Top 3 T20I bowling performances by Team India against England
With the Test series in the bag and their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final assured, Team India now move on to their next assignment. They face England in a five-match T20I series, starting March 12 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
While Team India will continue to be led by Virat Kohli, England will have Eoin Morgan taking over the leadership duties after Joe Root led the team in the four Tests.
The upcoming series will be hugely significant, as the T20 World Cup is due to be held in India later this year.
As per England’s dashing wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler, Team India will be the favorites to win the T20 World Cup at home. At the same time, he added that the five-match T20I series would give England an edge over other teams in preparation for the mega event.
Three impressive bowling displays by Team India against England
In the 14 T20I encounters between India and England, there have been some striking bowling performances by Team India players. On that note, let's take a look at three of them.
#3 Harbhajan Singh (4 for 12 in Colombo, 2012)
This was the veteran off-spinner's swansong, if one may call it so, at the international level. Harbhajan Singh played only a handful of matches after 2012 and was well past his prime.
Against England, in the 2012 T20 World Cup group-stage encounter in Colombo, though, he was at his deadly best. England were set an achievable target of 171. But Harbhajan spun Team India to victory with exceptional figures of 4 for 12, two of his four overs being maidens.
A fired-up Harbhajan Singh began by cleaning up Morgan with a quick arm-ball. Jos Buttler, then relatively new to international cricket, was clueless against the guile of the Turbanator and was also clean bowled.
Tim Bresnan top-edged a sweep, while Graeme Swann walked past a doosra to be stumped. England were 60 for 8 and soon crumbled to 80 all out as Team India clinched victory by a mammoth 90 runs.
Earlier, Team India’s total of 170 for 4 was built around Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 55 off 33 balls, while Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli contributed crucial 40s.
#2 Kuldeep Yadav (5 for 24 in Manchester, 2018)
The left-arm spinner has been dropped for the upcoming T20I series against England at home. But back in 2018, he bamboozled England away from home.
In the first T20I of the three-match series, Kuldeep Yadav shone brightly with excellent figures of 5 for 24. Batting first, the hosts had got off to a sensational start. They were in command at 95 for 1 in the 12th over when Yadav cleaned up Alex Hales for eight.
It was just the opening Team India needed. The left-arm spinner then foxed Morgan, having him caught at deep midwicket with one that spun away slightly.
Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root proved to be sitting ducks. Both were sent back for first-ball ducks, dragged out of the crease and stumped, as they were clueless about the ball.
Yadav completed his five-for by dismissing the well-set Buttler for 69. The batsman was beaten in flight by a googly and holed out to long-on.
From 95 for 1, England crumbled to 159 for 8 owing to the left-arm wrist-spinner's brilliance. Team India would hope Yadav can discover his mojo soon.
Coming back to the match, Team India throttled England by eight wickets as KL Rahul hammered an unbeaten 101 off 54 balls, scoring ten fours and five sixes.
#1 Yuzvendra Chahal (6 for 25 in Bengaluru, 2017)
If Yadav ran through England in England in 2018, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal did the same to the opponents at home a year earlier in Bengaluru.
In the 3rd T20I of the three-match series, Chahal registered sensational figures of 6 for 25 as Team India claimed the series 2-1 with an emphatic 75-run triumph.
Courtesy Suresh Raina’s 63, MS Dhoni 56 and Yuvraj Singh’s 10-ball 27, Team India posted an imposing 202 for 6, batting first.
Chahal then did the rest with the ball. Sharing the new ball, he sent back Sam Billings for a first-ball duck. It was a lucky dismissal, as the batsman inside edged one onto the pads, and the ball lobbed towards slip.
England were mounting a fightback courtesy Morgan (40) and Root (42). However, the leg-spinner dismissed both off consecutive deliveries to put the visitors on the back foot again.
Morgan top-edged a slog sweep to give Rishabh Pant his first international catch. Root was then trapped lbw with one that hurried onto him.
Buttler fell for a duck, top-edging a quicker one, while Moeen Ali went down the track and holed out. Chahal completed his five-for by having Stokes caught on the ropes. He made it six by getting Chris Jordan stumped for a duck.
From 119 for 2, England collapsed to 127 all out, as Chahal had England literally in a spin.