Listless India surrender in Bristol, England clinch series with nine-wicket hammering

India’s misery continued in T20Is as they lost their second successive series under Shreyas Iyer, following their 9-wicket defeat in the fourth match against England on Thursday, July 09 at County Ground, Bristol. After opting to bat first, India once again struggled to post a big total, scoring just 158/7 in their allotted 20 overs, with only captain Shreyas Iyer showing some resistance against a relentless England attack.

In reply, the hosts made a complete mockery of the chase, reaching the target in just 13.5 overs against a listless Indian bowling attack. Captain Harry Brook led from the front with a breathtaking innings of 79* (35), while Philip Salt (59* off 42) scored his second successive half-century of the series.

Following another dominating victory, England registered their first T20I series win over India after 12 years, having lost the last five consecutively. It was also for the first time in their history that India are on a six-match winless streak in T20Is.

The inability to counter the short-ball ploy from the English seamers once again cost India dearly, and they now find themselves on the verge of getting whitewashed, with just one match remaining in the series.

Top run-scorer of the Match

Top wicket-taker of the Match

Player of the Match

Harry Brook was adjudged Player of the Match for his breathtaking innings of 79* (35), laced with eight fours and four sixes. He walked in to bat after Jos Buttler (8 off 8) departed cheaply, and gave no chance whatsoever to the Indian bowlers to make early inroads into the England lineup. Brook got involved in a massive 146-run stand off 68 balls alongside Philip Salt, that sealed another dominating win for England.

Turning Point

India once again had a disastrous start in the powerplay as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma failed to get their team off to a flying start. England's new-ball duo of Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue were once again spot on with their plans and left India reeling at 48/3 after 6.4 overs. From there on, only captain Shreyas Iyer managed to show some fight, while other batters struggled, and they had to settle for a below-par score.

What did the captains say:

Winning Captain, Harry Brook (England): 

That was good fun tonight. Always good to beat India. To beat them 3-0 with one game to go... very happy. Two things stand out for sure - the way we've adapted to the surface and the communication from the coaches to the players and vice-versa. These two things have stood out. Jofra and Tongue again, like a house on fire. Will be pretty cool to be world No.1 - definitely an aim for us. Felt good (with the bat). Again, it's some conversations with the coaches, try to figure out where to hit the ball in the ground. We've got so much depth in the batting lineup. We brought Rehan in today. Backed our batting to win us the game.

Losing Captain, Shreyas Iyer (India): 

Again it was a disappointing one. 158 wasn't the perfect total on the board. Eventually we saw how quickly they chased it down. When we came onto bowl I just asked the bowlers to repeat the lengths as much as possible. Top of middle and leg was difficult to score off. We fell short on our execution. Definitely happy with my performance but if it's not in a winning cause.. This is a transition phase and we will be making mistakes. Have to realise how important it is to adapt. I'm sure there are quick-learners in the team and they will assess themselves.