Skipper Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni during training. (Image: PTI)
Bristol: With the series level at 1-1 going into the third and final T20I in Bristol, both England and India will be hoping to stamp their authority as the better T20I side when they lock horns in the series finale at the County Ground on Sunday.
The visitors were clinical in the first game – with Kuldeep Yadav’s wrist-spin and KL Rahul’s bat overpowering England by eight wickets in Manchester. But the hosts fought back in style in the second T20I — restricting the Indian batsmen and chasing down the 149-run target with five wickets to spare.
Momentum will be on England’s side come Sunday, having gained immense confidence from the manner in which they tackled the wrist-spinners, especially opening T20I Man of the Match Yadav at Cardiff.
However, the visitors have impressive numbers when the final game of a series turns out to be a decider. India have never lost a T20I decider in a bilateral series consisting of at least 3 games. They boast of an incredible 5-0 record in such do-or-die games — the latest one being a narrow seven-run victory over South Africa in Cape Town in February.
India’s average score while batting in such games is a high 162. Their highest score in deciders is 202/6 — scored against England in Bengaluru in 2017. Their lowest score is 138/6 — against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2016.
On the other hand, India have conceded on an average just 138 in these deciders. Their opponents' highest score in a series finale is 165/6 — scored by the Proteas in Cape Town earlier this year.
Sri Lanka have finished with the lowest score, getting bowled out for just 82 with Ravichandran Ashwin running through the top order in Vishakhapatnam back in 2016.
It is still early days in the two-month long tour, but the early bragging rights are on offer and a victory will stand them in good stead going into the rest of the series.
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