Riding on Suryakumar Yadav’s blistering half century, and Hardik Pandya’s frugal spell, a determined India beat England by eight runs in the fourth T20 International to level the five-match series 2-2 in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Shardul Thakur claimed three wickets while Hardik Pandya and Rahul Chahar took two each as India kept England to 177-/8 in their chase of 186 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
With the pressure to score mounting, Ben Stokes hit a defiant 46 off 23 deliveries before falling to Thakur as the series witnessed its first unsuccessful run chase.
Jofra Archer led a final run blitz and England needed 23 from the final over. Archer gave India a scare by hitting a six and a four, then there were two no balls and Archer’s bat broke going for a big hit as the visitors fell short.
“They were swinging hard in the last over, and it was important to bowl a couple of dot balls and then the game was sealed,” said Thakur.
Eoin Morgan said that India…