Adil Rashid makes key contributions with bat and ball to keep England alive in T20 series

Earlier, Rashid’s unbeaten 10 from nine balls - and unbroken last-wicket stand of 24 with Mark Wood - lifted England, at one point 127-8, to a competitive 171-9.

One wicket and 10 runs (and, lest we forget, two catches as well) might not be the sort of return to reminisce fondly about with the grandchildren in years to come, but Rashid’s contribution was perhaps the single biggest reason why England claimed an unlikely win in Rajkot on Tuesday, one which halved the deficit in the five-match T20 series to 2-1 ahead of the games in Pune on Friday and in Mumbai on Sunday.

Suddenly, the series is alive and to Rashid must go a lot of the credit, although Ben Duckett (51) and Liam Livingstone (43) impressed with the bat, while Jamie Overton (3-24), Brydon Carse (2-28) and Jofra Archer (2-33) also took the eye in a fine all-round effort by England with the ball as India finished on 145-9 to lose by 26.

For the hosts, whose batting early in the chase had an air of complacency, along with tactical confusion, as they lost three wickets in the powerplay to put them on the back foot, Varun Chakravarthy could count himself unfortunate to be on the losing side.

The leg-spinner was chiefly responsible for England’s mid-innings slump from 83-1 to 127-8, one which should really have done for the tourists, his probing, if mostly non-turning deliveries once again baffling and befuddling England’s finest.

Prior to this game, perhaps the best that could have been said for the England men’s side at present was that they are not the England women’s side, coming towards the end of a bruising Ashes tour.

But after the defeats in Kolkata and Chennai, followed by the batting collapse here, this was a gutsy performance in the end which gave Brendon McCullum his first victory as multi-format head coach, the final margin a relatively comfortable one.

Once more unchanged, England began promisingly after Jos Buttler again lost the toss and saw his side inserted.

Granted, Phil Salt came and went, clattering to cover in the second over, but Duckett and Buttler added 76 from 45 balls to fashion a firm platform, Duckett leading the way in his first significant contribution of the series.

The diminutive left-hander scooped Mohammed Shami for six with sumptuous timing, and soon after hit five fours from successive balls - three off Hardik Pandya, two off Washington Sundar. He reached his fifty from just 26 balls but Buttler’s departure with the total at 83, caught behind off an under-edge trying to reverse-hit Chakravarthy, changed the mood and complexion of the innings.

In an eye-blink, England fell apart. Duckett, in the over after Buttler’s dismissal, lofted to deep mid-wicket. Harry Brook swept leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi into his stumps, dragging on from well outside off, then Jamie Smith - dropped first ball when he inside-edged Bishnoi to the wicketkeeper - pulled a Chakravarthy drag-down to deep mid-wicket.

Chakravarthy bowled Overton round his legs for a golden duck, then had Carse slog-sweeping to deep mid-wicket before capturing his fifth wicket with his final ball, a bemused-looking Archer bowled through the gate.

That left England 127-8 and only some power-striking from Livingstone, who whacked five sixes in a 24-ball stay, got matters back on track.

Livingstone finally holed out to long-on before Rashid and Wood’s useful little stand.

When India replied, Sanju Samson pulled Archer to mid-on; Abhishek Sharma skied Carse so high into the covers that the ball practically had stardust on it when it came down and Archer judged a magnificent catch; and Suryakumar Yadav, the India captain, found similar elevation when he launched Wood and was caught by keeper Salt.

Salt had initially handed over the gloves for this one to Jamie Smith, as England did not wish Smith to aggravate a tight calf running around in the outfield, but he apparently did so anyway and had to depart in the fourth over of the chase.

When Rashid, bowling with subtle variations of pace and flight, bowled Varma with a brisk leg-break that spun appreciably, England were right back in business – more so when Washington Sundar skied Overton to mid-off, the hosts sliding to 85-5 in the 13th.

Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel took the total to 123-5 before the pressure of the required rate told. Overton nipped in with a couple of late wickets – including that of Pandya, caught at long-off for the top score of 40 – as India came up short to leave the series poised and with a certain Yorkshire spinner looking in fine fettle.