India vs England: Hosts win tense fourth T20 to seal series in Pune

England slid to a 15-run defeat in a gripping fourth T20 as India took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.

The tourists made a rapid start in pursuit of 182 but faltered against spin again to fall from 62-0 to 67-3.

Ben Duckett was caught after miscuing Ravi Bishnoi on 39, Phil Salt was bowled for 23 by Axar Patel and leg-spinner Bishnoi returned to claim the crucial wicket of England captain Jos Buttler for two in the eighth over.

Harry Brook made 51 but Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell were dismissed by Harshit Rana, who was controversially allowed to come in as a concussion substitute and took 3-33.

England needed 25 from the last two overs but Harshit conceded six from the 19th and bowled Jamie Overton for 19 to all but seal the victory. England were bowled out for 166 in the final over.

They can have justified complaints that Harshit, who replaced Shivam Dube as a ‘like-for-like’ player, was able to play such a hand but they also squandered a dominant position with the ball.

Saqib Mahmood, playing in the series for the first time in place of Mark Wood, took three wickets in his first over to reduce the hosts to 12-3.

But, having kept India to 79-5 after 11 overs, England lost control late on.

India plundered 65 runs between the 16th and 19th overs with Hardik Pandya striking 53 from 30 balls and Dube the same score from 34 deliveries as India reached 181-9.

The win means India have clinched the series prior to the finale in Mumbai on Sunday. A three-match one-day international series follows next week.