The match on Friday had all the ingredients of an exciting T20 contest; each of the 32,252 spectators in Pune going back home having got their money’s worth
Suryakumar Yadav; (right) Mohammed Shami at a training session on Thursday. Pic/PTI
India maintained their unbeaten record in a T20 series involving more than just a one-off match against England. By winning the fourth match of the five-match rubber by 15 runs in Pune on Friday, the Men in Blue took a 3-1 lead with the motivation to make it 4-1 in the fifth and final match at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
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India have now clinched five back-to-back T20I series against England since 2016-17.
The match on Friday had all the ingredients of an exciting T20 contest; each of the 32,252 spectators in Pune going back home having got their money’s worth. England had their moments to keep the series alive going into the final game, but they missed out on those crucial phases in which the Indian bowlers were outstanding.
Varun the star attraction
Led by Varun Chakravarthy, whose 12 wickets so far is the most by an Indian in a bilateral T20I series (he has done it twice already vs South Africa last year being the first occasion), the Indian bowlers cashed in on those moments to dominate England.
Sunday’s match will be keenly watched to see how Mohammed Shami is shaping up on his return to the international fold after a 14-month break. While the cricketing world was eagerly awaiting his return in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, his actual return came in the third T20I in Rajkot during which he bowled three overs for 25 runs without any reward.
India will be banking on a fully fit Shami in the ICC Champions Trophy later this month in Dubai.
India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said on Friday night: “Shami’s been bowling really well. Catching to him at warm-ups, he is really hitting the glove hard. Very happy with how he’s coming along. He’s probably going to get an opportunity in the next game. Excited to have him back in the group. Just for him to share his experience and his knowledge at training is a massive boost.”
Can Sky shine at home?
While Shami will be a key attraction, the form of captain Suryakumar Yadav has been miserable.
Twice in this series he has been dismissed for ducks while in the other two digs, he scored 12 and 14. Perhaps a return to his home ground, where he has an impressive IPL record will snap him out of his funk.
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