Intro
India collapse spectacularly as England dominate to tighten grip on five-match T20I series.
Nottingham
India endured one of their most humiliating batting collapses in T20 Internationals, crashing to a record 125-run defeat against England in the third T20I at Trent Bridge as the hosts surged to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Chasing a challenging 202, India were bundled out for just 76 in 11.4 overs after England’s pace duo of Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue ripped through the top order with hostile spells. Tongue returned outstanding figures of 4/28, while Archer claimed 3/29, leaving India’s batting in tatters inside the Powerplay.
The contest was effectively over when India slumped to 52/5 in five overs, with poor shot selection, reckless strokeplay and questionable tactics contributing to the visitors’ downfall. It became India’s heaviest defeat in T20Is in terms of runs.
Captain Shreyas Iyer’s lean run continued as his side suffered a fifth consecutive winless outing under head coach Gautam Gambhir. The decision to promote Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube during the chase also raised eyebrows.
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi briefly entertained with two towering sixes, including one each off Archer and Tongue, before falling for 13 to a sharp bouncer. Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Iyer and Axar Patel all perished cheaply as England’s fast bowlers exploited the conditions brilliantly.
Earlier, opener Phil Salt struck a composed 70 off 44 balls to anchor England to 201/7 despite an impressive opening spell from Arshdeep Singh. Jos Buttler contributed a brisk 36, while Sam Curran provided the late fireworks with an unbeaten 41 off 24 deliveries, helping England collect 89 runs in the final eight overs.
India’s pacers Harshit Rana (2/40), Prince Yadav (2/30) and Arshdeep had moments of success, but the spinners struggled to contain England’s aggressive middle order, with Axar Patel conceding 49 runs and Varun Chakravarthy going wicketless.
With the opening match washed out by rain, England’s emphatic victory gives them an unbeatable 2-0 lead, while India face the daunting task of restoring pride in the remaining two matches.
