Wed Jan 29 21:12:22 IST 2025: ## India Loses Third T20 Against England; Blame Game Begins
**London, England:** India suffered a 26-run defeat against England in the third T20I on Tuesday, despite holding a 2-1 series lead. Chasing 172, India managed only 145/9. The loss has sparked criticism, with former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali blaming India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, for tactical errors.
Ali, speaking on his YouTube channel, pointed to the contrasting powerplay scores – 52/1 for England and 51/3 for India – as evidence of a flawed strategy. He suggested Gambhir underestimated the importance of the first innings, potentially believing the series lead made aggressive batting unnecessary. Ali also noted the pitch seemed more conducive to batting in the first innings.
Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy echoed concerns about the pitch, stating the lack of dew impacted the second innings more than anticipated, favoring England’s leg-spinners.
Despite the loss, Ali praised the return of Mohammed Shami, who bowled three overs conceding 25 runs after a 435-day absence, highlighting his effective seam bowling.
The series now stands at 2-1 in India’s favour, setting up a thrilling conclusion. Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh also offered his analysis of the match, though details were not provided in this report. (Link to Harbhajan’s comments omitted). The final two matches promise a closely fought contest.
First Piper 