England beat India by 17 runs at Trent Bridge.
“We keep playing our way,” was the cry on England’s social media channels ahead of play at Trent Bridge.
That particular ‘way’ has been a savage dismantling of opposition sides in recent years. An ultra-aggressive, front-foot, fear-nothing attitude. One bestowed upon the national side by Eoin Morgan, and typified by new captain Jos Buttler.
On a roasting day in the East Midlands, it was a mindset assumed by two men: Dawid Malan and Suryakumar Yadav.
Malan’s innings of 77 off 36 balls breathed the fire of life into the embers of England. His partnership of 84 with Liam Livingstone helped the hosts to set a target of 216, and gave the Three Lions’ bowling attack margin for error and scope to express themselves.
The home side’s run rate up until the 10th over was 8.9; in the second half of their innings it was 12.6.
Perhaps only India match (and, arguably, beat) England for depth in this format, and when it isn’t Roy, Buttler or Bairstow dealing the blows, someone else is there to land a punch.
Yadav, though, stole the show. A quite remarkable 117 off 55 balls brought India from oblivion to within touching distance of victory.
The stylish right-hander played with the freedom of an in-batter in a game of gully cricket, not a man whose middle-order spot in the side is constantly under threat.
All areas of Nottinghamshire's quaint historic home were peppered by the 31-year-old. His innings will surely go down as one of the great knocks Trent Bridge, let alone in a losing cause, with his demise in the penultimate over dashing Indian hopes.
His reasons to perform were plentiful; India arrived at Trent Bridge as the top ranked T20 side, and having won the first two of the three matches in this Vitality IT20 series, they took to the hallowed turf with records in their sights, and World Cup preparation on their mind.
Never had a side won more than 12 consecutive T20 matches before this series; Rohit Sharma was seeking to extend his side’s run to 15.
Doing so would also result in their first whitewash against England in a bilateral series.
It was easy to see why they are making such strides with generational talent pouring out of the domestic circuit.
To keep any side quiet takes some doing, but an England side with the depth of talent it currently possesses, at a ground famed for high-octane action is particularly impressive.
It was a task managed by India for 10 overs of their bowling innings.
England were 86-3 at the halfway stage after Buttler chopped Avesh Khan into his own stumps for 18, Jason Roy lashed a top-edged cut off Umran Malik to Rishabh Pant for a near run-a-ball 27, and Phil Salt was bowled for eight by a dipping slower ball after an imperious on drive to get off the mark.
The former was particularly impressive with a wicket and the concession of six runs in his two powerplay overs. England needed an injection of pace, a Bairstow-esque invigoration of less than four weeks ago.
Malan and Livingstone provided just that.
Twice in two overs the number four ranked IT20 batter nailed a four and a six in consecutive deliveries.
Livingstone then peppered the tarmacadam on Fox Road with a sizeable strike over deep mid-wicket, with Malan picking one off his pads for a six over wide long-on in the same over.
And, as if to remind the written press of his ability, he crashed Ravindra Jadeja for a straight six which sailed into the glass panes of the press box two deliveries later.
When Malan departed in the 17th over, caught by Pant, England had a platform from which to excel at 168/4.
That they did with the addition of 47 in the final three overs. Brook offered a useful nine-ball cameo, and showed tremendous ingenuity with an opening of the wrists to find the third man boundary having got in a chest-on position to scoop Khan.
England would ultimately post an imposing 215/7.
So then came the turn of India to display their gluttony of batting talent. But an object will stay in motion until it meets a resisting force, so states Newton’s first law. India’s top order proved cannon-fodder for the hurtling English momentum.
Pant, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma all departed within the powerplay as Richard Gleeson, Reece Topley and David WIlley capitalised upon the pace on offer in the pitch.
With the restrictions on fielding eased, India still required another 181 from 84 deliveries.
However, what some sides, and individuals, see as extraordinary, others see as routine. Yadav was intent on making light work of the 13.1 runs-per-over target.
Willey’s third over went for 15, Livingstone’s first for the same amount. When Yadav brought up his 50 off 32 balls in the 12th over, the required rate was still digestible at under 14.
Shreyas Iyer, ticking along contently at just over a run-a-ball, until he was caught behind, played second fiddle to an imperious Yadav.
Boundaries rained from his blade around the ground. His second fifty came off just 16 balls with his shot to reach his century – a squirt through backward point – greeted by shirks of partisan delight with India requiring 51 from 21.
The pendulum was swinging at a rate of knots. Dinesh Karthik and Jadeja fell within five balls of each other, but 12 off the first two legal deliveries in Moeen Ali’s penultimate over heightened the tension.
Alas the loss of Yadav for a remarkable ton, applauded by all corners of Trent Bridge after being caught at long on, proved to be the nail in the proverbial coffin.
With 21 runs to play with in the final over, Jordan conceded just three.
It was a result which matters little in the context of the series, but a clash positively pulsating in nature.
If England’s ‘way’ is to attack, enthral and entertain, it was, on this occasion, achieved in spades, but credit, too, must be given to India for their part to play in a heavyweight tussle settled in the 12th round.
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