Abhishek Sharma’s breathtaking century propelled India to a resounding 150-run victory over England in the fifth and final T20 international at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. This emphatic win secured a 4-1 series triumph for the home side.
Sharma’s Spectacular Innings
Put into bat, India posted a mammoth total, thanks largely to Abhishek Sharma’s explosive knock. He blazed his way to 135 runs off just 54 balls, the second-fastest T20I century for India. His innings was studded with 13 sixes and 7 fours, leaving the England bowlers struggling to contain him.
“It’s a special one, coming for the country, always a great feeling,” Sharma said after the match. “When I see it’s my day, I always try to go from the first ball. When the opponents are bowling 140, 150-plus, you have to be ready a little earlier. Just react to the ball and play my shots.”
India’s Powerful Start
Sharma’s onslaught helped India achieve their highest-ever powerplay score of 95, with 16 boundaries coming in the first six overs. While other Indian batters struggled against England’s attack, cameos from Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube provided valuable support to Sharma.
England’s Faltering Chase
Chasing a daunting target of 248, England opener Phil Salt provided a brisk start with 55 runs off 23 balls. However, he received little support from the rest of the batting lineup. Indian spinners, led by Player of the Series Varun Chakravarthy, made early inroads, leaving England reeling at 68-4 in their chase of Abhishek Sharma’s team’s total.
England’s Collapse and India’s Bowling Prowess
England’s innings imploded spectacularly, with the team dismissed for a paltry 97 in just 10.3 overs. Mohammed Shami led the bowling attack with three wickets, while Chakravarthy, Dube, and Sharma claimed two wickets each.
Chakravarthy, reflecting on his performance, said, “This is the best I’ve bowled, but a lot of scope to improve, there were a few (bad) balls, I should not have bowled them. It was just the matter of bowling the right ball at the right time, that’s what I was working on.”
England’s Perspective
England captain Jos Buttler acknowledged the disappointment of losing the series but highlighted some positives. “We’re disappointed to lose the series, but we’ve done some things well and some things we want to improve on. We want to keep committing to this style of cricket and execute better,” Buttler said. He also praised Abhishek Sharma’s performances alongside the efforts of Brydon Carse and Mark Wood, who bowled with pace and accuracy.
