England vs India 2018: Moeen Ali's Impact Hands India a 60-Run Defeat in Southampton
Published - 03 Sep 2018, 01:57 PM | Updated - 22 Aug 2024, 11:54 PM
England’s bowling all-rounder, Moeen Ali picked up four wickets in the second innings to help hosts beat India by 60 runs in Southampton. Thus, England had won the five-match series 3-1 with a game to go.
It was an excellent turnaround for Moeen Ali. Initially, he was out from the team but returned to the competitive cricket with massive numbers in the county cricket. Ali lived up to the expectations to respond with a man of the match award in his kitty.
Moeen Ali bagged nine wickets in Southampton –
After England was bundled out for a mere 245 runs in the first innings, India was expected to take a decent lead to sit on the driver’s seat. But, the significant impact of Moeen Ali with the ball brought back the hosts into the game again.
His incredible spell dismantled Indian middle-order lineup thus putting an extra-pressure on Ashwin as well. However, the Indian bowlers gave their thumbs up in the second innings to roll them up again to set a 245-run target.
In reply to the chase, Moeen Ali once again made the difference by picking Virat Kohli at the crucial juncture of the match. His exceptional ability to extract the spin and delivering on those rough patches troubled Indians to the core.
Despite Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane playing well for the most of the time, the wicket of Kohli gave the welcome card for the hosts to run riot. All in all, it was a beautiful piece of performance by Moeen Ali on his comeback.
Third consecutive series to lose in England:
Meanwhile, it was the hat-trick of series losses for India against England. Earlier, in the last couple of tours, India failed miserably. However, the fightback has been the only major difference to the latest series loss.
Now, both the team will move to London to play the last game of the series. With the series already in the bag, England would experiment their playing options. Meanwhile, India would like to fly back to the home with a victory.
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Moeen Ali