India vs England 4th T20I LIVE SCORE: England has steadily improved in their ability to contend with India throughout the series, culminating in their victory in the third T20I, which kept them in the contest. Neither side’s batters have been in peak form, but India will need their players to step up if they hope to maintain their advantage over the visitors.
India vs England 4th T20I LIVE SCORE:
Jos Buttler finally won the toss today after losing it in the previous three matches of the series, and England has opted to bowl first in the fourth T20I happening in Pune. India has reintroduced Rinku Singh and Arshdeep Singh, replacing Dhruv Jurel and Mohammed Shami, and added Shivam Dube to strengthen the middle order in place of Washington Sundar.
This series has revolved around a contest between India’s spinners and England’s fast bowlers, with batters from both teams experiencing periods of inconsistency. India secured a strong victory in the first match and narrowly won the second thanks to Tilak Varma’s effort, but in the third, even Varun Chakravarthy’s five-wicket performance couldn’t save them from defeat. England has shown marked improvement in their ability to win in these conditions as the series has progressed, so India is aware that they face a significant challenge in maintaining their lead for the remainder of the series.
Today’s spotlight will be on some of India’s batters, especially the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Their places in the lineup could be challenged by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill with their return to T20. Samson had earned an extended opportunity in the position with his impressive three centuries in four innings prior to this series. However, against Jofra Archer and his colleagues, he appears to have struggled significantly. Abhishek Sharma had a great performance in the first T20I but did not have much impact in the second and third matches.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for a duck on just the second ball of the first T20I and has failed to capitalize on his opportunities in the subsequent matches. Across his last six innings, he has accumulated merely 52 runs, marking the first time he has gone six innings without scoring a fifty in T20Is. Nonetheless, assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate has suggested that India isn’t overly concerned, as such phases are a normal part of a high-risk batting approach.
“Someone like Surya has set such high benchmarks for himself, and I wouldn’t claim that consistency or predictability should be prioritized in T20 cricket,” Ten Doeschate remarked. “The role we assign to these players is to go out and score at a rapid pace, and given the modern dynamics of international T20 cricket, we allow for a bit of fluctuation and a lean phase like he is experiencing right now.”
England’s strategy of aggressively attacking the Indian bowlers, especially the spinners, nearly succeeded in the Chepauk during the second T20I. The truth is, they likely intended to employ the same tactic in Rajkot for the third T20I, even if it hadn’t proven successful in Chennai. Such is the nature of the Bazball approach. However, they have a tough challenge ahead, as in India, they are up against a team that has triumphed in 15 of the 18 T20Is they have played since their victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup.