India’s 1,601-day reign as world No. 1 ends after 4-0 T20I whitewash of England | cricket news
England sealed a 4-0 T20I series win over India with a 56-run win in the fifth and final match in Southampton on Saturday. Jos Buttler played a brilliant inning of 131 runs in 64 balls, while captain Harry Brook remained unbeaten on 95 runs, helping England post a mammoth score of 257/3 after being invited to bat first. India struggled with the bat but could only manage 201/8, giving England a clean sweep in a memorable series.England lost Phil Salt early, but Buttler and Brook took complete control with a record 233-run partnership for the second wicket – the highest partnership for any wicket in men’s T20I history. Buttler hit 12 fours and eight sixes to post his career-best T20I score, while Brook missed out on a century after scoring an unbeaten 95 off just 45 balls.The performance of India’s bowlers was forgettable. Akshar Patel gave 63 runs in four overs, Prince Yadav gave 60 runs, while debutant Suryansh Shedge gave 39 runs in three overs. Due to England’s aggressive batting, there was very little chance of a comeback for the visiting team.Chasing 258 runs was always a difficult task. Ishan Kishan scored 56, while Tilak Verma made a quickfire 53, but neither innings was enough to threaten England’s total.The defeat meant that India lost the five-match series 4–0 after the opening game was washed out due to rain. It also ended India’s 1,601-day stay at the top of the ICC men’s T20I rankings. Under new captain Shreyas Iyer, India have now suffered six defeats, with the team struggling to find consistency during the tour.England, meanwhile, looked sharp in all departments throughout the series, with Buttler and Brook leading the way in the final to end a one-sided contest in emphatic fashion.