Indian team head coach Rahul Dravid marked India’s bowling, and a game-changing Rishabh Pant-Hardik Pandya stand as key highlights of the team’s five-wicket victory at Old Trafford on July 17.
After going down in the Edgbaston Test by seven wickets, which left the Test series levelled at 2-2, India owned the white-ball leg against a formidable England to take both – the T20I and ODI series – by 2-1 margin each.
India’s consistency with the ball ensured that England didn’t cross the 300-run mark in any opf the games – the first such instance in bilateral series at home since the start of the 2015 home summer.
After having skittled out the hosts for 110 and 246 in the first two ODIs, the latter coming in a 100-run defeat, India managed to bundle the hosts out for 259 with 4.1 overs unused on a seemingly good batting wicket in the series decider.
Mohammed Siraj, replacing an unfit Jasprit Bumrah, started off by dismissing Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root for ducks in his very first over, before Hardik Pandya took over with a highly impressive spell, returning 7-3-24-4, featuring major scalps of Jason Roy (41), Ben Stokes (27), Jos Buttler (60) and Liam Livingstone (27).
Yuzvendra Chahal too, played his part with 3/60, cleaning up the lower-order with his smart variations. Dravid couldn’t be more impressed.
“We were fantastic with the ball. It was exceptional the way we bowled. That was a really good wicket, and to be able to restrict a team like England to 260 [259], we did fantastically well. We picked up a few wickets upfront, then they built a partnership, but I thought our tactics and strategy were absolutely brilliant,”
he told the BCCI website.
Hardik benefitted from the short-ball ploy, which was well executed throughout his spell. His set-up to Livingstone made for a fascinating contest, as it was in the second ODI at Lord’s. Livingstone struck Pandya for two sixes after having missed a couple earlier, one of which had hit him on the helmet.
The bowler had the last laugh, with the right-hander mistiming a pull straight to Ravindra Jadeja at deep square leg. Buttler fell into a similar trap soon after.
Dravid lauded skipper Rohit Sharma and his bowlers for the smart planning and execution.
“At the back end, to bowl the short ball with fielders in place, really credit to the team and captain for working on some really good strategies. It really came out really well.”
The run-chase, though, didn’t have the best of starts. Reece Topley decimated India’s top-order much like he’d done so during a career-best 6-24 at Lord’s. Topley accounted for Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit and Virat Kohli within his first five overs as India slumped to 38/3 by the ninth.
Suryakumar Yadav edged one behind off Craig Overton, and India stood at 72/4 in the 17th over, still 188 adrift. Hardik then joined Rishabh Pant for a steady 133-run stand while playing the aggressor with a 55-ball 77 with 10 fours before falling to Brydon Carse.
Pant would go on to register his maiden Test hundred and celebrate the milestone with five consecutive fours off David Willey before a reverse-swept four of Root sealed the deal with 7.5 overs remaining.
“The way Hardik and Rishabh responded was superb. It was really good to see that under pressure with the series on the line. To put in a partnership like that and bat like the way Rishabh and Hardik did was really heartening for us.”
India’s next assignment is the white-ball tour of the West Indies, featuring three ODIs and five T20Is between July 22 and August 7.
