Cricket
Harry Brook half-century helps England claim T20 series win over India
England coasted to a stunning nine-wicket T20 series-sealing victory over India as Harry Brook and Phil Salt dazzled in the Bristol sunshine.
Skipper Brook – who smashed an unbeaten 79 from 35 balls – and Phil Salt went into overdrive as India’s modest 158 for seven was passed in just 13.5 overs.
Brook clubbed eight fours and four sixes while Salt added nine fours to a six in his undefeated 59 as England beat India in a bilateral series of two games or more for the first time.
Coming just two days after England romped to a 125-run win at Trent Bridge, another one-sided encounter secured a 3-0 lead with Saturday’s finale at Southampton to come.
England again shone with the ball as Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue backed up impressive displays in Nottingham with two wickets each, while Sam Curran and Will Jacks conceded only 24 and 28 from respective four-over spells.
India captain Shreyas Iyer had provided isolated resistance with an unbeaten 80 from 49 balls, but it was a record fifth straight defeat for the visitors following embarrassment against Ireland.
The outcome was never in doubt as Brook and Salt – who was bowled from a free hit on four – found their rhythm to leave India a completely dispirited unit.
India chose to bat and instantly get Tuesday’s shambolic Trent Bridge display, when they were dismissed for just 76, out of their system.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi clouted Tongue to the cover boundary and sent an upper cut for six, but the 15-year-old sensation again failed to better his age after scores of 13 and 14.
Sooryavanshi had reached 15 when he skied Archer to mid on, falling to his Rajasthan Royals teammate just as he had done at Nottingham.
Archer is certainly on top of this battle having dismissed Sooryavanshi twice in the 13 balls he has bowled to the teenager.
India’s top-order perished further to the pull shot as Ishan Kishan fell to Tongue and Adil Rashid ran 20 yards off his own bowling to pouch Abhishek Sharma and leave the visitors 48 for three.
Iyer and Shivam Dube repaired the innings, albeit with a partnership that failed to dominate and felt too safe without great risk.
The fourth wicket was worth 53 from 43 balls when Dube was bemused by a slower ball from Will Jacks and picked out Tom Banton advancing from long on.
Iyer reached his second fifty of the series with a six off Rashid, and exacted further punishment on the leg spinner by ending the 18th over with six, four, six.
Tongue and Archer had picked up their second wickets by then to dismiss Tilak Varma and Washington Sundar.
England’s excellent effort was reflected by Curran and Archer conceding only eight runs and no boundaries in the final two overs, and capped by Archer running out Axar Patel with some neat footwork.
India struck early as Jos Buttler nudged Arshdeep Singh behind for eight.
But it was one-way traffic after that as Salt, who needed nine balls to get off the mark, and Brook produced some extraordinary hitting to guarantee another quickfire finish with a partnership of 146.
