Cricket India v/s England T20:Eoin Morgan’s six-hitting puts England just out of India’s T20 reach

Cricket India v/s England: Eoin Morgan’s six-hitting puts England just out of India’s T20 reach

 Eoin Morgan hits out on his way to 71 off 31 balls in England's Twenty20 victory over India at Edgbaston. Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Even Kevin Pietersen, whose ghost has been ever present through this turbulent international summer, could not have scripted a better climax than this.

Eoin Morgan made a spectacular return to form with 71 off 31 balls, Steve Finn offered further evidence of his heartening recovery from the trauma of last winter and Harry Gurney and James Tredwell also underlined their right to be taken seriously with intelligent bowling at the end.

But still India, roared on by the boisterous majority of a capacity 24,000 crowd on a glorious September Sunday, needed four off the last ball of their long tour to secure a tie and with it a Super Over – and the man facing was MS Dhoni, who had enhanced his standing as captain cool (and perhaps slightly arrogant) by turning down two singles in the last over to ensure that he maintained the strike, even with the specialist batsman Ambati Rayudu at the other end.

There was an undeniable sense of anti-climax as Chris Woakes held his nerve, cramping Dhoni for space so that he could do more than hoik the ball along the ground to deep square-leg for a single. The worthy Warwickshire all-rounder might have become the least popular local hero in cricketing history, although that did not worry England one jot as he was surrounded by bouncing red/orange/pink jerseys.

This may have been a one-off game which on the face of it mattered little but it was a fine win for a developing England team and allows the new coaching regime headed by Peter Moores to claim two wins in their three series against India – and means they have at least avoided losing five out of six for the summer, after the ignominious whitewash by Sri Lanka back in the spring.

“It’s great to be a part of games like this – that’s why you play the game,” said Morgan, who had made only 192 in his previous 10 innings for England this summer but offered a timely reminder of his unique ability amid the first chunterings about his one-day place. “To finish such a tough summer on such a high is very important.”

He hit seven sixes, equalling the previous England record in a T20 match set in Hobart in January by Ravi Bopara, who also played a significant part in the plundering of 81 off the last five overs here. Earlier Jason Roy had reverse swept his second ball for four as he and Alex Hales took 17 off the first over from Ravichandran Ashwin, but was then tied down by Mohammed Shami and chipped tamely to cover. That was the first of four catches for Ajinkya Rahane, the best of them sprinting in from long-on to dismiss Hales for 40 from 25 balls.

Rahane failed with the bat but India were threatening to cruise to victory when Virat Kohli made his first significant contribution of a miserable personal tour, stroking 66 from 41 balls. He had a couple of lives but his luck ran out when Finn returned for the 15th over and had him coolly caught by Hales in the deep.

Tredwell then completed his excellent spell, Gurney yorked the dangerous Suresh Raina, and Ravindra Jadeja was run out after an amusing mix-up with Dhoni. But a thrilling finish remained, with India’s captain launching the first ball of Woakes’ last over for six. “He inside-edged it for six,” said Morgan. “That’s how dangerous a player Dhoni is. So for Woakesy to execute after that against one of the best in the world was fantastic.”

Less pleasing was the loud booing for Moeen, and to a lesser extent Bopara, whenever they were involved in the game. “We all got booed today,” said Morgan, and Dhoni also refused to be drawn. But it left a sour taste, nevertheless.