India v England: Tourists suffer record T20 defeat after Abhishek Sharma century
2025-02-02
Category: sports

Fifth T20, MumbaiIndia 247-9 (20 overs): Abhishek 135 (54); Carse 3-38England 97 all out (10.3 overs): Salt 55 (23); Shami 3-25India won by 150 runsScorecard
England slumped to a record T20 defeat as Abhishek Sharma's scintillating century powered India to a 150-run win in Mumbai.The 24-year-old opener blasted 135 from 54 balls - the highest score by an Indian batter in a T20 international - including 13 sixes and seven fours as the hosts reached 247-9.Chasing a near insurmountable target, Jos Buttler's side crumbled in their reply and were skittled for just 97 in 10.3 overs - a record defeat by margin of runs - as they lost the series 4-1.Having been put into bat on a good surface at the Wankhede Stadium, India blew England away in the powerplay to reach 95-1 after the first six overs.Abhishek brought up his fifty from 17 balls, then powered on to reach his century in 37 deliveries - the third fastest in a match between Test-playing nations.He hit his 13th and final six, another national record, one ball before he was finally dismissed, caught on the cover boundary by Jofra Archer off Adil Rashid.Phil Salt did his best to keep England up with the required rate, hitting 55 from 23 at the top of the order, but no other batter passed 10 in a dismal chase.India seamer Mohammed Shami took 3-25, while Abhishek claimed 2-3 from his single over, removing both Brydon Carse and Jamie Overton.Mark Wood was the last batter to fall, caught behind on review, with England ending their first white-ball series under coach Brendon McCullum with one of their heaviest defeats.
Wankhede crowd hails new hero
When he finally walked off after holing out to Archer, Abhishek's name echoed around the famous ground as a gleeful crowd celebrated a new hero.The opener, who had scored 79 in the opening match of the series but not passed 29 in three subsequent innings, was the star of the show, scoring 105 more runs than any other India batter.He began his charge in the third over, lashing England strike bowler Archer for consecutive sixes on the off side.Fourteen runs followed off Wood, before more back-to-back sixes off Archer's fifth over sealed the second-fastest T20 international century by an Indian.The run to bring up his century, by contrast, was a more understated affair - a single into the covers off Carse's first ball after drinks.After that, Abhishek struggled to get on strike and faced only 17 more deliveries, although that included a flurry of three sixes in his final six balls.India's supporting cast featured Shivam Dube (30 from 13) and Sanju Samson (16 from seven), who both batted at a strike rate over 200, while Tilak Varma hit 24 from 15.
England pay for persisting with seam attack
England have struggled against spin in this series, losing 29 wickets to turning deliveries on Indian pitches that typically favour slower bowlers.However, McCullum - who took over the white-ball side prior to the India tour - chose to select a seamer-dominated line-up with one front-line spinner in leggie Rashid, backed by part-timer Liam Livingstone.Archer (1-55) and Wood (2-32) bowled the first four overs of the powerplay as India raced to 55-1, conceding nine boundaries as the hosts used the pace on the ball to their advantage.Carse was the only England seamer to impress, varying his speed to take 3-38, and finished with nine wickets in the series - the second most behind India spinner Varun Chakravarthy.His three wickets all came from top edges off short balls, as Varma and Suryakumar Yadav skied balls to keeper Salt and Dube found Rashid at fine leg.Leg-spinner Rashid was untypically expensive with the ball - blitzed for consecutive Abhishek sixes before finally removing India's star man.He finished with figures of 1-41 from three overs, as England chose to give a full complement to Archer, Wood and Carse, while Overton (1-48) was also given 18 deliveries as McCullum continued to throw his quicks at India's dominant batters.
'I always try to go from the first ball' - reaction
England captain Jos Buttler: "We've done some things well, there are some things we want to improve upon, but we've got to keep committing to the style of cricket we want to play - just execute better."India are a fantastic side, especially at home, and absolutely our guys will be better for the experience."I think some of the guys' bowling performances - even today, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood, I thought they were outstanding."India opener Abhishek Sharma: "When I see it is my day I always try to go from the first ball. The way my coach and captain have treated me, they have always wanted this intent and have always backed me."When the opponents are all bowling 140-150kph you have to be ready a second before everyone else. I wanted to react to the ball and play my shots."India captain Suryakumar Yadav: "This is the brand of cricket we want to play. We are sticking to it. It is high risk, high reward."