Summary

  • Third T20, Rajkot

  • England win by 26 runs to reduce series deficit to 2-1

  • Tourists slip from 83-1 to 127-8 before last two wickets add 44

  • England 171-9: Duckett 51 (28), Livingstone 43 (24); Chakravarthy 5-24

  • In reply, hosts can only reach 145-9: Pandya 40 (35); Overton 3-24

  • Fourth T20 in Pune on Friday (13:30 GMT)

Live Reporting

by Matthew Henry & Mike Peter

  1. India review

    A touch of glove?

    India keeper Sanju Samson certainly thinks it's touched Jos Buttler's hand as he attempts a reverse sweep off the final ball of the over.

    He's convinced the captain, they'll take a look...

  2. Eng 83-1

    A change of ends for Varun Chakravarthy as India continue to rotate.

    Duckett cracks him down the ground for four, the chops a two over point.

    A further single takes him to 49 from 25 balls.

  3. Eng 74-1

    Four different spinners in four overs as Axar Patel arrives.

    England take singles off his first four deliveries, before the ball squeezes past Buttler and keeper Sanju Samson for four byes.

    A touch of a smile and a wag of the finger from Axar.

  4. 6 runs

    Eng 65-1

    It's been Ben Duckett's show so far, but Jos Buttler gets going in Ravi Bishnoi's first over, striking his first boundaries of the match.

    He brings up the fifty partnership off 31 deliveries by reverse sweeping for four past point, then smacks the spinner's penultimate delivery high into the Rajkot sky and over the ropes at long-on.

    A single to mid-wicket closes the over - 13 from it.

  5. How's stat?!

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    Cricviz analyst

    Ben DuckettGetty Images

    Ben Duckett's challenge against Varun Chakravarthy will be the key match-up of the game today.

    His record against leg-spinners in recent times isn't as good as his exploits against finger spinners.

    Duckett in T20s in the last two years v off-spin:

    Average - 52. Strike Rate - 149

    v Left-arm Orthodox:

    Average - 68, Strike Rate - 175

    v Leg-spin:

    Average - 14, Strike Rate - 105

  6. Eng 52-1

    Spin at both ends now as leggie Varun Chakravarthy comes into the attack.

    Buttler brings up England's 50 from 31 balls, knocking the ball into the leg side.

    It's a quiet end to the powerplay though, as England take just three singles from the over.

  7. Not out

    Eng 49-1

    Poor review.

    Ball tracking shows impact outside the line as the opener attempted a reverse - India lose their review.

    Duckett survives - he's on 38 from 14.

  8. Umpire review

    Six and dismissed?

    Duckett comes down the pitch to lift Sundar's penultimate delivery over the ropes at long-off, but the India spinner thinks he has the England opener lbw from the following ball.

    Nothing from the umpire, but after some deliberation India are going to send it upstairs...

  9. Eng 42-1

    And back-to-back fours again.

    India bring on spinner Washington Sundar and Duckett uses his feet well, dropping back to cleave the ball through the covers.

    He flips his hands to reverse sweep to the ropes.

  10. Eng 34-1

    A trio of boundaries for Ben Duckett!

    After a quiet start to the over, he drops back in his crease and smartly swats Hardik's fourth delivery to the square boundary.

    He follows-up with a tennis forehand style shot over the covers, before lofting a fuller ball past mid-on.

  11. How's stat?!

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    Cricviz analyst

    Jos Buttler would fancy taking on Hardik Pandya if he comes back for another over next.

    Across his T20 career, Buttler has scored 152 runs at 173 strike rate against Pandya - the most runs he's scored against a bowler in his T20 career.

  12. 6 runs

    Eng 21-1

    First six of the match!

    Duckett walks across his stumps to scoop Shami's final delivery just over the ropes.

    Tasty shot.

  13. Eng 14-1

    Shami's first ball beats the bat of England's captain, but Buttler lofts him down the ground two balls later.

    The ball drops just short of the ropes and is retrieved, with the skipper running two.

  14. Eng 12-1

    Four, just about, for Ben Duckett.

    He turns Hardik round the corner, Washington Sundar gives chase and just about gets a hand on the ball, only to see it trundle onto the boundary sponge further down the rope.

  15. wicket

    WICKET

    Salt c Abhishek b Hardik 5 (Eng 7-1)

    Smeared straight to cover!

    Salt goes in the second over on this occasion as his sorry series continues.

    He smashes a drive straight to Abhishek Sharma, who takes the catch fingers up with one step to his right.

    In comes skipper Jos Buttler.

  16. Eng 7-0

    Hardik Pandya with the ball in hand at the other end.

    His second delivery is a sharp bouncer, forcing Salt to weave out of the way as the ball comes through at head height.

  17. Eng 6-0

    Salt gets four from his second delivery, clubbing the ball into the pitch and seeing it run away behind the bowler.

    It wasn't a clean hit, but it looks to be a fast outfield in Rajkot.

    He takes a single square from Shami's penultimate delivery, meaning he'll survive the first over for the first time in this series.

  18. Eng 0-0

    A big waft at the first delivery from Salt, through to the keeper.

    The slip comes out after one ball.

  19. The team are out in the middle.

    Phil Salt is crouched, eyeing down the wicket.

    He's been out to Arshdeep in the first over in the last two matches, but he's not here today.

    Can he fare better against Mohammed Shami?

  20. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC 5 Live Cricket Show

    If England want to be honest with themselves. It is in the Test arena as well, they do have an issue against the spinning ball. It will only get more difficult because the next T20 World Cup is in India and Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Everyone will be bowling spin against England.