Written by: Dip Rajbahak - 2022008, Grade X
Posted on: 23 March, 2021
After the one-sided test series between England and India, this was the follow-up series. England and India both won one match each, with both teams chasing the score. Chasing was going to be a big factor in the third match too. Any side that could have won the toss would have surely bowled, considering the dew factor affecting the match. Dew factor has been defined as “The dew factor in cricket is the phenomenon caused due to the excessive moisture present on the cricket field which makes the ball moist and difficult to grip and control”. Because of this reason, the defending team faces difficulty when defending. Scoring runs is way easier for the chasing team. Unfortunately for India, England won the toss and decided to bowl first. This put India in a rough spot and had to walk down the horror path of defending a score which they had not succeeded in the past series played in India, and overseas.
The Indian team did not start well. The Indian team managed to score a measly 30 runs in the powerplay with the loss of three wickets, in the form of Rohit Sharma, Kl Rahul, and Ishan Kishan. Again, the pressure was up to the captain of the team, Virat Kohli. Virat had to once again rescue the team and take them out of a deep hole. Indian captain Virat and Rishab started to build the partnership but it didn’t last long as Rishab Pant returned to the pavilion scoring 25 runs. Neither could Shreyas Iyer build a partnership to help India. Till 14th over the score was 87/5 but Virat started to hit the boundaries. He started to hit raining sixes and fours and he was batting brutally. And he brought his 27th half-century, with a flick down to the mid-wicket. After WT0 2016 Virat scored consecutive fifties in a T20 series. After that Hardik and Virat formed a formidable partnership that took India to a respectable total of 156 with the loss of 6 wickets, which concluded the first innings. It was pretty much England's game to lose. The dew factor was in the favor of the Englishmen. England did not get off to a flying start because Jason Roy got out cheaply, but with the batting lineup of that, it was a walk in the park for England. Butler counter-attacked and raised his fifty pretty fast, after the wicket of Roy. Malan and Butler were able to form a partnership but it was broken down by Washington Sundar. The score at this point was 81/2 requiring 76 runs to win, with a lot of balls to spare for the English side. Butler went on smashing the Indian bowlers with a little help from Johnny Bairstow.
