Cricket

Suryakumar Yadav's century in vain as India lose 3rd T20 Against England

Sentinel Digital Desk

Nottingham: Suryakumar Yadav smashed a magnificent century but England held their nerve in a high-scoring thriller to win the third and final T20I by 17 runs and avoid the series sweep, in Nottingham, on Sunday.

Suryakumar's 117 from 55 balls was the lone bright spot in an otherwise disappointing batting performance by the Indians, who finished on 198/9 in reply to England's huge 215/7.

Shreyas Iyer (28 from 23 balls) was the only other India batter to get past the 20-run mark for the Indians, who had already sealed the three-match series 2-0 by winning the first two games.

Pacer Reece Topley bagged 3/22, while David Willey and Chris Jordan picked up two wickets each.

Earlier, Dawid Malan made a sublime 77 off 39 balls as England put India's second string attack to sword to finish with a mammoth 215 for seven.

Opting to bat, skipper Jos Buttler (18 off 9 balls) and Jason Roy (27 off 26) gave England a quickfire start as they raced to 52/1 in six overs. Malan and Liam Livingstone (42 not out off 29) boosted the total in the middle overs courtesy of an entertaining 84-run partnership to lay the platform for a massive total.

Having already sealed the series, India rested their frontline bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah, in-form Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal, besides star all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

India's young pace attack were taken to the cleaners by a power-packed England batting line-up which had disappointed in the first two games. Ravi Bishnoi's effort of 2/30 in four overs was the only silver lining in an otherwise ordinary bowling performance.

Buttler punished the inexperienced Umran Malik during his brief stay, collecting two fours and a six off the Indian's opening over that yielded 17 runs.

Avesh Khan foxed Buttler with a slower ball which he dragged back on to the stumps.

After Roy was caught behind off Malik, Malan changed gears and played some splendid cricketing shots that he is known for.

He comfortably swept the spinners for maximums and was quick on the pull and cut against the pacers.

Out of the five sixes, Malan's slog sweep off Ravindra Jadeja over square leg and pick up shot over midwicket off a low full toss from Avesh stood out.

As he often does, Livingstone dealt in sixes as he hit four of them and alongside Harry Brook (19 off) and Chris Jordan (11 off 3) fired England past 200.

England amassed as many as 129 runs in the last 10 overs. Malik leaked the most runs for India, ending with figures of 1/56 in four overs.

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