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Buttler-Brook power England
Jos Buttler’s 131 and Harry Brook’s 95 not out powered England to a 56-run victory over India at Southampton on Saturday, completing a 4-0 series clean sweep.
“A run of 18 matches in this format without reaching 40 had increased Buttler’s doubters”
England posted 257-3 after a match where the start was delayed after the tourists got stuck in traffic, and India ended on 201-8 as Sam Curran took 3-36.
Buttler struck eight sixes in a blistering innings of 131, while Brook and Buttler put on an England record partnership in the format of 233.
The hosts’ total of 257-3 was described as their second-highest at this level, and India’s hopes of avoiding a whitewash were “all but over at the break between innings.”
After the series finale, the teams were set to contest a three-match one-day international series starting in Birmingham on Tuesday.
Pressure, records, and quotes
Buttler said he felt the pressure building before his 131, telling The Independent, “Falling short of my own expectations is the main source of pressure.”
He also described the freedom he found after a long run without scoring, saying, “In a weird way that gave me a lot more freedom today.”
The Guardian framed the result as England usurping India after “1,601 days and two World Cup wins later,” with England ending on top of the world after scoring 257 for three and winning by 56 runs.
Cricbuzz reported that Buttler and Brook’s heroics in the final T20I helped England secure the series with a 4-0 scoreline while also toppling the T20 World Cup holders from the summit of the ICC rankings.
In the match itself, Cricbuzz noted India’s chase was hit early when Abhishek Sharma was sent packing by Jofra Archer, and it later fizzled out with Tilak Varma’s 53 doing little to reduce the margin of defeat.
What comes next for both
With England taking over at the top of the T20 world rankings after the 4-0 series sweep, the next immediate focus shifts to the three-match one-day international series starting in Birmingham on Tuesday.
“India’s newly appointed captain Shreyas Iyer remains without a win as skipper”
Reuters said the ODI series would follow, while the match itself left India’s T20I captain Shreyas Iyer winless as India’s “newly appointed captain Shreyas Iyer remains without a win as skipper” in the finale.
Sportstar reported that the two teams begin a three-match ODI series in Birmingham on Tuesday, placing the England-India rivalry into a new format immediately after the Rose Bowl game.
Beyond the series, the Independent linked the T20 success to Brook’s potential future role, noting he is “a candidate to take charge of the Test team after Ben Stokes’ retirement.”
For England, the result also came with a personal milestone for Buttler, who told The Independent he dedicated his 15th century for England in all formats to his late father John, who died in August last year.
