England produced a ruthless 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 wants to forget in a hurry. Chasing 202, the visitors were bundled out for just 76 in 11.4 overs, registering their biggest defeat by runs in men’s T20I history and their second-lowest total in the format. For Shreyas Iyer, the loss also extended his wait for a first win as India’s full-time T20I captain.
Salt, Curran laid the foundation
Asked to bat first, England overcame a quiet start to post an imposing 201/7, thanks in large part to Philip Salt’s fluent 70 off 44 deliveries.India’s new-ball attack, led by Arshdeep Singh, started with discipline, but Jos Buttler changed the momentum with a counter-attacking 32. Debutant Prince Yadav made an immediate impact, dismissing Buttler with a pinpoint yorker off his first delivery before dispatching captain Harry Brook soon after.Harshit Rana kept India in the contest by removing Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton in 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 touch with an unbeaten 41 off 24 balls, ensuring England crossed the 200-run mark despite India’s late comeback. Prince Yadav (2/30) impressed on debut, while Harshit Rana (2/40) also took two wickets.
Archer, The language tears India
India’s chase never gained momentum as England’s pace attack tore up the batting order. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi entertained briefly with two towering sixes but was caught behind to Jofra Archer for 13. Ishan Kishan soon followed, bowling Josh Tongue to Jacob Bethell, before Archer hit the decisive shots dismissing captain Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel.India’s innings unraveled at an alarming rate 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 Tilak Varma stumping party, while Tongue removed Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana to finish with outstanding figures of 4/28. The Archer came back on 29/3, and Adil Rashid closed the innings off the bowling of Varun Chakravarthy to seal a crushing victory.
India’s UK tour is going from bad to worse
The defeat continued India’s miserable run on the tour. Having already been whitewashed 2-0 by Ireland before arriving in England, Iyer’s men are yet to register a win since lifting the T20 World Cup. Tactical errors, fragile batting and an inability to absorb pressure have contributed to a worrying slide in form.With two matches still to play, England have already secured the series, while India will now look to salvage their 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).