England blow India away to wrap up T20 series with game to spare
England blow India away to wrap up T20 series with game to spare
Kieran Crichard Thu, July 9, 2026 at 8:16 PM UTC
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Harry Brook hit a 21-ball 50 as England made light work of the victory target in Bristol - Steven Paston/PA
India were “atrocious” again, to borrow the summary of their captain Shreyas Iyer, but that should not obscure the fact that England have a top-class T20 side. They have won 19 of their past 22 internationals, including the three in this series that have been completed, this match by the massive margin of nine wickets with 37 balls to spare.
India managed to double their total of 76 that they had scored in the previous game, but they have now lost a T20 series on both sides of the Irish Sea. At their current rate they would finish last in a triangular tournament featuring England and Ireland.
It was such tame, even timid, cricket from India that it raises the question of whether the Indian Premier League – while great entertainment as the sport’s premier circus – has a very high standard of batting, or whether batsmen there are spoon-fed as never before? In the IPL there are short boundaries – that allow top-edges to fly for six – flat tracks, and teams of 12-a-side allowing for rest after an innings: anything so that mass audiences can be fed with totals of over 220, bulging with maximums.
Bristol’s ground has short straight boundaries and long square boundaries, so there was no need for England to depart from their Trent Bridge game plan of short-pitched fast bowling. But yet again, India had no semblance of an answer. The tourists’ top three, including the prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, all demonstrated their distaste for such stuff, and five of the Indian wickets fell to short balls.
Only India’s captain Iyer had an appetite for running hard between wickets and he was rewarded for his efforts when he tucked into Adil Rashid’s last over for six, four, six. His team-mates seemed dull, muted, or maybe still exhausted after the IPL season with all its travelling.
Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue are launching England’s six powerplay overs with venom. Both took an early wicket so India were two down for 44 at the end of the first phase – better than the five down at Trent Bridge, but not much else to be said.
Harry Brook, like a clever anesthetist, then injected an over here of Will Jacks, and an over there from Sam Curran – so much variety in the powerplay.
Jacks has been considerably helped by India having three left-handers in their top three. But he is still making himself into an indispensable team member. He brings the same gameness to his white-ball bowling as he did to his red-ball batting in the Ashes. He varies his pace while his long arm-swing helps to impart more revolutions on the ball than many an English finger-spinner. Moeen Ali’s successor is fully installed.
As for England’s death bowling, Archer and Curran are highly trained prison officers: they let nobody get away, not here at least. The last two overs of India’s innings, even with their captain going relatively strongly, did not realise a single boundary. England’s fielding was on a par with their splendid bowling: not many parts of the boundary went uncovered by Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell or Phil Salt.
So far from confidence and quality are this Indian batting line-up that they managed only 16 boundaries, between the lot of them, in sunshine like their own.
Although Jos Buttler continued his lean sequence – 18 innings in T20 internationals since he last reached 40 – England hit nine boundaries in their powerplay alone. The urgency in running between wickets was something else too, never mind the strokeplay, as England posted 62 for one.
One of the qualities which recommend Brook for captaincy in any format is his zest in running between wickets. This is the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Brook taking his duties seriously but not excessively so. In his shot-selection – has any England batsman had such an extensive range of stroke? – he is not being weighed down, not in this format.
Brook was at his free-flowing best as he helped England thrash India - Harry Trump /Getty Images
Brook pulped the first over by the off-spinner Washington Sundar for 19 runs. Even when Axar Patel came on, a bowler up there with the best of India’s left-arm spinners, Brook ran at him and drove him on to the roof of the pavilion. He rattled up his 50 off only 21 balls, on a pitch where nobody else – not Iyer, not Phil Salt, who pulled and heaved his best – found fluency. As England’s captain Brook averages 37 with a strike-rate of 176,
Having won the series England are at liberty to experiment with other members of their squad in the fifth and final match at Southampton. James Coles advanced as a middle-order hitter during last winter, and his left-arm spin is on a par with Jacob Bethell’s, and not far behind Liam Dawson’s. And while Jos Buttler’s decline is not manifest in his wicketkeeping, Tom Banton has been nurtured to take his place.
Overall, Brendon McCullum is shaping up nicely as England’s white-ball coach and developing a strong rapport with Brook.
The summer holidays may be coming, and England will go top of the T20 rankings if they win again on Saturday, but the England and Wales Cricket Board, regarding the Test team, still has questions to answer before their recess.
08:47pm
Man of the match and England captain Harry Brook
“That was good fun tonight. Always good to beat India, who are always a very strong side and have been for many years. To be leading 3-0 with one match to go, we are very happy. Two things stand out for sure; the way that we have adapted to the surface, using different skills to each surface, and communication between players and coaches. Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue get on like a house on fire and are having good conversations, learning what is best to bowl. Jos Buttler is very valuable for us stood up to the stumps for the spinners. Little conversations make a massive difference.
“It would be pretty cool to be number one in the world and that is definitely an aim for us. We will keep doing the same things we have been doing in this series so far and stick to our guns. It felt good with the bat. Thankfully I got a few out of the middle. We have so much depth in the batting lineup and we backed our batting to win the game.”
08:43pm
India captain Shreyas Iyer
“It was another disappointing performance; 158 was not the perfect total on the board and we saw how quickly England chased it down. I asked our bowlers to repeat the length as much as possible, top of middle stump and leg stump was difficult to score boundaries off. We fell short in execution.
“We are in a transition stage. We will make mistakes as a lot of youngsters are playing in these conditions for the first time. This will show them they need to adapt and learn quickly from their mistakes.”
08:39pm
Already under pressure?
Is Shreyas Iyer, who has only recently taken over as India’s T20 captain, already at threat of losing his job? They lost both matches against Ireland a few weeks ago and now his side are 3-0 down in this series with a game to go. Not that long ago India won the T20 World Cup but the picture looks a bit different a few months on.
08:35pm
Extra incentive
If England beat India in the fifth and final match of this series on Saturday, they will overthrow India and take top spot in the world rankings.
08:33pm
Series schedule
July 1: 1st T20I, Chester-le-Street- match abandonedJuly 4: 2nd T20I, Manchester- England won by four wicketsJuly 7: 3rd T20I, Nottingham- England won by 125 runsToday: 4th T20I, Bristol- England won by nine wicketsJuly 11: 5th T20I, Southampton
08:29pm
England win by nine wickets and seal the series
Brook goes for the pull shot and a top edge goes a long way into the air. However, fortunately for Brook, it lands safely as mid-off runs back towards the boundary rope and Brook comes back for two.
With mid-on up inside the circle, Brook plays a quite ridiculous shot off the back foot for six. How he managed to flick that for six is quite amazing! That six brings up the England 150. After a Brook single, Salt drills one down the ground for four and England need just two more runs to win. An Arshdeep wide then has the scores tied.
Salt hits a single into the offside and England have cruised to a nine-wicket win in Bristol with just over six overs to spare. England have destroyed India tonight, like they did the other night, and take an unassailable 3-0 lead going into the final match.
08:24pm
OVER 13: ENG 144/1 (Salt 54 Brook 70)
Yadav is back on and it is a tight over that goes for just four runs.
08:20pm
OVER 12: ENG 140/1 (Salt 52 Brook 68)
Krishna is back on and sends one down the legside. Salt flicks away fine for four to bring up his fifty from 34 balls. He adds a half century to one he scored on Tuesday.
That probably sums up India’s day; Salt drills one up to mid-off that lands just short. Brook is then miles out of his ground at the non-striker’s end but the throw misses.
From the final ball of the over, Brook charges at Krishna and a top edge pull flies over Kishan and runs away for four.
08:15pm
OVER 11: ENG 131/1 (Salt 47 Brook 64)
This game is nearly away from India but they have one last throw of the dice as Arshdeep returns. Arshdeep drops short and Brook pulls away through mid-wicket for a couple.
Brook nearly gets a four down to third man after guiding one fine but a good stop from Dube keeps it to two. Brook is enjoying himself as he goes for another scoop but it is cut off by fine leg to stop it going for four.
Everything is going England’s way as a an outside edge off Salt’s bat and beats short third man for four. With these short straight boundaries, anything that beats the fielders inside the circle will go for four.
08:06pm
OVER 10: ENG 120/1 (Salt 41 Brook 59)
Shivam Dube is brought on for the first time. That is quite the shot from Brook. With point and third man up inside the circle, Brook plays a sublime shot opening the face to get it over backward point for four. Brook absolutely meant that.
Brook is on fire in this innings and drills Dube through mid-wicket for four to bring up the 100 partnership. Not only have this pair smashed boundaries but they have also rotated strike well, with the latest example being a couple off Salt’s bat.
At the halfway stage, England are 120/1 and need just 39 more runs.
08:01pmKey moments • Analysis
OVER 9: ENG 105/1 (Salt 37 Brook 50)
England are making this look easy at the moment. Salt drills a full delivery from Axar over wide long off for six.
Things are going from bad to worse for India. Brook’s drive through wide mid-off should be cut off by Sharma but he only succeeds in flicking it into the boundary rope.
Brook finishes the over in quite some style. He charges at Axar and absolutely smashes it down the ground for a huge six. That brings up his fifty off 21 balls and also brings up England’s 100.
Harry Brook has all the strokes - has any England batsman ever had more? - but just as admirable is his enthusiasm for running hard between wickets. A complete contrast to India’s lack of it.
Harry Brook is looking in fine touch - Steven Paston/PA
07:57pm
OVER 8: ENG 87/1 (Salt 30 Brook 39)
It will be spin from both ends as Washington Sundar is introduced. That is a dreadful ball that is punished as Sundar is too short and Brook deposits it down the ground for four. Sundar then drags one down again and Brook emphatically pulls over deep mid-wicket for six.
Brook makes it three straight boundaries as he is offered up width and drills it over cover’s head for four. Make it four consecutive boundaries as Brook punches off the back foot through cover for four. Sundar has no answer.
England racing along in this chase - Dan Istitene/Getty Images
07:53pm
OVER 7: ENG 68/1 (Salt 30 Brook 20)
India turn to spin for the first time as Axar Patel comes on. Salt powerfully punches past cover’s left hand and gets a couple. This England pair are rotating strike well.
07:50pm
OVER 6: ENG 62/1 (Salt 26 Brook 18)
India have not yet turned to spin as Yadav will bowl the final over of the powerplay. Salt is struck on the pads and India are convinced. It is given not out but Iyer sends it upstairs. It did not look right in real time, both on height and line. It is missing the stumps entirely so India lose a review.
Good running from Brook sees him flick one into the legside and come back for two.
Brook has already played one scoop with great success and there is another. It ends up being a full toss, which helps, and Brook easily scoops past short fine leg for four.
Brook is though a touch fortunate to end the powerplay as his top-edged pull shot lands safely and he comes back for a couple. For comparison, India were 44/2 after their first six overs.
England going along nicely - Steven Paston/PA
07:43pm
OVER 5: ENG 52/1 (Salt 26 Brook 9)
Krishna conceded just two runs from his first over but is welcomed back into the attack by a boundary. Krishna is too short and wide, allowing Salt to cut away for four. That was a poor ball, especially with third man up inside the circle.
Another front-foot no-ball, a second in consecutive overs. At this level, you cannot be making mistakes like that. Salt could not take advantage of the previous free hit but can he do so this time? The answer is yes but in fortuitous circumstances. It is a good short ball from Krishna but Salt gets just enough on the glove to get it over Kishan and the ball runs away for four.
Salt finishes the over off in style with a powerful drive through cover for four to bring up England’s 50.
07:37pm
OVER 4: ENG 37/1 (Salt 13 Brook 8)
Prince Yadav is brought on. Finally, after facing nine dot balls to start his innings, Salt gets off the mark. He picks a slower delivery from Yadav and slashes over the covers for four. Not only that but it was also a front-foot no-ball from Yadav so it will be a free hit. Salt comes across his stumps and is bowled but it was a free hit.
Salt then gets a slice of luck as he gets one off the toe end of the bat that runs away fine for four. That is more like it from Salt as he drills Yadav straight back down the ground along the floor for four. Salt took a little while to find his groove the other night when he scored 70 so might he be doing so again tonight?
07:31pm
OVER 3: ENG 22/1 (Salt 0 Brook 8)
England’s captain Harry Brook is in at number three. What a way to get off the mark! from just his second ball, Brook is on the scoop and takes advantage of the short straight boundaries at Bristol by getting six. Brook attempts it again but it is a filthy wide from Arshdeep.
Brook finishes the over with two to deep backward point.
07:27pmWickets • Key moments • Video
Wicket
Buttler c Kishan b Arshdeep 8 One ball after a fine strike for six, Buttler is dismissed. Buttler feels at one outside his off stump and edges through to Kishan. FOW 13/1
07:24pm
OVER 2: ENG 7/0 (Salt 0 Buttler 2)
Prasidh Krishna, into the side tonight, will open the bowling with Arshdeep. Krishna strikes Buttler on the pads but the appeals are turned down as it was going down leg.
Finally, from the ninth ball of the innings, England get their first run off the bat via a poor misfield from Sundar at mid-wicket.
England are struggling to get going here, although they should stay calm knowing they are not chasing a huge total so no need to panic.
07:20pm
OVER 1: ENG 4/0 (Salt 0 Buttler 0)
Arshdeep Singh will start for India with the ball. The first two balls are dots before Arshdeep bowls one too straight that takes a deflection off Salt’s pads and runs away fine for four leg byes. Arshdeep, as he did early on in Nottingham on Tuesday, is getting a bit of movement into the right-handers.
The final ball strikes Salt on the pads and there are loud Indian appeals but they are turned down. India opt not to review and it was going over anyway. Varma is currently leading India with Iyer off the pitch.
07:14pm
England’s run chase
Jos Buttler and Phil Salt stride to the middle for England. Both will have received confidence boosts on Tuesday, with Buttler getting England off to a good start in the third T20 at Nottingham and Salt top-scoring with 70.
07:13pm
Brilliant bowling at the death
Sam Curran and Jofra Archer closed out the innings for England and sent down two fantastic overs to finish off. The last two overs went for just eight runs and England took two wickets.
07:04pmKey moments
India post 158/7
Axar Patel is the new man in and cannot get his captain back on strike. He then gets a single so Iyer will face the final ball of the innings.
Archer bowls a lovely final ball that hits Iyer. India try to come through for a single but Archer runs Axar out via his boot, kicking the ball onto the stumps.
India end their 20 overs on 158/7 and England will require 159 runs to win the match and the series. England will be happy with their performance with the ball.
07:02pmWickets
Wicket
Sundar c Rashid b Archer 5 Archer sends down a slower ball and Sundar can only flick it straight down the throat of Rashid at fine leg. FOW 157/6
06:59pmAnalysis
OVER 19: IND 154/5 (Iyer 79 Sundar 3)
Surely Sundar’s role is just to get Iyer on strike. He faces one dot ball before getting a single. Iyer wants two down to long but has to settle for a single.
Curran bowls a great yorker that Sundar is unable to dig out. Sundar gets a single before an Iyer single rounds out a terrific over from Curran, which went for just four runs.
Not a belter here so 180-190 would be about par but Shreyas Iyer has had nobody to help him.
06:54pm
OVER 18: IND 150/5 (Iyer 77 Sundar 1)
After four runs from the first three balls, Iyer finally gets a boundary. He advances at Rashid and gets just enough on it to get over Banton at long off. He then gets a slice of fortune as a thick edge from a cut runs away fine for four. Iyer has played a lone hand for India tonight.
Iyer finishes the over in style with a second six of the over to bring up India’s 150. What that over proves is that this is not a hard pitch to bat on and it is a high-scoring ground, with relatively small boundaries.
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06:51pm
OVER 17: IND 130/5 (Iyer 58 Sundar 0)
Washington Sundar, who has come into the Indian side today, joins his captain in the middle. Sundar decides to bat very deep in his crease.
06:49pmWickets • Video
Wicket
Varma c Ahmed b Tongue 11 India keep losing wickets to short balls. One ball after hitting Tongue for six, Varma falls as he backs away and guides one straight to Ahmed at point. FOW 130/5
06:45pm
OVER 16: IND 121/4 (Iyer 54 Varma 5)
Jacks will bowl his final over. He concedes just five runs and his captain will be pretty happy with Jacks’ four overs, conceding just 28 runs and taking the wicket of Dube.
06:41pm
OVER 15: IND 116/4 (Iyer 52 Varma 3)
India’s captain Iyer needs to get going and gets four by going in-to-out over cover.
Later in the over, Rashid drops too short and Iyer pulls away for six over deep backward square leg to bring his fifty from 33 balls.
06:38pmAnalysis
OVER 14: IND 103/4 (Iyer 40 Varma 2)
Tilak Varma joins his captain in the middle and gets off the mark with a couple to deep backward point.
India’s captain is doing his best, in trying to save his job, but it’s impossible to build big totals without partnerships - in any form of cricket, except perhaps the Hundred, if you count that.
06:36pmWickets • Video
Wicket
Dube c Banton b Jacks 22 In the over that this pair bring up their 50 partnership and India hit the 100-run mark, the partnership is broken. Banton had just pulled off a stunning piece of fielding on the boundary and now takes the catch down at long on. FOW 101/4
06:33pm
OVER 13: IND 94/3 (Iyer 36 Dube 19)
Pace is brought back on with Curran. Boundaries are not coming regularly for India but one comes there as Dube pulls away through mid-wicket for four. Salt in the deep was unable to cut it off. Dube then nearly picks Salt out in the deep but it lands short.
Curran then strikes Iyer on the pads with a full delivery but that appeared to be pitching outside leg. Harry Brook sends it upstairs but England do not look overly convinced. It is pitching outside leg and England lose their review.
Curran gets away with a full toss that caught Iyer by surprise and the India captain only gets one run.
06:27pm
OVER 12: IND 87/3 (Iyer 35 Dube 14)
Jacks bowled one over during the powerplay and now returns. India have already passed their score from the last T20! Just six runs come from the over. Jacks has conceded just 14 runs from his two overs which, from not a frontline bowler, is pretty good going.
06:23pm
OVER 11: IND 81/3 (Iyer 33 Dube 11)
Rashid bowled one over in his first spell, taking the wicket of Sharma, and is now back on. Dube nearly picks out Curran at deep backward square leg but it lands short.
Iyer goes over the top through the cover region but it is cut off on the boundary rope by Jacks, saving two runs.
Iyer does though end the over with a much-needed boundary for India, advancing at Rashid and blasting it down the ground for six.
06:17pm
OVER 10: IND 71/3 (Iyer 24 Dube 10)
Tongue is coming back on for his third over. After this over, England will only have four overs of seam left in the innings so the second half of the innings will be dominated by spin.
Dube is a lucky man as he so nearly chops onto his own stumps as he looked to guide one fine down to third man. Dube then finally breaks the shackles as he times a drive through cover for four.
We hit the halfway mark in this Indian innings and England will be pretty happy with how they have bowled so far.
06:12pm
OVER 9: IND 64/3 (Iyer 22 Dube 5)
Curran keeps it tight and India seem content for now to take the singles. Six singles from the over. Are India being too risk-averse?
06:08pm
OVER 8: IND 58/3 (Iyer 19 Dube 2)
Archer is back on after two overs at the top. He nearly escapes the over conceding just one run off the bat and a leg bye but Iyer upper cuts the final delivery for six down to third man. That was a pretty decent delivery from Archer but a fine shot from Iyer.
06:04pm
OVER 7: IND 50/3 (Iyer 13 Dube 1)
Shivam Dube joins Iyer in the middle. India have moved their batsmen up and down the order during this series. Dube gets off the mark straight away with a single.
India’s 50 is brought up with a single from Iyer’s bat.
06:01pmWickets • Video
Wicket
Sharma c&b Rashid 16 That is a really, really good catch from Rashid off his own bowling. Sharma’s pull shot comes off the top edge and goes into the high air on the legside. It will land short of the fielders out in the deep so Rashid has to run after it, taking a really good catch. FOW 48/3
That was a fine catch by Adil Rashid running to square leg. The ball might even have touched his beard on the way into his hands but hey, this ground was laid out by the command of WG Grace and he probably did that himself.
05:58pmAnalysis
OVER 6: IND 44/2 (Iyer 9 Sharma 15)
Sam Curran will bowl his first over of the game and the final over of the powerplay. After back-to-back dot balls, Iyer breaks the shackles with a well-timed shot through the covers for four that Bethell on the boundary rope cannot cut off.
Just seven runs come from the final over of the powerplay, which I think has gone in England’s favour.
Apart from India’s openers being bounced out again, I’d say a chief feature of the powerplay was the rather leisurely nature of India’s running between wickets.
05:54pm
OVER 5: IND 37/2 (Iyer 4 Sharma 13)
India’s captain Shreyas Iyer comes to the crease, with both he and his side under pressure. He is off the mark second ball with a boundary and it is a bit of a gift. Tongue strays onto the pads and it is too easy for Iyer to flick away fine for four.
05:50pmWickets • Video
Wicket
Kishan c Curran b Tongue 4 Tongue has changed ends, replacing Archer, and is into the wickets. Kishan goes for the pull shot but only succeeds in top edging the ball, with Curran taking the catch at short third man. India are not dealing well with the short ball in this series. FOW 33/2
05:49pm
OVER 4: IND 32/1 (Kishan 4 Sharma 12)
Tongue bowled just the one over up front and is replaced by Will Jacks, who will look to turn the ball away from these two left-handers. That is a lovely shot from Sharma, who waits for the ball to come on to him and drives into a gap in the cover region for four. The outfield is going to run very quickly.
Not a bad over from Jacks to escape conceding just eight runs inside the powerplay.
05:45pm
OVER 3: IND 24/1 (Kishan 1 Sharma 7)
Ishan Kishan joins Sharma in the middle and is off the mark first ball with a single to deep point.
05:43pmKey moments • Wickets • Video
Wicket
Sooryavanshi c Curran b Archer 15 As has been the case throughout the series, Sooryavanshi hits a few lusty blows before succumbing. He is going after every short delivery and this time the top edge goes just straight to Curran at mid-on. Sooryavanshi has three innings in the teens during this series and fallen at almost the same point every time. FOW 23/1
Nothing like the bounce that there was in the Trent Bridge pitch. Still it was enough for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He walks off very slowly but if he is 15 he has time on his side.
And lucky that Sam Curran didn’t leave that catch to Jos Buttler this time...
05:39pm
OVER 2: IND 20/0 (Sooryavanshi 13 Sharma 6)
As has been the case through this series, Josh Tongue will open the bowling with Archer. Sharma gets the first boundary of the innings as he pounces on a fuller Tongue delivery and slashes over the cover region for a one-bounce four.
India off and running - Dan Istitene/Getty Images
Later in the over, Sooryavanshi gets his first boundary of the innings. He rocks onto the back foot and powerfully strikes aerially through wide mid-off for four. Sooryavanshi then ends the over in style, upper cutting for six over third man.
05:35pm
OVER 1: IND 5/0 (Sooryavanshi 3 Sharma 1)
Jofra Archer will send down the first over of the game and starts with a wide. Sooryavanshi gets the first run off the bat with a single to square leg.
Archer is tucking up this Indian pair, offering them no real room to free their arms. Sooryavanshi could be accused of trying to hit the ball too hard in that over.
05:28pmAnalysis
Ready for action
It is a stunning early evening in Bristol as India’s openers, Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, stride out to the middle.
Bristol’s ground has short straight boundaries and long square boundaries. So don’t expect to see any difference in England’s approach to India’s batsmen in the powerplay. There will be short balls as well as the one permitted bouncer per over, inviting the visitors to hook and pull, or upper-cut and cut square.
You wonder about the standard of the Indian Premier League - great entertainment but what about the quality of the batting? - if India’s T20 side gets dismissed for 76, blasted away by fine pace bowling with proper boundaries on a Trent Bridge pitch that was not a belter.
Ireland have already defeated India 2-0 on their tour.
Everything is done in the IPL - short boundaries so top-edges fly for six, flat pitches, 12-a-side teams - to pamper the batsmen and assist them to totals well above 200.
05:25pm
Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports
“India have been very ordinary so far in this series so there are a lot of questions being asked about the XI they are choosing, the players left out, the bowling changes and, most importantly, the batting order. India will be feeling the heat. They are reigning world T20 champions and have set a certain standard for themselves they are not standing up to.
“They are a side in transition, bringing in a lot of new faces and a new captain in Shreyas [Iyer], so I believe they are focused on the ODI World Cup in 2027 and that T20 is about bringing youngsters in.”
05:21pm
Eoin Morgan on Sky Sports
“India are wounded and England are absolutely flying. They have batted with an element of temperament that has perhaps not been there before and bowled with a huge amount of confidence that has put India on their backsides. Now it is about adapting to conditions.
“If England win the final two games of this series, they will go to world No 1, leapfrogging India, so that is a huge opportunity they cannot take for granted. This format is becoming England’s best numbers-wise.”
05:17pm
England captain Harry Brook
“We played awesome in the last game, adapted to conditions and communicated really well. It was a very good team performance. It would be lovely to win the series and it is more of the same from the other night. Adapt, communicate and back ourselves. Everyone can contribute in our side.”
05:14pm
India captain Shreyas Iyer
“It is a must-win game and we are going to play like that. We have had fearlessness but not been able to execute the plans as much as possible. Today is a fresh day, a fresh start and the boys are in high spirits. We want to be positive but you have to read the environment and see how the game is going; adapt to the wicket and the way the wind is blowing. If we sort these, we will definitely get the results.”
05:09pm
Unwanted numbers for India
Here are just a few records that India broke in the third T20 on Tuesday and not in a good way:
125: India’s largest-ever margin of defeat70 balls: India’s shortest T20I innings76: India’s lowest T20I total against England5: India’s longest winless streak in T20I
05:07pm
Series schedule
July 1: 1st T20I, Chester-le-Street- match abandonedJuly 4: 2nd T20I, Manchester- England won by four wicketsJuly 7: 3rd T20I, Nottingham- England won by 125 runsToday: 4th T20I, BristolJuly 11: 5th T20I, Southampton
05:05pmKey moments
Teams
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook (captain), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue.
India: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.
05:04pm
Hot, hot, hot!
Welcome to a boiling C30’-plus afternoon at Nevil Road. The ground has been packed with temporary stands - but not one seat in them is in the shade. And tickets start at £55.
The match would start an hour later, at the cooler time of 6.30 pm, but that would not suit Indian television viewers.
05:03pmKey moments
India win the toss and bat first
Shreyas Iyer may be a man under a bit of pressure as India’s T20 captain but he calls correctly at the toss. He tells Ravi Shastri that his side will have a bat first.
05:00pm
Time for the toss
As it is around the country, it is baking hot in Bristol as both captains are in the middle for the toss. England know a win will seal the series. India’s captain Shreyas Iyer was rather scathing of his team on Tuesday so how will they respond today?
04:54pmKey moments
Can England wrap up the series?
England take a 2-0 lead into the fourth T20 against India at Bristol, knowing a win today will secure the series with a game to spare. England thrashed India by 125 runs in the third match of the series in Nottingham on Tuesday to move 2-0 up in the series.
England posted 201/7 in their 20 overs, with Phil Salt top-scoring with 70 from 44 deliveries and Sam Curran adding 41 not out. India then disintegrated with the bat as they were bowled out for just 76, which is their second-lowest all-out total in T20 cricket. It was England’s opening bowlers who did the damage, with Josh Tongue taking four wickets on his home ground and man of the match Jofra Archer taking three. Captain Harry Brook was delighted with his side’s performance on Tuesday.
“The communication and plans going into the second half were perfect,” Brook said. “We adapted well with the bat on a tricky surface, and to carry that into the bowling was awesome. Salty [Phil Salt] played a mega innings, Jos’ [Buttler] little cameo in the powerplay got us off to a good start. We realised early it was a tough surface to hit from top of the stumps. To get us to 200 on a tricky surface was a phenomenal effort. We had a plan and stuck to it well.”
Jofra Archer (left) took three wickets in the third T20 - Gareth Copley/Getty Images
India’s loss on Tuesday was their heaviest defeat ever in T20I cricket and they have now lost four of their last five T20 internationals. India captain Shreyas Iyer did not hold back in his criticism of his side’s performance on Tuesday, describing it as “atrocious”.
“It was atrocious, I cannot use a better word,” Iyer said. “Losing by such a big margin is not acceptable. We need to accept this loss and go back to the drawing board and see what we did wrong. First of all, it was not a 200 wicket. Losing four in the powerplay did not create momentum and we lost our way.
“You can plan a lot but once you come into the ground you have to adapt and figure out what lengths are important to bowl. Hard lengths helped the bowlers on this wicket, but we did not execute many. When you are chasing, you have to set patterns for how to chase. We fell short, our execution was awful. It is a great opportunity [in the series] to come back strong, not to dwell on what happened in the past. We have played awful cricket but lots to learn as well. Players have to figure out ways to create impact. Every individual has to see how they can win matches and take that responsibility.”
Play gets under way from Bristol at 5.30pm.
Source: “AOL Sports”
