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India win 3rd T20I against England to claim sixth consecutive series win in the format
T20I series wins against New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa, in the Nidhas tri-nation tournament, Ireland and now against England have brought India within touching distance of Pakistan`s No. 1 rank in the format.
Highlights
- India defeated England by 7 wickets in the final T20I match to claim series.
- This was its sixth consecutive series win in the format. India is ranked 2 in T20Is.
- India's last T20I series defeat came in July of 2017 in a one-off match vs hosts West Indies.
Team India rode on a dominant - and unbeaten - century from Rohit Sharma to secure a seven-wicket win in the final T20I match against England on Sunday. In the process, the team claimed what is its sixth consecutive series win in the format.
The dominance of the Men in Blue was evident in the first match of the series in England when Virat Kohli and his teammates secured an eight-wicket win. The second match in the series was a bitterly fought contest which went right down to the wire - and in England's favour. On Sunday, the visitors in Bristol hit back hard with Rohit rising to the occasion and becoming the first Indian ever with three tons in T20I format. It was his innings - spiced with five sixes and 11 boundaries that helped his team bring down what was a challenging target of 199.
(Statistical highlights from 3rd England vs India T20I)
That the young Indian team plays an aggressive brand of cricket has been a well-established fact. In T20Is, the players become even more determined and many have even credited the Indian Premier League for providing them enough experience and practice in the shortest format of the game.
India is currently ranked 2nd in ICC rankings for T20Is. Pakistan is at the top but that may not be for too long considering the form that Indian cricketers - once known to surrender on foreign tracks - have shown. In fact, the Indian team's current unbeaten run in T20I series runs back to September of 2017. At home, the team defeated New Zealand 2-1, blanked Sri Lanka 3-0, downed hosts South Africa 2-1, won the Nidhas Twenty20 Triseries and then brushed Ireland aside 2-0. In fact, the most recent defeat in a T20I series was in West Indies on July 9 of last year in a one-off match at Kingston. Since, there has been no turning back.
Interestingly, Kohli - during a press conference just before leaving for the tour - had said he expects a tough fight in England. And while the fights have not really been tough so far for the in-form visitors, three ODIs against the world's best ODI team awaits the No. 2 ranked India before five Tests - a format in which the Men in Blue are currently numero uno.