India beat England in thriller to level T20 series

Hosts survive final-over drama and seal eight-run victory in Ahmedabad

India players celebrate after beating England by eight runs in the fourth T20 match in Ahmedabad on Thursday, March 18. AP

England batsman Sam Curran is clean bowled by India's Hardik Pandya for three at the Narendra Modi Stadium. AFP

Jofra Archer breaks his bat hitting out towards the end of England's innnings.

England's Ben Stokes plays a shot on his way to 46 from 23 balls. AP

India watch a replay of the dismissal of England's Dawid Malan. PA

England batsman Dawid Malan on his way to 14. PA

India batsman Hardik Pandya was out for 11. Getty

India's Rishabh Pant of India is bowled by Jofra Archer for 30. Getty

Suryakumar Yadav hits a six for India on his way to 57 off 31 balls. Getty

England bowler Sam Curran, left, celebrates with Jos Buttler after the dismissal of India's Suryakumar Yadav. AP

India's Suryakumar Yadav celebrates reaching his half century. Reuters

England's Jofra Archer takes the catch to dismiss India opener KL Rahul for 14. AFP

England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler stumps India captain Virat Kohli. PA

England celebrate the dismissal of India's Virat Kohli for just one run. AP

England fielder Ben Stokes takes the catch to dismiss India's Hardik Pandya. AFP

India's Suryakumar Yadav plays a shot. AFP

India survived final-over drama to beat England by eight runs in the fourth Twenty20 International and level the five-match series 2-2 in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Suryakumar Yadav smashed 57 to help the hosts to 185-8, their highest total of the series, after being put into bat.

Ben Stokes and Jason Roy then came up with entertaining cameos but it was not enough to stop India from levelling the series for the second time.

Shardul Thakur (3-42) looked a bundle of nerves bowling the eventful final over with England needing 23 runs for an unassailable lead.

After Chris Jordan took a single off the first delivery, Archer hit the next two for a four and a six, which seemed to rattle Thakur who followed it with two wides.

Archer took a single off the next delivery, breaking his bat in the process, before Thakur regained his composure and dismissed Jordan before finishing with a dot ball.

India captain Virat Kohli: said "A proper game against a top side. Thankfully, the wicket allowed us to get to that total.

"With the ball we were quite clinical. Our powerplay start kept England in check and Shardul Thakur turned the game."

The previous three matches were won by the team electing to field but India managed to buck that trend after losing the toss.

Rohit Sharma smashed the first ball of the match from Adil Rashid for a six but Archer (4-33) foxed him with clever change of pace to elicit a simple return catch.

Yadav pulled the first ball he faced, from Archer, for a six and raced to a 28-ball half-century.

India crossed the 50-mark in the seventh over before Stokes extended KL Rahul's batting slump and Rashid unleashed a googly to deceive Kohli who was dismissed stumped for one.

Yadav smashed three sixes before Dawid Malan took a low catch at fine leg to send him back. Replays, however, suggested the ball touched the grass.

Rishabh Pant made a breezy 30 and Shreyas Iyer contributed 37 to push India past the 175-mark.

England lost Jos Buttler early in their chase, and Malan made 14 before Rahul Chahar bowled him round his legs.

Roy fell in the next over after a quickfire 40 but Stokes threatened to take the game away with a blistering 46.

The all-rounder smashed three sixes before Thakur turned the game on its head, dismissing Stokes and England captain Eoin Morgan in successive deliveries.

"India played a lot better than us today and thoroughly deserved to win. They adapted to conditions better," admitted Morgan after the match.

"It's all to play for, to win a series away from home would be great."

The teams play the deciding final T20 at the same venue on Saturday before moving to Pune for a three-match one-day series beginning on Tuesday.