Matches (17)
PAK v WI [W] (1)
IPL (2)
County DIV1 (5)
County DIV2 (4)
WT20 WC QLF (Warm-up) (5)

England vs India, Only T20I at Birmingham, , Sep 07 2014 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
Only T20I, Birmingham, September 07, 2014, India tour of England
PrevNext
180/7
(20 ov, T:181) 177/5

England won by 3 runs

Player Of The Match
71 (31)
eoin-morgan
New
IND
Full commentary
end of over 2013 runs
IND: 177/5CRR: 8.85 
MS Dhoni27 (18b 2x4 1x6)
Ambati Rayudu3 (5b)
Chris Woakes 4-0-43-1
Harry Gurney 4-0-29-1

So, deep sigh of relief, that is the end of this India tour and the end of the English international summer (still three weeks of county cricket to come of course, so still with us!) The next time we see India will be in a month's time when they begin a one-day and then Test series against West Indies. England have some time off now before they head to Sri Lanka at the end of Novemeber but the tour then begins a horrendous long stint of almost unbroken cricket. Hope you've enjoyed our coverage this summer, see you soon...



Presentation time. Man of the Match is Eoin Morgan for his superb batting, the best England have seen from him in a long while. "Throughout the whole game the guys held their nerve very well," Morgan says. "We got to a good score and then the bowler's were exceptional. There's little margin for error when Dhoni's at the crease but they were great. The short ball suited conditions. We felt the full ball was easy hit. The wicket played pretty well, to get up to 180 was really good. I've gone through some tough times with the bat and come through them before but it was nice to get a get a few today."



Losing captain MS Dhoni: "In the last over, I missed at least two I could have hit over the boundary, it was a difficult task and one of those days when it didn't go our way. I thought I'm middling it I have a good chance but it didn't pay off. Overall I thought the chase was good but we probably gave away too many runs in the latter overs but we bowled well in the middle. Shami is someone who does bowl yorkers but isn't consistent. But 180 was a score we should have got. There were quite a few excellent catches taken and that was the reason we kept them to 180. Overall it's a good tour for us, we came back strongly in the ODIs."



India we all know are going to be handy at the World Cup, but was there a sign here of their weakness against the short ball once again? England found joy hitting the wicket, it proved the downfall of Kohli too. Also, India have been knocked off the No. 1 ranking in T20 with Sri Lanka the new top dogs in the shortest format.



What to take from this game in terms of the 50-over World Cup next year? Well England can feel pleased with their death bowling - Woakes didn't panic after getting hit for the six from the first ball of that last over. Morgan in form will be essential to their campaign in Australasia so today was a very good sign for them.



Harry Gurney, Steven Finn and Chris Woakes were excellent with the ball and got the job done for England when it looked like the game was slipping away from them after Virat Kohli had put India right on course. But England's bowlers ensured the superb batting from Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara did not go to waste.



Jake: "England scored 81 in their last 5 overs. India didn't manage to score even 46."



What a superb game, some slap dash to finish the season but England have held their nerve and win by three runs sending the majority of this crowd home unhappy! Which is quite bizarre to say in the UK but hey, it's the 21st century.

19.6
1
Woakes to Dhoni, 1 run

goes short, Dhoni aims hard leg side and doesn't get it at all! Runs to Moeen at deep square again and they jog just the single

So Dhoni backs himself, four for a super over, six for the victory. Three England players meet around the bowler...

19.5
Woakes to Dhoni, no run

huge swing aiming leg side, it runs out to deep square but Dhoni says no to the single yet again!

Dhoni is the master finisher, 5 from 2 now...

19.4
4
Woakes to Dhoni, FOUR runs

slower again, back and slugged...just over mid-off's head! It skips away from the fielder and into the boundary, surely a big miscue but enough club to get it over Morgan's head

9 from 3 now...

19.3
Woakes to Dhoni, no run

slower ball, short of a length again, pulled to midwicket, no connection at all, right off the toe, Dhoni refuses the single!

19.2
2
Woakes to Dhoni, 2 runs

slower ball, pulled out into the leg side, Moeen is fielding at deep square, no second available but Dhoni coming back regardless, the throw is wide and the relay throw to the bowler's end is not in time!

What does Woakes do, go back to the short stuff that worked before? Or keep trying the yorker?

First one Dhoni has nailed, pressure on Woakes now...

19.1
6
Woakes to Dhoni, SIX runs

full on the stumps, Dhoni back in his crease and lumps this over midwicket into the crowd! Huge strike, sails back

Chris Woakes has 16 to defend. Can MS Dhoni finish the tour in style? Great game to end the season...

end of over 199 runs
IND: 164/5CRR: 8.63 RRR: 17.00
Ambati Rayudu3 (5b)
MS Dhoni14 (12b 1x4)
Harry Gurney 4-0-29-1
Steven Finn 4-0-28-1
18.6
Gurney to Rayudu, no run

full outside off, only finds point, big two dots!

18.5
Gurney to Rayudu, no run

full, it slips very narrowly down leg side, well by a coat of pain really, the batsman went a long way across his stumps trying to swing leg side, fair enough call, in a normal stance that would have hit the pads

18.4
1
Gurney to Dhoni, 1 run

another low full toss but this is patted only to deep extra cover for a single, Gurney gets away with one, Dhoni off strike crucially

18.3
4
Gurney to Dhoni, FOUR runs

goes for the yorker, misses it by a few inches and Dhoni whacks it to the midwicket fence, almost carried it for six

Exciting stuff this...

18.2
1lb
Gurney to Rayudu, 1 leg bye

full, angled in, tried to be swung to leg, runs off the pad, narrowly avoids off stump, they take a leg bye as Buttler charges to his right

18.2
1w
Gurney to Rayudu, 1 wide

full and miles wide of off stump, got that wrong, missed the cut strip almost

18.1
2
Gurney to Rayudu, 2 runs

cutter, 75 mph, swung from outside off, gets a thick inside edge past a diving Buttler and they get a couple as long leg chases to his right

end of over 189 runs • 1 wicket
IND: 155/5CRR: 8.61 RRR: 13.00
Ambati Rayudu1 (1b)
MS Dhoni9 (10b)
Steven Finn 4-0-28-1
Harry Gurney 3-0-21-1

Decent enough again for England, nice spell from Finn...

17.6
1
Finn to Rayudu, 1 run

back of a length, tried to be swung leg side but it comes off the toe I think and runs just wide of Finn's left hand for a single

17.5
1lb
Finn to Dhoni, 1 leg bye

another short ball and Dhoni is hit again trying to pull, it deflects into the covers for a single

17.4
1W
Finn to Jadeja, 1 run, OUT

clears the front leg and tries to clear the leg side, nothing like a proper connection, it rolls out to deep square and oh dear, Jadeja wants a second that isn't there in a month of Sunday's, sent back from Dhoni, the throw comes into the bowler's end and Jadeja is easily run out. Never a second available, Dhoni with the correct call and Jadeja throws his wicket away, bonus for England

Ravindra Jadeja run out (Bopara/Finn) 7 (4b 1x4 0x6 8m) SR: 175
17.3
1
Finn to Dhoni, 1 run

short ball, Dhoni throws everything at the hook and missed, hits him on the shoulder and runs wide of point for, well a run in the end, no glove on that

17.2
1
Finn to Jadeja, 1 run

length on off stump, nice and tight this, just defended and Dhoni calls a sharp single

17.1
4
Finn to Jadeja, FOUR runs

full and just wide of off stump so Jadeja can flay his arms at it, squirts it just out of reach of short third man diving backwards and there's the boundary India need

Finn now...

end of over 175 runs • 1 wicket
IND: 146/4CRR: 8.58 RRR: 11.66
Ravindra Jadeja1 (1b)
MS Dhoni8 (8b)
Harry Gurney 3-0-21-1
James Tredwell 4-0-28-0

Superb over from Gurney, no boundaries for three overs now, England have given themselves a chance to win this...

16.6
1
Gurney to Jadeja, 1 run

nice and full again, not quite the yorker, punched down to long-on

AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
India Innings
<1 / 3>