India clinches series 4-1 as Abhishek Sharma shines in dominant win over England

Abhishek Sharma's stellar all-round display propelled India to a historic triumph over England in the fifth and final match of the series at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Sunday.

With this win, India wrapped up the five-match series 4-1, having already secured the series earlier.

Chasing an imposing target of 248, England was bowled out for just 97 runs in 10.3 overs. Opener Philip Salt was the top scorer for the visitors, smashing 55 off 23 balls, including seven boundaries and three sixes, at an impressive strike rate of 239.13.

Jacob Bethell contributed 10 runs, but the rest of the batting lineup, including Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, and Liam Livingstone, failed to make an impact, all falling short of double digits.

India's bowlers delivered a dominant performance, with Mohammed Shami leading the attack, claiming three wickets for 25 runs in 2.3 overs. Varun Chakravarthy (2/25 in 2 overs) and Shivam Dube (2/11 in 2 overs) each picked up two wickets.

Abhishek Sharma, in his single over, took two wickets for just three runs, while Ravi Bishnoi added one scalp, conceding nine runs in his over.

Earlier in the first innings, Indian openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma set an aggressive tone, scoring 16 runs off Jofra Archer in the opening over. Samson departed after scoring 16, making way for Tilak Varma.

The duo ensured India reached 50 in just four overs. Abhishek Sharma reached his half-century in just 17 balls, smashing three fours and five sixes. His explosive innings placed him second on the list of fastest T20I centuries by an Indian, behind Yuvraj Singh's iconic knock in the 2007 T20 World Cup.

India crossed the 100-run mark in the seventh over. Tilak Varma was dismissed for 24 in the ninth over when the team’s total stood at 136. Captain Suryakumar Yadav followed soon after, departing for just two runs in the 11th over. The team reached 150 in the 12th over, and Shivam Dube contributed 30 runs before falling in the 14th over.

India breached the 200-run mark in the 16th over. Abhishek Sharma's scintillating innings ended at 135 runs in the 18th over when Adil Rashid dismissed him at a team score of 237. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, India posted a formidable total of 247/9 in 20 overs.

For England, Brydon Carse was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for 38 runs. Mark Wood claimed two wickets, while Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, and Adil Rashid secured one each.

Brief Scores:
India 247/9 (Abhishek Sharma 135, Shivam Dube 30, Tilak Varma 24; Brydon Carse 3/38) defeated England 97 (Philip Salt 55, Jacob Bethell 10, Liam Livingstone 9; Abhishek Sharma 2/3).