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England opener Phil Salt completed 2,000 runs in international cricket on Friday.
Salt reached this milestone during his side's fourth T20I against India at Pune. During the match, he gave England a fine start, scoring 23 in 21 balls, with four boundaries after a string of low scores. In 69 matches, Salt has scored 2,004 runs at an average of 33.96 and a strike rate of 136.97. He has scored four centuries and nine fifties, with the best score of 122 in 64 innings. Since his debut for England in 2021, Salt has played both white-ball formats for the side. In 27 ODIs, he has made 866 runs in 25 innings at an average of 34.64 and a strike rate of 113.94, with a century and five fifties to his name, with best score of 122. His T20I statistics are way better, having made 1,138 runs in 42 matches and 39 innings at an average of 33.47, strike rate of 161.87, with three centuries and four fifties. His best score is 119. He is among one of the best in T20Is out now. England's top-run-getter in international cricket is Joe Root, who has scored 20,387 runs at an average of 48.88 in 355 matches and 468 innings, with 52 centuries and 109 innings. His best score is 262. He is followed by Alastair Cook (15,737 runs in 257 matches at an average of 42.88 with 38 centuries and 76 fifties) and Kevin Pietersen (13,779 runs in 275 matches at an average of 44.30, with 32 centuries and 67 fifties). Coming to the match, England won the toss and elected to field first. India was reduced to 12/3 by pacer Saqib Mahmood (3/35) after he got Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav in one over. Abhishek Sharma (29 in 19 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and Rinku Singh (30 in 26 balls, with four boundaries and a six) played crucial knocks, but India still reeled at 79/5. An 87-run partnership between Hardik Pandya (53 in 34 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) and Dube (53 in 30 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) helped India reach 181/9 in their 20 overs. Overton (4/32) and Adil Rashid (1/35) also bowled fine spells. In the run-chase, Phil Salt (23 in 21 balls, with four boundaries) and Ben Duckett (39 in 19 balls, with seven fours) put England to a fine start, adding 62 runs for the first wicket. However, Indian spinners helped the hosts bounce back and left England at 95/4. Harry Brook (51 in 26 balls, with five fours and two sixes) did score a half-century, but wickets fell quickly on the other end, with Harshit (3/33) and spinner Ravi Bishnoi (3/28) taking the spotlight. England was restricted at 166 and lost by 15 runs. Dube got the 'Player of the Match' award. India has won the series 3-1. (ANI)
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