India produced a dominant all-round performance to beat England by 88 runs in the fourth T20 international in Ahmedabad on Thursday, securing an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
India Post Formidable Total
Batting first, India posted 229 for 5 in their 20 overs, powered by a blistering 78 off 38 balls from Suryakumar Yadav and a composed 55 off 34 from captain Rohit Sharma. The pair added 112 runs for the second wicket after the early loss of Virat Kohli for 4.
Yadav smashed eight fours and five sixes, while Sharma hit five boundaries and three sixes. England's bowlers struggled for control, with Chris Jordan the most expensive, conceding 51 runs in his four overs without taking a wicket. Adil Rashid was the pick of the attack, taking 2 for 34.
England's Chase Collapses
In reply, England never got going, losing wickets at regular intervals and finishing on 141 for 9. Jos Buttler top-scored with 29 off 22 balls, but no other batter reached 25. The required run rate climbed quickly, and the chase effectively ended when Dawid Malan was dismissed for 18 in the eighth over.
India's bowlers were superb, with leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi taking 3 for 28 and left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav claiming 2 for 19. Fast bowler Arshdeep Singh also chipped in with 2 for 27. England were bowled out with 11 balls remaining.
Series Sealed
The win gives India an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, with the final T20 to be played in Ahmedabad on Saturday. This is India's first series win against England in T20 internationals since 2018.
"It was a complete performance," said India captain Rohit Sharma after the match. "The batters set it up nicely, and then the bowlers did a fantastic job to defend the target. We are very happy with the way we have played throughout the series."
England captain Jos Buttler acknowledged his team's shortcomings: "We were outplayed in all departments. India were too good for us today. We need to regroup and come back stronger in the final match."
