Harry Brook and Phil Salt’s 146-run partnership saw England dish out a nine-wicket trouncing of India in Bristol to cruise to a T20 series victory with a game to spare.
India opted to bat after winning the toss, with only captain Shreyas Iyer (80no off 49 balls) offering any real resistance, as an exceptional display of short-ball and death bowling restricted the beleaguered tourists – who lost the third T20 at Trent Bridge by 125 runs – to 158-7 from their 20 overs.
England lost Jos Buttler (8) in the third over of the chase, but captain Brook crunched eight fours and four sixes, finishing unbeaten on 79 alongside Salt (59no off 42 balls), as the pair propelled England to their target of 159 with 37 balls to spare.
The emphatic series-clinching victory sees England establish an unassailable 3-0 lead ahead of the fifth and final T20I in Southampton on Saturday, live on Sky Sports, where a fourth successive victory would see Brook’s team leapfrog the reigning T20 World Cup champions to become the world No 1 side.
England sealing thumping T20 series win over India
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England’s Harry Brook smashes four boundaries in a row on his way to a sensational 21-ball fifty against India in the fourth T20.
The foundations for England’s victory were laid by another exceptional display with the ball from Jofra Archer (2-20) and Josh Tongue (2-36), who worked in tandem to ensure there was no India response to being skittled for 76 at Trent Bridge.
After scores of 13 and 14 in the series, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again failed to outscore his age and once again fell victim to Archer, top-edging to his Rajasthan Royals team-mate Sam Curran at mid-on.
India’s stuttering top order were reduced to 48-3 in the seventh over after Ishan Kishan (4) fell to Tongue and Adil Rashid removed Abhishek Sharma (16) with a caught-and-bowled.
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India’s Shreyas feasts on Adil Rashid with two huge sixes and a four in the fourth Test against England.
Captain Shreyas shared a 53-run stand for the fourth wicket alongside Shivam Dube and kicked on to record his second half-century of the series with a six off Rashid before feasting on the spinner with two sixes and a four in three balls in the 18th over.
But England wrestled back control, with Curran and Archer conceding only eight runs and no boundaries from the final two overs before Archer finished off some expert death bowling by kicking the ball onto the stumps to run out Axar Patel.
As England opened their innings Buttler smashed Arshdeep down the ground for six, only to nick the very next delivery behind as he departed for eight to give India a deserved early wicket.
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Jofra Archer delivers the final act of a dominant England bowling display, kicking the ball onto the stumps to run out Axar Patel.
But Salt and Brook stepped on the gas, powering England to 62-1 at the end of the powerplay and to victory in 13.5 overs.
World No 1 would be ‘pretty cool’
England captain Harry Brook, on Sky Sports Cricket:
“That was good fun tonight.
“It is always good to beat India as they are a strong side and have been for many years. To be leading 3-0 with one match to go, we are very happy.
“It would be pretty cool for us to be world No 1, to be honest. That is definitely an aim. If we keep doing what we have been doing and stick to our guns, hopefully we will come out 4-0.”
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Harry Brook reflects on England’s dominant series win over India and outlines their ambition to become the world’s No.1 side.
Shreyas: Another disappointing performance
India captain Shreyas Iyer, on Sky Sports Cricket:
“It was another disappointing performance – 158 wasn’t the perfect total on the board and we saw how quickly England chased it down.
“I asked our bowlers to repeat the length as much as possible – top of middle stump and leg stump was difficult to score boundaries off. We fell short in execution.
“We are in a transition stage. We will make mistakes as a lot of youngsters are playing in these conditions for the first time. This will show them they need to adapt and learn quickly from their mistakes.”
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Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain urges England to stay ruthless and maintain their intensity as they look to complete a dominant T20 series.
‘England can’t take foot off the gas’
Sky Sports Cricket’s Nasser Hussain:
“It has been a shocking few months for England but not in this format. They have now won 19 of their last 22 completed T20Is.
“I like Brook as a captain, especially in white-ball cricket, and think he and [coach] Brendon McCullum’s carefree, express-yourself cricket suits him.
“England have to work out how to take it to the next stage after losing the last two T20 World Cup semi-finals to India.vThat’s why they shouldn’t take their foot off the gas for the final T20.
“You have an India side down who have been all over you in T20, so be ruthless and don’t let them bounce back quickly.”
England vs India results and fixtures
All times UK and Ireland, all games live on Sky Sports
- First T20 (Durham) – Match abandoned
- Second T20 (Old Trafford) – England won by four wickets
- Third T20 (Trent Bridge) – England won by 125 runs
- Fourth T20 (Bristol) – England win by nine wickets
- Fifth T20 (Southampton) – Saturday July 11 (2.30pm)
- First ODI (Edgbaston – Tuesday July 14 (11am)
- Second ODI (Cardiff) – Thursday July 16 (1pm)
- Third ODI (Lord’s) – Sunday July 19 (11am)
Watch Saturday’s fifth and final T20 between England and India, at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 2pm (2.30pm first ball). Stream cricket and more sport contract-free with NOW.
