Malan takes England to 215-7 in 3rd T20 v India / Photo: Lindsey Parnaby - AFP
Malan takes England to 215-7 in 3rd T20 v India
Dawid Malan top-scored with 77 in a total of 215-7 as England attempted to avoid a Twenty20 series whitewash against India at Trent Bridge on Sunday.
India, 2-0 up in the three-match contest after wins at Southampton and Edgbaston, looked as if they might restrict England, for whom batting has been an issue this series, to a total of under 200 with recalled leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi taking an impressive 2-30 from his maximum four overs.
But Liam Livingstone's unbeaten 42 from 29 balls, plus a 19 off nine from Harry Brook and 11 off three from all-rounder Chris Jordan helped England to their eventual total.
Malan, often criticised for scoring too slowly in an England top-order full of attacking talent, was in aggressive form Sunday during a 39-ball innings featuring six fours and five sixes.
The 34-year-old left-hander did have a moment of good luck when dropped on just four as Harshal Patel failed to hold a return catch.
Both teams made changes from India's series-clinching 49-run win across the Midlands in Birmingham on Saturday.
England brought in an extra batsman in Phil Salt, with leg-spinner Matt Parkinson missing out, while Reece Topley replaced fellow left-arm paceman Sam Curran.
India, ahead of next week's three-match one-day international series against England, rested their premier new-ball duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, with their places taken by Avesh Khan and Umran Malik coming in.
Shreyas Iyer replaced all-rounder Hardik Pandya, with Bishnoi preferred as a spin option to Yuzvendra Chahal.
England's Jos Buttler, in his first series a white-ball skipper since succeeding retired 50-over World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and batted on what looked a typically good Trent Bridge.
Buttler, opening alongside Jason Roy, used Malik's express speed against him, driving through two fours through the offside before unfurling a six over midwicket.
Avesh, however, struck when Buttler played on to a well-directed cutter.
Roy fell for 27, caught behind after slashing at Malik while a befuddled Salt was bowled by Harshal's cleverly disguised slower ball.
Malan brought up a 30-ball fifty with a straight drive off Malik before then thrashing the fast bowler high over extra cover for six. But he fell in Bishnoi's last over, skying a catch to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
F.Wilson--HHA
