Fifth T20 international, Southampton
England 257-3 (20 overs): Buttler 131 (64), Brook 95* (45); Dube 2-22
India 201-8 (20 overs): Kishan 56 (35), Varma 53 (25); Curran 3-36
England won by 56 runs, won five-match series 4-0
Jos Buttler smashed a majestic 131 to lead England to the top of the world rankings with a dominant 56-run win over India in the fifth T20 at Southampton.
Buttler produced a vintage innings of touch and power following a relatively barren run, recording his highest score in a glittering T20 career.
He shared in an England T20 record stand of 233 with captain Harry Brook, who clattered a remarkable 95 not out off 45 deliveries in the hosts’ 257-8.
England’s third-highest T20 international total and highest against India proved too much for the tourists, who made 201-8 as the world champions fell to a 4-0 series defeat.
Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma both hit half-centuries but Shreyas Iyer’s beleaguered side, who were shocking in the field, never looked likely to snatch a consolation win and have now lost their number one ranking to their opponents.
This is the first time India have gone winless in a five-match T20 series and extends their own unwanted record of six straight defeats in completed 20-over matches, after shock losses to Ireland at the start of a tour to forget.
Buttler can still do it
Buttler came into this match on a run of 18 consecutive innings without a fifty in T20 internationals, during which time he was averaging 15.16.
From being a point of some concern, the 35-year-old roared back to form in hitting his second T20 international century.
He used the scoop and reverse scoop early and effectively against Prasidh Krishna, then pounced and knocked the India seamers off their lengths, smashing Arshdeep Singh over mid-wicket for six.
After making his fifty off 34 balls, Buttler freed his arms, taking just 17 more deliveries to reach three figures.
Peppering the crowd with whips off his hips and crunches down the ground, Buttler brought up his century by pulling spinner Axar Patel over square leg for six.
By now the former captain was mixing the sublime with the ridiculous, deftly ramping over the wicketkeeper, then finishing his 64-ball onslaught with two mighty sixes off Shivam Dube and pulling for four in front of square before he miscued the seamer and was caught by Shreyas Iyer at mid-off.
It ended a stunning partnership with Brook, which shattered England’s previous best of 182 between Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan against New Zealand in 2019, and seeing one of the greatest white-ball batters back in full flow was a thrilling sight for the Southampton crowd.
Brook impresses again as captain
An impressive series victory over the T20 world champions provides some welcome relief for English cricket following the 2-1 Test series defeat by New Zealand marked by curfew confusion and the shock retirement of captain Ben Stokes.
The futures of head coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key remain unclear, as does whether Brook will succeed Stokes as Test captain.
But the white-ball skipper has shown his captaincy qualities throughout this series, rotating his bowlers well to restrict India’s firepower, before coming to the fore with the bat, making an unbeaten 79 in the fourth T20 in Bristol before an even more impressive innings here.
After the early loss of Phil Salt, Brook carted Prince Yadav for two consecutive mighty leg-side sixes and followed with a trademark lofted cover drive into the stands off Axar.
Brook was purring by the time he nailed Axar back over his head for two massive sixes in a 10th over that cost 25 runs, again making brutal use of the short straight boundaries by striking Shedge for two towering sixes in the 14th over.
He survived a shocking drop by Ishan Kishan on 90 but ultimately ran out of balls to face in order to complete what would have been his second T20 international century.
If this series was an audition to replace Stokes, Brook’s leadership and more clear-headed hitting will have perhaps improved his chances. And England’s T20 side look a well-drilled unit under McCullum and Brook.
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