Abhishek Sharma's Century Secures India a 4-1 T20 Series Win Over England
Abhishek Sharma's powerful century and India's dominant bowling performance lead them to a comprehensive victory in the fifth T20, clinching a 4-1 series win.
Abhishek Sharma's sensational century guided India to a 150-run win over England in the fifth and final T20 International at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, sealing a 4-1 series victory.
Sharma's blistering knock of 135 runs off 54 balls, which included 13 sixes and 7 fours, powered India to a commanding total of 247/5 after being put into bat.
His innings was the second-fastest T20I century for India.
India's total was also bolstered by their highest-ever powerplay score of 95 runs.
Chasing a mammoth target, England's opening batsman Phil Salt provided some resistance with a quickfire 55 off 23 balls, but the rest of the batting order crumbled.
India’s spinners, led by Varun Chakravarthy, who took two wickets, reduced England to 68/4 early.
Mohammed Shami also contributed with three wickets, while Abhishek took two wickets for three runs in his lone over.
England was eventually bowled out for 97 runs in just 10.3 overs, with the entire team dismissed well short of the target.
Brydon Carse and Mark Wood stood out for England, with Carse claiming two key wickets, including that of captain Suryakumar Yadav, who ended the series with a poor tally of just 28 runs.
Mark Wood also took two wickets, dismissing Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya.
Chakravarthy, named Player of the Series, reflected on his performance: 'This is the best I’ve bowled, but there is still room for improvement.' The spinner’s tactical bowling contributed significantly to India’s victory.
Abhishek’s all-round performance was the highlight of the match, as his explosive batting and effective bowling helped India secure a comprehensive win.
In the post-match interview, he commented, 'When I see it’s my day, I always try to go from the first ball.'
Despite the loss, England's captain Jos Buttler praised Abhishek’s performance, calling it 'one of the best innings' he has seen.
England will now look to improve as they prepare for a series of three one-day internationals against India starting February 6.