Pune: India completed a ‘clean sweep’ over England by winning the Test, T20 International and ODI series.
Having triumphed 3-1 in Tests and 3-2 in T20Is, the three-match ODI series was up for grabs on Sunday. The home team looked to be in complete control at different stages of the final ODI, but faltered several times before finally scraping through by 7 runs to bag the series 2-1.
Chasing a gettable target of 330 on a flat batting track, England capitalised on a number of dropped chances and recovered brilliantly only to fall short by a whisker. All-rounder Sam Curran, batting at No. 8, gave India the jitters with an unbeaten 95 off 83 balls.
England looked down and out at 95/4, and then 200/7, but left-handed Curran never lost belief. He could have won the match and series for England if only one of the specialist batsmen had stayed at the wicket a little longer.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was again India’s best bowler, bagging 3/42 in 10 overs, while prolific wicket-taker Shardul Thakur captured 4/67.
India, asked to bat first again after Virat Kohli lost another toss, were bowled out for 329 with 10 balls to spare. Three batsmen hit half-centuries — Rishabh Pant (78 off 62 balls), Shikhar Dhawan (67 off 56) and Hardik Pandya (64 off 44) – only to get out with three figures beckoning.
India should have got at least 40 runs more as they were 256/4 at one stage with Pant and Hardik going great guns. But their dismissals before the 40th over slowed India down, and they lost the last 4 wickets for just 8 runs.
