India vs England (Photo by Dan Estitain/Getty Images)
England completed a dominant 4-0 T20I series win over India with a 56-run win in the fifth and final match at Southampton on Saturday. Jos Buttler shone with 131 off 64 balls, while captain Harry Brook remained unbeaten with 95 balls as England amassed 257/3 after being put to bat.
India responded with the bat but could only manage 201/8, giving England a memorable series clean sweep.England lost Phil Salt early, but Buttler and Brook took complete control with a record 233-run partnership for the second wicket – the highest stand for any wicket in men’s T20I history. Buttler smashed 12 fours and eight sixes to achieve his best score in a T20I, while Brook narrowly missed a century with an unbeaten 95 off just 45 balls.India’s bowlers had a memorable outing. Axar Patel conceded 63 runs in four overs, Prince Yadav leaked 60 runs, while debutant Suryansh Shedge gave away 39 runs in three overs. England’s aggressive batting left the visitors little chance of a comeback.Chasing a 258 was always going to be a difficult task. Ishan Kishan scored 56, while Tilak Varma scored a quick 53, but neither innings was enough to threaten England’s total.
The defeat meant that India lost the five-match series 4-0 after losing the opening match. It also ended India’s 1,601-day spell at the top of the ICC Men’s T20I rankings. Under new skipper Shreyas Iyer, India have now suffered six defeats, as the team struggles to find consistency during the tour.Meanwhile, England looked strong in all departments throughout the series, with Buttler and Brook leading the charge at the end to wrap up a one-sided contest in emphatic fashion.