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The visitors fell short by 36 runs. Mumbai’s Shardul Thakur once again derailed England’s challenge by taking two key wickets in the space of three balls as England were reduced to 142-4 at the end of the 15th over. His two wickets in two balls had also turned the fourth match in India’s favour.
Rohit (64 off 34 balls, 4x4, 5x6) dominated the 94-run opening wicket partnership with his new opening partner Kohli, who paced his innings smartly to score an unbeaten 80 in 52 balls (7x4, 2x6).
Suryakumar Yadav (32 off 17 balls, 3x4, 2x6) and Hardik Pandya (39 not out in 17 balls) were the ideal foil for Kohli’s calculated approach to bat till the end. The wicket for the deciding T20I was a bit slow but one with even bounce. Ergo, Mark Wood marked out for punishment in the powerplay, which yielded 60 runs, the best in the series so far.
Rohit hit two boundaries in Wood’s first over and then England’s most successful pacer in this series was pulled twice over the ropes—first by Kohli over long leg with a quick swirl on one leg and then Rohit, dispatching a 147kph thunderbolt over the fine leg boundary.
Rohit was in such sublime touch that Kohli kept rotating strike with singles to give his vice-captain more strike. And, the dominant partner didn’t disappoint his skipper in their 54-ball partnership that ended when the vice-captain dragged a Ben Stokes leg cutter on to his stumps.
Kohli opted to play second fiddle even after Rohit’s departure as flamboyant Suryakumar continued from where he left off in his maiden international batting stint. He consecutively hoisted Adil Rashid into the empty stands as the leggie conceded 16 runs in the 10th over. Rashid got his revenge when Suryakumar’s belligerent knock ended to a brilliant ‘relay catch’. He pulled the England spinner for what looked like a spectacular parallel six. Chris Jordan, however, sprinted to grab the ball with his outstretched right hand but was alert enough to relay the ball, before crossing the boundary rope, to Jason Roy to complete the catch.
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