Hales is hero to level series

ALEX HALES smashed a brilliant unbeaten half-century as England levelled the series in this second T20 international against India.

Eoin Morgan’s men chased down their target of 149 with just three balls to spare to set up a series decider in Bristol tomorrow.

Ben Stokes is available for that match after a hamstring injury, but it is Hales who was the toast of Cardiff after he struck 58 from 41 balls to guide his side home by five wickets.

India were in it right up until the start of a final over that saw England needing 12 to win.

But Hales struck the first ball from Bhuvneshwar Kumar into the nearby River Taff to put his side on the brink before David Willey sealed victory two balls later.

England were happy with their work with the ball after restricting India to 148-5. But their reply stuttered as they fell to 44-3 before Morgan and Hales steadied the ship.

England’s fourth-wicket stand was worth 48 by the time Morgan, the victim of a spectacular diving catch from Shikhar Dhawan, fell to Hardik Pandya in the 14th over.

When Jonny Bairstow went, caught for 28 off Bhuvneshwar, England needed 23 to win from the last 17 balls. That became 20 from the last 12 as India turned the screw.

Umesh Yadav was the man to bowl the penultimate over, with England’s fate resting in the hands of Hales and Willey.

It went for eight runs to leave Morgan’s men needing 12 from the final over.

Hales crucially had the strike and he smashed Bhuvneshwar out of the ground to move past fifty and set up tomorrow’s decider.