England produced a ruthless all-round performance to crush India by 125 runs in the third T20I at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series after the opener was washed out.The defeat was one that India wanted to forget in a hurry. Chasing 202, the visitors were bundled out for just 76 in 11.4 overs, registering their biggest loss by runs in men’s T20I history and their second-lowest total in the format. For Shreyas Iyer, the defeat also extended his wait for a first win as India’s full-time T20I captain.
And, Curran laid the foundation
Asked to bat first, England overcame a quiet start to post an impressive 201/7, thanks to Philip Salt’s brilliant 70 off 44 deliveries.India’s new-ball attack, led by Arshdeep Singh, started in discipline, but Jos Buttler shifted the momentum with a counter-attacking 32. Debutant Prince Yadav made an immediate impact, dismissing Buttler with a pinpoint yorker off his very first delivery before sending back captain Harry Brook soon after.Harshit Rana kept India in the contest by removing Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton off successive deliveries, but Salt continued to anchor the innings with controlled aggression. The opener brought up a composed half-century before Axar Patel ended his stay.Sam Curran provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 41 from 24 balls, ensuring that England crossed the 200-run mark despite a late fightback by India. Prince Yadav (2/30) impressed on debut, while Harshit Rana (2/40) also took two wickets.
Archer, Tongue rip in India
India’s chase never gained any momentum as England’s pace attack destroyed the batting order. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi entertained briefly with two towering sixes but was caught behind by Jofra Archer on 13. Ishan Kishan soon followed, bowling Josh Tongue to Jacob Bethell, before Archer struck the decisive blows by dismissing captain Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel.India’s innings fell apart at shocking speed as they lost their first five wickets in six overs for the first time in T20I history. The visitors found themselves in complete disarray against Archer’s pace and Tongue’s relentless accuracy.Will Jacks joined the party by stumping Tilak Varma, while Tongue removed Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana to finish with outstanding figures of 4/28. Archer returned on 3/29, and Adil Rashid wrapped up the innings by bowling Varun Chakravarthy to seal a crushing victory.
UK travel to India has gone from bad to worse
The loss continued India’s dismal run on the tour. Having been whitewashed 2-0 by Ireland before arriving in England, Iyer’s men have yet to register a win since lifting the T20 World Cup. Tactical errors, weak batting and an inability to absorb pressure have all contributed to a worrying slide in form.With two games to go, England have secured the series, while India will now look to save pride and avoid a complete whitewash.
Short scores:
England: 201/7 in 20 overs (Philip Salt 70, Sam Curran 41*; Prince Yadav 2/30, Harshit Rana 2/40)India: 76 all out in 11.4 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 13; Josh Tongue 4/28, Jofra Archer 3/29)Result: England won by 125 runs.Series: England lead the five-match series 2-0 (first T20I abandoned due to rain).