'Clash of Titans': Former India and England cricketers react to Sunday's thriller
T. Natarajan bowled an exceptional last over against well-set Sam Curran and gave away just six runs to help Team India to a 7-run win in the third and deciding ODI.
It was an international season to remember for Team India. After IPL 2020, India toured Australia. They lost the ODI series but won the T20I and Test series to complete a successful tour. Back home, they hosted England and completed a trifecta of series victories, bagging the Test, T20I, and ODI series.
The India vs England ODI series provided top-notch entertainment. After trading blows in the first two games, it all came down to the last game of the tour 52 days later. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma started off well, stitching a 103-run for the opening stand. However, England spinners pegged back with four wickets in quick succession to leave India struggling at 157/4 after 24.2 overs.
It was Rishabh Pant (78) along with Hardik Pandya (64), Krunal Pandya (25), and Shardul Thakur (30) who took India to 329/10 after 48.2 overs.
In response, the top-order of the visitors, for the first time in this series, failed to get going as India restricted them to 95/4 after 15.1 overs.
Dawid Malan hit a run-a-ball fifty and Liam Livingstone in his second ODI game 36 off 31 to keep the Brits' ship somewhat afloat.
Eventually, England put up a brave fight through Sam Curran, who smashed an unbeaten 95 to take his team to the brink of victory. The hosts needed 14 off the last over when the ball was thrown to T. Natarajan, playing only his second ODI. He was up against a well-set Sam Curran, who had already registered eight fours and three sixes till that point. Natarajan nailed the yorkers and gave away just six runs as India emerged victorious by seven runs.
Former cricketers took to Twitter to applaud India's magnificent last-ball win under pressure. Let's have a look at a few of them:
The cricketers now shift focus to the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), set to begin on April 9 with the Mumbai Indians taking on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener.
