Hales makes sure England's T20 series with India goes to Bristol decider

Chasing 149 for victory, Eoin Morgan’s side figured out how to play the tourists’ spinners and timed their pursuit perfectly to make sure of victory, with Alex Hales clubbing 11 off three balls at the start of the final over to finish on 58 not out

^{Alex Hales made a half-century for England against India}

Cardiff: India 148-5, England 152-5 - England won by five wickets

England hauled themselves back into their T20 series with India thanks to a five-wicket win at Sophia Gardens.

Chasing 149 for victory, Eoin Morgan’s side figured out how to play the tourists’ spinners and timed their pursuit perfectly to make sure of victory, with Alex Hales clubbing 11 off three balls at the start of the final over to finish on 58 not out.

It was an excellent effort from the home side, led from the front by an intelligent seam attack, with David Willey taking 1-18 and Liam Plunkett 1-17 to keep the visitors below 150 in the first innings.

In reply, England once again ran into trouble against the turn and guile of Kuldeep Yadav but found a way to get home, smashing 12 off the final over to line up a decider in Bristol on Sunday.

England, who dropped Moeen Ali safe in the knowledge that the Sophia Gardens dimensions simply do not favour their spin attack, bowled first after winning the toss.

^{England took the game to a decider with victory in Cardiff}

David Willey and Jake Ball found lengths which troubled the Indian openers, frustrating both and finding a reward when an uncomfortable-looking Rohit Sharma skied a catch to Jos Buttler off Ball, attempting a pull from the final ball of the second over.

A difficult start became somewhat harder in freakish circumstances midway through the fifth over when Shikhar Dhawan got himself in an almighty tangle attempting a simple single. The Indian opener failed to get his bat in the correct hand, failed to make his ground and Eoin Morgan whipped off the bails before Dhawan could get his feet over the line.

India’s wretched start persisted when KL Rahul, the star of the first match between the sides, was bowled by Liam Plunkett three deliveries later, and by the time the 10-over mark ticked around the tourists had just 52 runs on the board.

Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina, recognising the situation they found themselves in, began to up the ante.

Kohli pinged Adil Rashid down the ground for six, bursting the hands of a diving Jason Roy at long-on on the way, before Raina swiped Ball over the midwicket boundary.

But even that partnership could only go on so long. Raina failed to pick a Rashid googly, prancing down the wicket and siping wildly, only for Buttler to take off the bails.

^{Virat Kohli drops Jos Buttler}

Kohli soon followed, caught tidily by Root low down at fine leg for 47, as India struggled to accelerate towards the death.

In the end there was a late burst, MS Dhoni finding boundaries square and straight, but a total of 148 for five seemed low.

England tried to make a hard and fast start to their chase, with Jason Roy looking to attack at every opportunity, but their early momentum was halted by a wonderful in-ducker from Umesh Yadav, whose delivery clattered into the opener’s stumps.

Buttler got a life when he was dropped by Kohli at mid-off in the fifth over of the innings, and seemed to take advantage by clubbing the following boundary down the ground for four, but when he gave the India skipper another, near identical chance he was never going to spill it for a second time.

And that seemed to give India the edge.

^{Kohli at the crease}

Joe Root was bowled by Yuzvendra Chahal, trying to sweep the googly for nine, and for a while England once again struggled against the mystery spin of India’s twin tweakers.

But Hales and Morgan found a way to counter attack, sometimes picking the wrong’uns, sometimes getting lucky.

Only a splendid catch deep in the legside by Dhawan got rid of Morgan, while Bairstow - after dumping Kuldeep into the stands from consecutive deliveries - was removed by a superb take at fine leg off Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Kumar persisted with a disciplined line and length to leave England needing 12 off the final over but Hales was up to the task, pinging the first delivery into the River Taff before rounding off a dramatic victory.