Harry Brook stars as England beat India by nine wickets to clinch T20 series with a game to spare | Cricket news
Harry Brook and Phil Salt’s 146-run partnership saw England seal a nine-wicket victory over India in Bristol to clinch the T20 series with a game to spare.
India elected to bat after winning the toss, with only captain Shreyas Iyer (80no off 49 balls) offering real resistance, as a stunning display of short ball and death bowling restricted the frustrated visitors – who lost the third T20 at Trent Bridge by 125 runs – to 158-7 in their 20 overs.
England lost Jos Buttler (8) in the third over of the chase, but captain Brook hit eight fours and four sixes, finishing unbeaten on 79 alongside Salt (59no off 42 balls), as both pushed England to their target of 159 with 37 balls to spare.
A stunning series win gives England an unassailable 3-0 lead ahead of the fifth and final T20I in Southampton on Saturday, live. Sky Sportswhere a fourth straight win would see Brook’s side leapfrog the reigning T20 World Cup champions to become the world’s No.1 team.
England won the big T20 series against India
The foundation of England’s victory was laid by some impressive with the ball from Jofra Archer (2-20) and Josh Tongue (2-36), who worked together to ensure that there was no Indian reply to 76 runs at Trent Bridge.
After scores of 13 and 14 in the series, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again failed to live up to his age and was once again Archer’s victim, getting the better of Rajasthan Royals teammate Sam Curran in the middle of the day.
India’s stutter was reduced to 48-3 in the seventh over after Ishan Kishan (4) fell to Tongue and Adil Rashid removed Abhishek Sharma (16) in the seventh over.
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India’s Shreyas hits Adil Rashid for two massive sixes and a four in the fourth Test against England.
Skipper Shreyas shared 53 runs for the fourth wicket with Shivam Dube and started recording his second half-century of the series by knocking out Rashid for six before he took the spinner for two sixes and four balls for three in the 18th over.
But England held on, with Curran and Archer scoring just eight runs and no boundaries in the final two overs before Archer finished off the bowling mastermind by kicking the ball into the stumps to dismiss Axar Patel.
As England opened their innings with Buttler hitting Arshdeep for six, he played the next game behind as he went eight innings to give India a well-deserved first wicket.
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Jofra Archer provided the final act of England’s dominant performance, kicking the ball through the stumps to dismiss Axar Patel.
But Salt and Brook stepped on the gas, taking England to 62-1 at the end of the powerplay and winning in 13.5 overs.
World No 1 will be ‘cool’
England captain Harry Brook, on Sky Sports Cricket:
“That was great tonight.
“It’s always good to beat India as they are a strong team and have been playing for years. Taking a 3-0 lead with one game left, we are very happy.
“It would be good for us to be No. 1 in the world, to be honest. That’s definitely the goal. If we keep doing what we’ve been doing and stick to our guns, hopefully we’ll go 4-0.”
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Harry Brook reflects on England’s dominant win in the India series and explains their desire to become the best team in the world.
Shreyas: Another disappointing performance
India captain Shreyas Iyer, on Sky Sports Cricket:
“It was another disappointing game – 158 was not the total on the board and we saw how quickly England were chasing.
“I asked our bowlers to repeat as long as possible – top of middle stump and leg stump it was difficult to hit boundaries. We failed in the end.
“We are in a transition phase. We will make mistakes as many young people are playing in these conditions for the first time. This will show them that they must adapt and learn quickly from their mistakes.”
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Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain urges England to remain ruthless and hold the momentum as they look to wrap up the T20 series.
‘England can’t take their foot off the gas’
Nasser Hussain for Sky Sports Cricket:
“It’s been a shocking couple of months for England but not like this. They’ve now won 19 of the last 22 T20Is.
“I like Brook as a captain, especially in white ball cricket, and I think he does too [coach] Brendon McCullum’s carefree, self-effacing cricket suits him.
“England must prepare a way to take it to the next stage after losing the semi-final of the two T20 World Cups against India. That is why they should not take their foot off the gas in the final T20 match.
“You’ve got an Indian team that’s running roughshod over you in the T20, so be aggressive and don’t let them come back too soon.”
England vs India results and fixtures
At all times in the UK and Ireland, all games are live on Sky Sports
- First T20 (Durham) – The match is 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)
- 2nd 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 again Sky Sports Main Event from 2pm (2.30pm first ball). Stream cricket and more without a sports contract NOW.
