England, who were set a target of 186 lost the third match’s hero Jos Buttler early but kept themselves in the chase through Jason Roy (40 off 27 balls), Jonny Bairstow (25 off 19) and Ben Stokes (46 off 23) and looked well set to chase the target and at 140/4 in 16 overs needed 46 off 24 deliveries, a very achievable equation.
However, two wickets off two balls by Shardul Thakur (3/42) in his third over pegged England back. Thakur’s change in pace surprised both Stokes and Eoin Morgan (4) as they fell in successive deliveries caught in the deep.
That allowed India breathing space. Thakur almost lost the game for India in his last over. England, needing 23 in the last over, got 13 runs off the first three balls — Thakur bowled two wides. However, they could make only one in the last three balls.
Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar, who replaced Yuzvendra Chahal, chipped in with two key wickets of Dawid Malan (14) and Bairstow.
Earlier, debutant Suryakumar Yadav’s 31-ball 57 and Shreyas Iyer’s 37…
