The two top-ranked teams in the world proved their pedigree by delivering a quartet of close matches. The ongoing series currently stands tied at 2-2, with only the decider left. Both teams will keep in mind the upcoming T20 World Cup while playing the final match at the Narendra Modi Stadium with the extra incentive of winning a trophy against a very strong opposition.
India have handed over debuts to two top-order batsmen – Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. Both scored fifties in their first opportunities with the willow, providing the team management more options to explore before the upcoming T20 World Cup. The lack of form for most of the other top-order batsmen, however, remains a concern albeit. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul failed again in the fourth T20I, as did the in-form Virat Kohli. Suryakumar, Rishabh Pant (30 in 23), and Shreyas Iyer (37 in 18) took India to a competitive score. Jofra Archer picked up 4-33 on a night where a couple of close catches in the outfield went in favour of England.
England did not have an ideal start as Jos Buttler was dismissed for just nine. Dawid Malan failed to pick up pace yet again, while Jason Roy again failed to capitalise on a good start. For e short while, when Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow added 65 runs in six overs, it looked like England might run away with the game, but the dismissal of both men in the space of eight balls took out the wind from England’s chase.
Archer hit a four and six in the last over, but it was not enough for the visitors who lost the match by eight runs. For India, Hardik Pandya was phenomenal as he finished with two wickets for just 16 runs in four overs. Shardul Thakur proved his value with his variations and slower balls. And Rahul Chahar, playing in place of Yuzvendra Chahal, picked up two wickets.
On Saturday, the Indian team management may want to bring in Kishan for Rahul, which will mean another opening combination, their fourth in the series. However, given Kohli’s faith in Rahul, India may not want to change the batting line-up.
With Hardik bowling on a regular basis, the team management has started including five specialist batsmen. In the bowling department, they are likely to go with an unchanged combination. The only change may be Chahal, for his experience.
England did not make as many changes as the hosts over the course of the series. With the series on the line, they are expected not to experiment much. They will depend on Buttler and Roy to provide an explosive start, while Stokes and Morgan will have to control the middle overs.
Archer and Mark Wood have been devastating at times, even deciding the course of an entire match. In case they want to go with two spinners, they can bring Moeen Ali in place of Sam Curran to accompany Adil Rashid.
Key Players:
Virat Kohli (India): Kohli had started with a duck and scored just one in the last match. In between, he proved his class with two sublime performances. Which Kohli will be present in the last match? The answer may determine the outcome of the series.
Jofra Archer (England): Like Kohli, Archer, too, has had two top performances and two mediocre outings. He picked up four wickets in the last match, his best bowling figure in T20I cricket, and created serious problems for the Indian openers. The Kohli-Archer battle can be the deciding factor.
Probable playing XIs
India: KL Rahul (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rahul Chahar.
England: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (wk), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali/ Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.