Eight for eight - England suffer almighty collapse in India

England bowed out of their tour of India with an astonishing collapse in their Twenty20 decider in Bangalore, routed by 75 runs to make it three series defeats in three draining months.
India's Yuzvendra Chahal, third left, celebrates with teammates the dismissal of England's Sam Billings, left, during their third Twenty20 international cricket match at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)India's Yuzvendra Chahal, third left, celebrates with teammates the dismissal of England's Sam Billings, left, during their third Twenty20 international cricket match at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India's Yuzvendra Chahal, third left, celebrates with teammates the dismissal of England's Sam Billings, left, during their third Twenty20 international cricket match at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Chasing 203, a steep but not outrageous target with the short boundaries at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, England lost their last eight wickets in just 19 deliveries for a paltry eight runs.

It was a staggering capitulation, as a rotating cast of batsmen queued up to be ransacked by an attack led by leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chalal, whose six for 25 are the third best figures in T20I history.

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England were 119 for two midway through the 14th over, trailing but still in the hunt with Joe Root (42) and Eoin Morgan (40) set at the crease. Chalal removed both with successive deliveries and the tourists were then skittled in a dizzying punch-drunk procession that ended with England 127 all out and 21 balls unbowled.

India's wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, right, stretches his arms to catch the ball to dismiss England's Jason Roy. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)India's wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, right, stretches his arms to catch the ball to dismiss England's Jason Roy. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India's wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, right, stretches his arms to catch the ball to dismiss England's Jason Roy. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

In all there were five ducks in the innings, with top-edges, tumbling bails and a stumping as the scale of the required-rate drew out the very worst in a side which prides itself on its deep batting order.

Having won the Test series 4-0 before Christmas and the one-day leg 2-1 this month, India asserted their cross-format dominance in these conditions with a thoroughly emphatic statement.

The day began with news that umpire Chettithody Shamshuddin had voluntarily swapped with third umpire Nitin Menon following the intense scrutiny of his decision making in Nagpur on Sunday.

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India were on the wrong end of the only bad decision here, KL Rahul bowled off an undetected Ben Stokes no ball, but they ensured it was day for their on-field skills to reclaim the spotlight.

India's wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, right, stretches his arms to catch the ball to dismiss England's Jason Roy. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)India's wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, right, stretches his arms to catch the ball to dismiss England's Jason Roy. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India's wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, right, stretches his arms to catch the ball to dismiss England's Jason Roy. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

England’s innings began as it ended, Sam Billings caught for a golden duck via bat and boot off Chalal. The decision was sent upstairs to Shamshuddin, for whom the replays were thankfully conclusive.

India should have had Jason Roy next ball after a miscommunication left him stranded in the middle but, in the heat of the moment, Chalal hurled at Root’s end.

There followed a brief oasis of calm as Root shared stands of 47 and 64 with Roy and Morgan.

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England never got ahead of the game but stayed afloat with flurries of scoring and reached the 10-over mark needing 117 from the second half of their innings.

When they flogged 22 off Suresh Raina’s only over, Morgan with three sixes in a row, it even seemed plausible.

But the decisive moment came in the 14th over when Chalal dismissed both men within seconds.

Like Roy, Morgan botched a sweep, with Root crossing as the ball sailed to debutant Risabh Pant at deep midwicket. He will wish he had not bothered, with Chalal earning a plumb back-foot lbw next up.

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When Jasprit Bumrah claimed Jos Buttler followed for a duck moments later, Virat Kohli celebrated his catch like it was the end of the match. In truth, it was.

All that was left was for the rest of the England order to fold, though the swiftness with which they surrendered to Chalal, and then Bumrah (three for 14) was truly alarming.

Things had started so differently for England and for Kohli, who ran himself out for two in the first innings after a lapse of judgement.

He set off for a single that was never on and when KL Rahul rightly sent him back, Chris Jordan gleefully threw down the stumps at Kohli’s end.

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Rahul received an admonishing glare for his troubles but this was a self-inflicted wound.

The rest of the powerplay unfolded serenely for India, who reached 53 for one as Raina hitting three sixes in quick succession.

He top-scored with 63 in 45 balls, including five sixes and two fours, but the real surprise was Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s 56.

It was not shocking to see one of the original T20 poster boys in such prime form but it did require a double take to realise this was his first international half-century in the format after 10 years and 66 innings of trying.

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He reached his long-awaited landmark at the start of the 18th over, which Yuvraj Singh finished in a stylish flurry as Jordan shipped 24 runs.

Yuvraj was comically deceived by a Tymal Mills slower ball and a chaotic final over contained 16 runs, a Roy drop for six and the wickets of Dhoni and Pandya.

If that felt like a blur of activity, it was nothing on what lay ahead in England’s fumbled response.

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