England batted brilliantly in the fourth T20 match at the County Ground in Bristol and defeated India by nine wickets and took the five-match series with an unassailable 3-0 lead. Chasing 159, the hosts won in just 13.5 overs thanks to a sensational unbeaten partnership between captain Harry Brook and opening batsman Phil Salt. The emphatic win also ended England's long wait for their first bilateral T20 series win of two or more matches against India.
Shreyas Iyer's lone fight saved India
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, India once again suffered a top-order collapse in the face of England's relentless pace attack. Teenage opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi was out for 15 after a brilliant start, while Ishan Kishan (4) and Abhishek Sharma (16) failed to convert their starts as Jofra Archer and Co. restricted the visitors to 48/3 inside the first seven overs.When wickets were falling, captain Shreyas Iyer was doing another rescue job for his team by scoring unbeaten 80 runs in 49 balls. The right-handed batsman mixed composure with aggression, hitting four fours and five sixes, while particularly pleasing experienced leg spinner Adil Rashid. Iyer scored 44 runs off just 16 balls against Rashid, the third-highest by an Indian batsman against a single bowler in a T20I innings, as he took India to 158/7.However, England's bowlers remained disciplined throughout. Jofra Archer finished with excellent figures of 2/20, while Josh Tongue contributed 2/36.
Brooke, salt blew up India
India's defense of 158 got off to a positive start with Arshdeep Singh dismissing Jos Buttler (8) early, raising hopes of a competitive encounter for some time. Those hopes were soon dashed.Captain Harry Brook, displaying the full range of his strokeplay, launched a breathtaking attack on the Indian attack. Constantly shuffling the crease, manipulating the field and punishing anything loose, Brook dismantled India's bowling with remarkable ease.The England captain scored a half-century in 21 balls and followed it up by remaining unbeaten on 79 runs in 24 balls, an innings full of fearless strokes and India had no answers.At the other end, Phil Salt played a perfect supporting role, remaining unbeaten on 59 and the pair put on an unbroken 151-run partnership after the opening wicket. Their sustained counter-attack helped England achieve the target in just 13.5 overs and win with 37 balls to spare.
historical series victory
England's comprehensive win secured their first bilateral T20I series win over India in a two-plus match contest. Before this series, India had won five of the last six bilateral T20 series against England, while one series ended in a draw. The defeat also continued India's recent struggle in the format. After the previous defeat in Ireland, this is the team's second consecutive bilateral T20 series defeat under captain Shreyas Iyer.The result also ended India's impressive record in bilateral T20Is, having won 11 of their last 12 series, the only exception being a 1-1 drawn series in South Africa in December 2023. England will now enter the fifth and final T20 match with the aim of making a clean sweep of the series, while India will aim to save its pride after suffering a crushing defeat in Bristol.
short score
India: 158/7 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 80* 49 runs, Shivam Dubey 22; Joffra Archer 2/20, Josh Tong 2/36)England: 159/1 in 13.5 overs (Harry Brook 79* off 24 balls, Phil Salt 59*; Arshdeep Singh 1/26)Result: England won by 9 wickets (with 37 balls remaining) and won the five-match T20I series 3–0.
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