Bristol, July 10 : India skipper Shreyas Iyer delivered a captain’s knock under pressure, smashing an unbeaten 80 off 49 balls to help India post 158 for seven in the fourth and penultimate T20I against England on Thursday.
Batting on a challenging bouncy pitch, Iyer held the innings together as wickets fell at regular intervals. His unbeaten knock included five sixes and four boundaries, providing India with a competitive total in the must-win encounter.
Iyer shared a crucial 53-run partnership with Shivam Dube, who scored 22 off 23 balls, as India recovered after a shaky start. The skipper accelerated in the 18th over, taking Adil Rashid for two sixes and a four in a 20-run over.
England’s bowlers, however, maintained control in the death overs, with Sam Curran conceding just four runs in the penultimate over. Jofra Archer finished with figures of 2/20, including two wickets in the final over, while Josh Tongue claimed 2/36.
India’s top order struggled once again against England’s pace attack, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (15), Ishan Kishan (4), and Abhishek Sharma (16) dismissed early to leave India under pressure.
Despite the setbacks, Iyer’s composed innings ensured India reached 158/7 in 20 overs. India currently trail the five-match T20I series 0-2, with the opening game having been washed out.
