🏏India vs England: 3rd ODI at Old Trafford at 3:30 PM IST 🏏 - Page 6

Job done for India. They bowled first, happy to chase whatever England could set them, and it's some way short of England's usual 300-plus standards on such wickets. Bairstow and Root both fell for ducks early on, and despite decent efforts from Roy, Buttler and Moeen, they kept losing wickets at key moments - four of them to Hardik Pandya, whose heavy lengths have been mightily effective in this series. Chahal mopped up the tail, and India will need 260 to claim the series. Game on!

Job done for India. They bowled first, happy to chase whatever England could set them, and it's some way short of England's usual 300-plus standards on such wickets. Bairstow and Root both fell for ducks early on, and despite decent efforts from Roy, Buttler and Moeen, they kept losing wickets at key moments - four of them to Hardik Pandya, whose heavy lengths have been mightily effective in this series. Chahal mopped up the tail, and India will need 260 to claim the series. Game on!

Eng all out for 259. 

Target for India is -- 260 

Fingers crossed. 

It will be a thrilling match  for sure!

England disappointingly waste 25 balls in their innings and have been bowled out for 259. But they will justify saying that's how they play - all-out aggression.

Earlier, Siraj set the tone as he came in for the injured Bumrah and got both Bairstow and Root out in his first-over. The counter-attack started from Roy and Stokes but both fell to Pandya who had a great day with the ball. Buttler curbed his aggressive instincts to knuckle down and when Livingstone was opening out against the short ball of Pandya, it looked ominous. But both Buttler and Livingstone fell to two fine catches in the same over off Pandya as Jadeja excelled on the field. Then Willey and Overton added 48 and seemed to be taking England towards the 300-mark before Chahal came on and ended the innings quickly. Will those 25 unused deliveries come back to haunt England? They defended 246 by 100 in the last game, but today might not be all that easy. Let's find out when India walk out for the chase.

STAT:

* This is the first time since WC 2015 England have failed to score 300+ in a home ODI series when they have batted first at least once.

*Seventh successive ODI India have bowled out the opposition. In the 22 completed ODIs after WC 2019 prior to the start of this sequence, they did so just five times.

*The only other instance in India's ODI history where they bowled out the opponents in seven consecutive matches came in WC 2015.

Hardik Pandya "I had to bend my back a bit, change my plans and realise you need to use the short ball as a wicket-taking ball. I always fancy my bouncer. Livingstone likes to take the short ball on and that gives me goosebumps. He hit me for two sixes, but one wicket made a big difference. The body's fine, the captain is fantastic at managing my workload. The chase is about intent, the wicket is pretty good to bat on. We'll fancy our chances to chase it down."

The openers are out, the England wicketkeeper Buttler is doing some drills. We are a few moments away from the start as Reece Topley - six wickets in the last two games - prepares to bowl. Topley's 6 for 24 three nights ago was the best bowling performance by an England bowler in ODIs

Rohit and Dhawan are at the crease. Rohit is on strike. Topley will open the attack

Below par score by England.

Let’s hope India wins (easily) :). 

Aaj kal Mujhey to koi yah naheen kar rahaan but seems not many here. Not watching or not here or both ?