India vs England 2018 - Combined Eleven of the T20I Series

India won the three-match T20I series against England 2-1 by thrashing the hosts in the third and final game in Bristol on Sunday. It was a dominant performance from the Men in Blue, as they bounced back in style after suffering a defeat in the second T20I in Cardiff.

Asked to bat first, England posted a challenging 198 for eight in the allotted 20 overs. Openers Jason Roy and Jos Buttler gave the hosts a blazing start by adding 94 runs in just 7.5 overs.

Both the openers departed cheaply, but it did not slow England down. After 11 overs, they were 118 for two and were looking well set to post well in excess of 200. However, Hardik Pandya dismissed Eoin Morgan, Alex Hales, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow to stall England’s charge.

In reply, India chased down the total with eight balls remaining. Rohit Sharma starred with the bat, scoring an unbeaten ton. Virat Kohli (43) and Hardik Pandya (33 off 14) also made useful contributions.

With the series now done and dusted, we take a look at the combined eleven from the series:

1. Rohit Sharma:

The man of the match in the final game as well as the man of the series, Rohit Sharma left a significant mark on the series with his scintillating display in the decider.

He started the series well and made a crucial 32 runs in the first T20I. A poor outing followed it before he starred in the third game. The right-hander finished T20I’s as the top run-scorer.

2. Jos Buttler:

Buttler was one of the handfuls of English players who did well in the series.

The hard-hitting batsman began the series with a fighting 69. He looked in good touch during the third game too where he scored 34 with the help of seven fours.

The wicketkeeper-batsman finished the series, as England’s top run-scorer.

3. Jason Roy:

After wasting two good starts, Roy finally capitalised on a good start in the third game, as he slammed 67. The knock came off just 31 balls and contained an England record seven sixes. He was England’s second leading run-scorer in the series.

4. KL Rahul:

The right-hander announced himself in England with a spectacular century in the first T20I. He scored 101 to give India the lead.

He, however, failed to continue the same form in the following two games. After scoring just six in the second T20I, he was looking in good form in the third T20I.

However, a stunning catch from Chris Jordan cut his innings short. KL Rahul finished the series, as India’s second leading run-scorer.

5. Virat Kohli (C):

The series did not see any Virat Kohli special, but the India skipper made sure to make his presence felt with some useful contributions.

Scored 20 not out in the opener to help India win the game without much fuss. In the following game, he played a fighting knock of 47 to help India post a respectable total after they got reduced to 22 for three.

In the final game, he once again made a useful contribution, scoring 43 and adding a stand of 89-run with Rohit Sharma.

6. Alex Hales

Hales made a disastrous start to the series, scoring eight off 18 balls in Manchester.

However, the right-hander made amends for it in the very following game by playing a match-winning knock of 58 not out.

He also scored 30 runs in the final T20I but would be surely disappointed for not converting it to a big one.

7. MS Dhoni:

MS Dhoni did not get much chance to impress with the bat. However, the former India skipper did well whenever he got the opportunity.

In the second T20I, which was the only game where he batted, he scored a crucial 32 not out to help India post a respectable total after they got reduced to 22 for three. He also left his mark with the wicketkeeping gloves.

In the third game, he took five catches thus becoming the first wicketkeeper to take five catches in T20I innings.  During the game, he also became the first wicketkeeper to take 50 catches in T20Is.

8. Hardik Pandya:

After two lukewarm outings, Pandya proved his worth in the series-decider. He conceded 22 runs in his first over. However, in his next three, he conceded only 16 runs and picked up four wickets to help India pull things back.

At one stage, it looked like the hosts would score well in excess of 200. However, Pandya tore through England’s middle-order to bring India in the game.

He also impressed with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 33 off 14 balls. He also finished the series as India’s highest wicket-taker.

9. David Willey:

Willey’s all-round abilities were once again on display, as he managed to make a mark with both bat and ball. He troubled both the Indian openers with his swing in addition to scoring crucial runs. Scored 33 runs at a strike-rate of over 148 and picked up three wickets.

10. Kuldeep Yadav:

The chinaman spinner marked his arrival in England with a stunning display in the series-opener. He picked up a career-best five for 24 to help India restrict England to a modest 159 for eight.

However, he could not come up with a similar kind of performance in the following game, going wicketless for 34 runs. Nonetheless, he finished the series as India’s second-leading wicket-taker.

11. Umesh Yadav:

Umesh had a mixed outing in the series. While he troubled the English batsmen with his pace and picked up quite a few wickets, he went for runs too. Umesh finished the series with five wickets but conceded almost nine runs an over.