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THE TIMES OF INDIA | Jan 31, 2025, 16:29:09 IST
India vs England 4th T20I Live Score: With Mohammed Shami and Rinku Singh available, getting the combination right will be on the mind of the Indian team management as the side gears up to face a resurgent England in the fourth T20I in Pune.
India still lead the series 2-1 after missing an opportunity to secure the series in Rajkot where they failed to chase 172 runs, considered a below-par target.
Arshdeep Singh was rested to accommodate Shami in the previous match. The team maintained their four-spinner strategy with Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, and Ravi Bishnoi. Unlike the October Test against New Zealand, the current pitch isn't specifically prepared to favor spinners.
Rinku, who missed two matches due to back spasms, has returned to practice with the Indian team. England opted to skip their training session.
The contest between India's spinners and England's Adil Rashid promises to be an interesting aspect of the match.
Bishnoi's performance has been concerning, conceding 95 runs in 12 overs with just one wicket. The England batters scored heavily against him in the previous match. While the pitch may offer some assistance to bowlers, England's pace attack led by Jofra Archer remains threatening.
England successfully restricted India's boundary scoring for 43 balls during the middle overs in the last match.
Hardik Pandya's batting strike rate, particularly when he bats before the tenth over, has become a topic of discussion despite his valuable all-round abilities.
T20 cricket demands careful resource management from captains. The previous match saw Dhruv Jurel batting late in the order, while Axar Patel was underutilized and Washington Sundar's single over proved expensive.
England's victory marked only India's third defeat in their last 31 matches. Their aggressive approach could help them force a decider in Mumbai, though it might also prove risky.
The retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from T20 internationals has created opportunities for Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma in the top order. Their success may depend on surviving the early overs and maintaining disciplined batting during the powerplay.
IND vs ENG Live Score, 4th T20I: Rinku in spotlight
Due to Rinku Singh's back spasms, the team management tested Dhruv Jurel at the number seven position but he struggled to adapt to the format, despite his success in Test cricket.
Although Rinku was given rest during the initial two matches, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed his fitness for Friday's game during the pre-match press conference.
Rinku, despite an impressive start in T20 internationals, has experienced a decline in performance lately.
After Gautam Gambhir took the role of Kolkata Knight Riders mentor, Rinku received limited playing time, facing only about 70 balls in IPL 2024. This affected his chances for T20 World Cup selection, with Shivam Dube being preferred for his additional bowling skills in the Americas.
The Indian middle order has faced difficulties against England's Adil Rashid. With Dube returning to the team, his selection remains uncertain, particularly considering the pace of England's fast bowlers.
Ramandeep Singh presents another option as a finisher, offering better seam bowling compared to Dube. However, he remains untested against high-quality pace bowling.
India vs England Live Score: Team India all set!
IND vs ENG Live Score, 4th T20I: Numbers Game
India vs England Live Score: Samson's search for answers
In the 3 T20Is against England, Samson has had difficulty getting his bat down in time, with deliveries often reaching the wicketkeeper Phil Salt's gloves.
The combination of hard lengths and steep bounce has proven challenging, even on batting-friendly surfaces.
Despite the technical issues, Samson remains a favorite of head coach Gautam Gambhir.
He is likely to continue being part of India's plans leading up to next year's T20 World Cup.
The team management, including Gambhir, new batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, and Samson himself, will need to address these technical challenges promptly to improve his performance against fast bowling.
India vs England Live Score: Pace test for Samson
In his previous series, Samson faced bowlers like Taskin Ahmed and Tanzim Hasan Shakib from Bangladesh, along with Andile Simelane and Lutho Sipamla from South Africa.
They bowlers typically operated between 130-140 kilometers per hour, allowing Samson to play his shots effectively on favorable pitches.
However, England's Jofra Archer and Mark Wood present a different challenge, consistently bowling between 145-155 kilometers per hour.
Samson has struggled to handle their pace and bounce effectively.
IND vs ENG Live Score, 4th T20I: Samson troubles against English quicks
Samson, the Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman, began the T20I season impressively with three centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa. His dedicated fan base often highlights his limited opportunities at the international level.
In the current series against England, Samson has scored 26, 5, and 3.
While the numbers alone aren't concerning given the risky nature of T20 cricket, his performance against high-speed bowling has raised questions.
His discomfort against bowling speeds exceeding 145 kph has become apparent during the series.
This stands in contrast to his success against medium-pace bowlers from Bangladesh and South Africa.
India vs England Live Score: Samson, Rinku in focus
Sanju Samson's struggles against fast bowling and Rinku Singh's recent form and fitness issues will be on Team India's mind as they gear up to face England in the fourth T20 International at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.
After missing opportunities in the third T20I in Rajkot, India have another chance to secure the series before the final game in Mumbai on February 2.
The home team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, currently leads the series after winning the first two matches in Kolkata and Chennai.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the fourth T20I between India and England in Pune.
Leading 2-1 in the 5-match series, Suryakumar Yadav’s India take on Jos Buttler’s England in the fourth match at Gahunje Stadium as the hosts look to seal series.
India had an opportunity to take unassailable series lead in Rajkot but faltered in 172 chase.
Shami’s inclusion in the previous match forced the team to rest left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, as India opted for a spin-heavy attack featuring Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, and Ravi Bishnoi.
However, unlike the spin-friendly surface used for the October Test against New Zealand, the pitch for this game is expected to be more balanced. This could prompt India to bring back Arshdeep and Rinku, possibly at the expense of Sundar or Bishnoi and wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel.
Rinku, who missed the last two games due to lower back spasms, was fit and available for selection during India’s practice session on Thursday. England, meanwhile, chose to skip training.
A fascinating battle looms between India’s spin attack and England’s premier leg-spinner Adil Rashid.
Bishnoi, who has struggled in the series—conceding 95 runs in 12 overs for just one wicket—was particularly expensive in the last game, leaking two fours and five sixes. Given England’s aggressive approach, India will need a well-thought-out bowling strategy.
The surface is expected to offer some assistance to the bowlers, but Indian batters cannot afford to take England’s pace attack, led by Jofra Archer, lightly.
In the previous game, England successfully restricted India for 43 consecutive deliveries in the middle overs, a key factor in their victory. Coach Gautam Gambhir will likely address this issue as India look to avoid another batting collapse.
Hardik Pandya remains a crucial asset due to his all-round abilities, but questions linger over his strike rate when batting before the 10th over.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will also have to ensure better utilization of resources—Jurel was sent in too late in the last match, while Axar Patel was under-bowled, and Washington Sundar’s lone over proved costly.
England’s victory in Rajkot marked only India’s third defeat.
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