English all-rounders Liam Dawson and Tom Banton have left the England ODI squad ahead of the series finale against India at the iconic Lordโs on July 19. The pair will rather feature in the T20 Blast Finals Day on Saturday. England havenโt called up any player as a replacement.ย
Notably, Dawson was highly impactful for the Three Lions in the opening match of the series, scoring 68. He stitched a valuable 121-run partnership with Joe Root, but failed to help England cross the line. Based on his performance, England retained him for the second ODI at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. However, the England management didnโt play him. However, since he was with the squad, the all-rounder missed Hampshire’s quarter-final match against Essex.ย
Tom Banton, on the other hand, could not find a place for himself in the starting XI in either of the games.ย
Series tied 1-1
After an emphatic six-wicket win in the opening ODI of the series, Indian batters struggled to keep the momentum going in Cardiff. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer looked in fine touch, scoring a half-century each, but the middle order failed to keep the momentum going, as India were bundled for 233 runs in the first innings.ย
Ishan Kishan, who featured in the absence of KL Rahul, made just one, while Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube added just six runs. Meanwhile, in response, England lost two early wickets, but Joe Root proved decisive, scoring unbeaten 99, as England got the job done with over five overs remaining. With that, the series in now tied at 1-1.ย
Whatโs in store in T20 Blast final?
Hampshire Hawks and Somerset fixed their places in the T20 Blast Finals Day after winning their quarter-finals. Hampshire defeated Essex by 75 runs at the Utilita Bowl, while defending champions Somerset edged past Yorkshire in a thrilling contest.
Moreover, Somerset will be taking on Northamptonshire Steelbacks in the first semi-final, followed by Hampshire Hawks against Notts Outlaws. The final will be played later in the evening, between the winners of the two semi-finals. Edgbaston in Birmingham will host the summit clash.
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