Jos Buttler and Harry Brook put on a batting show in Southampton on Saturday as England beat India by 56 runs in the fifth and final T20I to complete a 4-0 series sweep. It is the first time India have ever been clean swept in a multi-match T20I series — and the result also knocked the T20 World Cup holders off the top of the ICC T20I rankings, with England moving to No. 1.
India replied with fifties from Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma to finish on 201/8, but chasing 258 was always going to be too much. For captain Shreyas Iyer, the wait for a first win goes on.
Buttler and Brook take India apart
India won the toss again and chose to bowl. They made two changes, the big one being Sanju Samson coming back in place of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The first half of the powerplay actually went India's way. They kept things tight and Prasidh Krishna removed Phil Salt for 6. But everything changed after that.
Buttler pulled out his scoop against Prasidh, then lofted him for six, and took on Arshdeep Singh in the next over. At the other end, Brook was given a huge let-off when Shivam Dube misjudged a top edge — and Brook made India pay immediately, smashing the next two balls for six.
From there it was carnage. Brook went after Axar Patel in an over that cost 25 runs and brought up his fastest-ever T20I fifty, off just 19 balls. Buttler reached his own fifty in the next over. Suryansh Shedge bowled two tidy overs before being taken for 24 in one, and Prince Yadav leaked 21 in another as England raced to 189/1 after 15 overs.
Buttler brought up his century with a six off Axar — his first hundred in England in any format since 2020, and his first fifty-plus score in 18 innings. He fell for 131 off 64 balls (12 fours, eight sixes), one of two wickets Dube took in the penultimate over, though that same over also went for three sixes and a four.
Brook finished unbeaten on 95 off 45 with four fours and eight sixes, denied a century by Prince Yadav in the final over. Their 233-run stand off 102 balls was the fourth-highest partnership in T20I history, and England's 257/3 is now their highest-ever total against India in the format.
Kishan and Tilak fight, but the target is too big
India's chase took an early hit when Jofra Archer had Abhishek Sharma caught behind for 3.
Samson gave the innings some life with two sixes off Josh Tongue, and along with Ishan Kishan he got India moving in the powerplay. But the moment Sam Curran came on, England struck again — Samson picked out a fielder and departed.
Kishan kept India in the hunt alongside Shreyas Iyer, and at the halfway mark India were 110 — a good score, but still well behind what the chase demanded. Then came the double blow. Iyer mistimed one straight after the drinks break to go for a brisk 28 off 16, and Kishan followed soon after for 56, holing out to a fine catch from Salt on the deep midwicket boundary off Adil Rashid, who was playing his 150th T20I.
That left India needing 111 from the final six overs. Tilak Varma started quickly and brought up a rapid fifty, ending on 53, but the chase had already fizzled out. Curran finished with 3/36 as India closed on 201/8.
A tour to forget for India
The first game was washed out by rain, and India then lost the next four in a row — by four wickets, by 125 runs, by nine wickets, and now by 56 runs.
The trouble started even before England. India were beaten 2-0 by Ireland in Belfast at the start of the tour, which means they have now lost six T20Is in a row — the longest losing run in their history. Counting the rain-hit no-result, they have gone seven matches without a win.
Add to that their first bilateral T20I series loss to England, their first-ever clean sweep in a multi-match T20I series, and the loss of their No. 1 ranking. For new captain Shreyas Iyer, it is a nightmare start — he is still waiting for his first win, even though he has been India's best batter on tour.
What happens next
The BCCI is expected to review India's poor run in T20Is after this tour. The problems are easy to spot — the bowling has been very costly, the fielding was sloppy in Southampton, and the batting has leaned too heavily on one or two players.
For England, this series has been close to perfect. Harry Brook's side adapted better, bowled smarter and batted with far more confidence. They are now the No. 1 T20I team in the world and look like serious contenders ahead of the next T20 World Cup.
India now turn to the ODI leg of the tour, where they will be desperate for a fresh start.
ENG vs IND 5th T20I Result
England: 257/3 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 131, Harry Brook 95*; Shivam Dube 2-22, Prasidh Krishna 1-38)
India: 201/8 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 56, Tilak Varma 53, Shreyas Iyer 28; Sam Curran 3-36)
Result: England won by 56 runs and took the series 4-0
Player of the Match: Jos Buttler
England were simply too good in every department. For India, this tour ends with hard questions — and very little to take home.
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