Wed Jan 29 11:32:20 UTC 2025: **India’s T20I Winning Streak Snapped by England in Rajkot Thriller**
RAJKOT, INDIA – India’s dominance in the ongoing T20I series against England came to an abrupt end with a shocking 26-run defeat in the third match at Rajkot. Despite restricting England to 171/9 after winning the toss and opting to bowl first, India’s batting lineup crumbled, managing only 145/9 in their chase.
Hardik Pandya’s 40 runs off 35 balls provided the only significant contribution for the hosts, a performance criticized by former Indian wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel for its slow start and lack of strike rotation. “One can’t take 20-25 balls to get set in a T20I,” Patel stated on Star Sports. “Hardik may have ended up with 40 off 35, but there were a lot of dot balls at the start.”
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen also questioned India’s tactical decisions, specifically targeting the batting order. He criticized the placement of Dhruv Jurel at number eight, arguing that India’s best batsmen should bat higher up the order. “India didn’t get the batting order right,” Pietersen said. “Jurel is a proper batsman. He could have constructed a big innings.”
Despite the loss, India found a bright spot in the performance of spinner Varun Chakravarthy. Making his return to the Indian T20I side last year after a hiatus, Chakravarthy delivered a remarkable five-wicket haul (5/24), dismissing Jos Buttler, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, and Jofra Archer. The series now stands at 2-1 in India’s favor, with two matches remaining.
First Piper 