Brief Score: England 201/7 (Phil Salt 70, Sam Curran 41*) win against India 76 at 11.4 vs (Jofra Archer 3/29, Josh Tongue 4/28) by 125 runs.
76 in total. That’s all the Indians’ powerful batting line-up could muster as they chased down 202 runs for a series-leveling victory at Trent Bridge. India hit a new low under Gautam Gambhir, losing a T20I by more than 100 runs for the first time in their history.
Chasing 202 on what is traditionally considered a good batting pitch, India were impressed by the pace of Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue. They lost five wickets in the powerplay for just 52 runs, and their hopes of saving the series went up in flames.
IND vs ENG, 3rd T20I: Highlights
The final nail in the coffin came when Gautam Gambhir sent Harshit Rana during the powerplay, ahead of Shivam Dube, indicating that India had already accepted defeat. The loss marked India’s fourth defeat in five matches under new captain Shreyas Iyer, who is still searching for his first win as T20I captain.
SHREYAS IYER’S STRANGE TACTICS
In many ways, Iyer also bears part of the blame for the defeat. First came some strange tactics with the ball, as he took Prince Yadav out of the attack immediately after the pacer struck with the first delivery of his spell.
Harshit Rana took a hat-trick in the 12th over but was removed from the attack and only returned in the 18th over. The result? A boundary from the first ball of his return.
With the bat, Shreyas took a juicy half-volley on leg stump, only to spot Jacob Bethell at deep square leg.
Shreyas’ wicket in the fifth over accelerated India’s collapse at a time when the team desperately needed stability. Yes, India may not have won the match yet, but perhaps they would not have qualified for the second-lowest total in their T20I history either, in just 11.4 overs.
ENGLAND TAKES THE INCOMPONIBLE LEADERSHIP
England’s victory gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series after the opening match was washed out, while India’s alarming slide in the format continued. India, who went unbeaten in the bilateral T20I series between their World Cup triumphs in 2024 and 2026, have suffered four defeats in their last five full matches.
Earlier in the evening, England’s innings was a tale of two halves. Jos Buttler threatened to take the game away inside the Powerplay, but India fought their way back through some disciplined pace bowling. One of the notable aspects of England’s batting was how well they picked out the Indian seamers’ slower pitches, refusing to be fooled even when pace came off the ball.
Finally it took a perfect yorker from Prince Yadav to bring down Buttler. The young fast bowler doubled India’s momentum by dismissing Harry Brook soon after, forcing England back briefly.
But just when India had found control, they let him slip away.
Prince was removed from the attack immediately after removing Brook, while Harshit Rana, who then dismissed Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton off successive deliveries for a hat-trick, was also removed before he could complete it. The repeated cuts and changes allowed England to regroup in phases rather than remain under sustained pressure.
Phil Salt made India pay.
After a difficult start in which Arshdeep Singh even bowled him a maiden, Salt gradually adapted to his innings before picking up pace spectacularly. The opener smashed 70 off 44 deliveries, hitting seven fours and three sixes, while Sam Curran’s unbeaten 41 off just 24 balls ensured England finished on a commanding 201 for 7 after plundering 89 runs in the last eight overs.
SOORYAVANSHI EMOTIONS…BRIEFLY
India’s response began with intent rather than caution. Abhishek Sharma and debutant Vaibhav Sooryavanshi looked to attack from the start but the difference in pace and hostility between Archer and Josh Tongue proved overwhelming.
Sooryavanshi briefly thrilled with two towering sixes, one off Archer and another off Tongue, but the 15-year-old’s entertaining cameo ended in the 13th over when he hit a strong bouncer to Buttler. Abhishek died attempting another expansive knock, Ishan Kishan’s promising start lasted just a handful of deliveries and Shreyas’ dismissal triggered a collapse from which India never recovered.
Archer and Tongue relentlessly attacked the stumps and body, exposing India’s inability to cope with any genuine pace. Archer finished with three wickets in just three overs, while Tongue broke through the lower order to claim four as India folded for 76.
The manner of the defeat will worry Gautam Gambhir as much as the result itself. India had enough moments with the ball to keep England within reach, only for questionable tactical decisions to release the pressure. With the bat, a lineup packed with powerful batsmen failed to pass the sternest test against high-quality fast bowling.
With two matches left in the series, India now needs more than just tactical adjustments. They need new ideas, perhaps a new beginning.
– Finish