“India didn’t get the batting order right” - Former England batter slams team management after IND vs ENG 2025 3rd T20I

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has opined that India needlessly tweaked their batting order during the third T20I against Jos Buttler and company at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Tuesday, January 28. The Men in Blue failed to get a hold of the run chase after conceding 171 in the first innings and eventually slumped to a 26-run defeat.

Team India's top order remained the same as the first two T20Is of the five-match series, with Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma occupying the expected slots. Hardik Pandya was sent out to assess the run chase at No. 5 after India lost wickets in quick succession.

However, the left-handed all-rounder pair of Washington Sundar and Axar Patel were sent in next to negate Adil Rashid's leg-spin instead of pure batter Dhruv Jurel (right-handed). Jurel came in at No. 8 when the required rate had climbed to 16 runs per over.

Pietersen remarked that India should not have pushed the all-rounders ahead of Dhruv Jurel just to keep the left-right combination intact.

"India didn't get the batting order right. Dhruv Jurel is an accomplished batter. Having him lower down the order for the left and right combination was not right. I'm a firm believer in your best batters batting up front," he said on Star Sports (via Hindustan Times).

Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel said Jurel (2 runs off 4 balls) could have scored more had he been given the time to pace and construct his innings in the middle overs.

"Left and right combination is alright till No. 4 but after that you should send your best batters. Jurel is a proper batsman. He could have constructed a big innings," Patel said.

Dhruv Jurel came in as a replacement for the injured Rinku Singh after the first T20I. He had scored only four runs in the second T20I in Chennai before being dismissed to Brydon Carse.

England bowlers put up an inspired display to subdue Team India in 3rd T20I

Despite losing their top order in the powerplay, Team India were well-placed in the run chase, considering their batting depth. However, the England bowlers kept things tight to keep the Indian batters at bay. The hosts struggled for boundaries in the middle overs, causing the required rate to spike gradually.

England are still alive in the five-match series after their win at Rajkot. The two sides will face each other in the fourth T20I at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Friday, January 31.