Jos Buttler struck his first international century in three years to fire England to a commanding 56-run win over India in Southampton on 11 July, sealing a 4-0 series whitewash and lifting the hosts to the top of the T20 world rankings.
The 35-year-old, long regarded as one of the finest white-ball batters of his generation, blazed his way to 131 studded with eight sixes. It came inside a record England partnership in the format, 233 with captain Harry Brook, who finished unbeaten on 95 as the hosts posted 257 for 3, their second-highest T20 total.
India’s chase, in a match delayed at the start after the tourists were held up in traffic, never got close. Ishan Kishan made 56 but the tourists were bowled out for 201 for 8, with left-arm swing bowler Sam Curran taking 3 for 36 as England completed another one-sided victory over the reigning T20 world champions.
Attention now turns to a three-match one-day series beginning in Birmingham on Tuesday, which could mark Virat Kohli’s final tour of England, having already retired from Test and T20 international cricket. There was late intrigue too when India’s teenage prospect Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, was left out following the squad’s delayed arrival.
Buttler set the tone early, driving over mid-on for the match’s first six, and was let off on three when Shivam Dube spilled a skied chance. Brook punished the reprieve with successive sixes off Prince Yadav, while Buttler brought up a 51-ball hundred by pulling Axar Patel over square leg. He eventually fell for 131, caught at mid-off off Dube after back-to-back maximums.
Sooryavanshi’s replacement Sanju Samson struck two sixes off Josh Tongue before chipping Curran’s first delivery to Jacob Bethell for 27. Captain Shreyas Iyer added 55 with Kishan before falling to spinner Liam Dawson, and Kishan’s own innings ended to a superb running catch from Phil Salt at deep midwicket off Adil Rashid. Tilak Varma’s 53 was among three catches taken behind the stumps by Buttler in an outstanding all-round display.
