Southampton, 12 July (H.S.): Powered by a blistering century from opening batter Jos Buttler and an unbeaten whirlwind half-century from captain Harry Brook, England defeated India by 56 runs in the fifth and final T20 International to complete a 4-0 sweep of the five-match series. With the emphatic victory, England also overtook India to reclaim the No. 1 position in the ICC Men's T20I rankings.

Playing at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, England posted a formidable 257 for three after being asked to bat, registering their highest-ever T20 International total against India. In reply, India could manage only 201 for eight in their allotted 20 overs.

Buttler produced a sensational innings of 131 off 64 deliveries, peppering the boundary with an array of fours and sixes. Brook provided ideal support with an unbeaten 95 from just 45 balls. The duo stitched together a record 233-run partnership for the second wicket, the highest partnership for any wicket against India in T20 International cricket.

For India, Shivam Dube claimed two wickets, while Prasidh Krishna picked up one. The remaining bowlers failed to make further breakthroughs as the English batters dominated throughout the innings.

Chasing a daunting target of 258, India suffered an early setback when Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for three. Ishan Kishan led the resistance with 56, while Tilak Varma struck a rapid 53 off 25 balls. However, the rest of the batting line-up failed to build substantial partnerships. Captain Shreyas Iyer scored 28, Sanju Samson contributed 27, and Shivam Dube added 14 runs.

For England, Sam Curran was the standout bowler with three wickets, while Adil Rashid claimed two crucial dismissals. Their disciplined bowling effectively ended India's hopes of mounting a successful chase.

The defeat marked India's fourth-largest loss by runs in T20 International cricket. It also extended Shreyas Iyer's record as captain to seven consecutive defeats in the format.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar