Mumbai, Feb 2 (UNI) Abhishek Sharma's scintillating century and Mohammad Shami's sensational bowling guided India to a resounding 150-run victory over England in the fifth T20I at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, sealing the series 4-1 in a spectacular fashion.
Sent into bat, India posted a massive 247/9 in their allotted 20 overs, powered by Abhishek's explosive 135 runs off 54 balls, which included 7 fours and 13 sixes. The knock not only helped India set a daunting total but also saw Abhishek achieve the fastest-ever T20I century by an Indian, reaching the milestone in just 37 balls.
His efforts surpassed Shubman Gill’s previous T20I record of 126*, making Abhishek the new record-holder for the highest individual score by an Indian in T20Is.
Despite the fall of wickets, India’s dominance remained unchallenged, thanks to contributions from Shivam Dube (30 off 13 balls) and Axar Patel (15 off 11 balls). Tilak Varma added 24 runs from 15 balls, while Rinku Singh chipped in with 9 runs off 6 balls.
In response, England were bundled out for a mere 97 runs in just 10.3 overs, with Shami taking centrestage, picking up 3 wickets for 25 runs. His outstanding performance included the crucial wicket of Ben Duckett, caught by Abhishek for a duck.
Shami's remarkable figures were further bolstered by Abhishek, who excelled with the ball, claiming 2 wickets for just 3 runs. Varun Chakravarthy and Shivam Dube, whose role in a recent concussion substitution controversy had sparked debate, also made significant contributions, each taking two wickets to completely dismantle England’s batting lineup.
England's chase faltered early as they lost key wickets, including that of opener Philip Salt, who had scored a quick-fire 55 off 23 balls. The collapse continued with the dismissal of key players such as Jos Buttler (7) and Liam Livingstone (9), leaving the visitors with no hope of recovering.
Shami’s crucial breakthroughs included dismissals of Duckett (0) and Mark Wood (0), while Varun Chakravarthy played his part by removing Buttler. England’s resistance crumbled as they were reduced to 97 all out in just 10.3 overs.
India's emphatic 150-run victory marks their second-largest win in T20I history, behind only their 168-run victory against New Zealand at Ahmedabad in 2023.
Other notable victories include Pakistan’s 143-run win against West Indies in Karachi (2018), India’s 143-run victory over Ireland in Dublin (2018), England’s 137-run win against West Indies in Basseterre (2019), and India’s 135-run win over South Africa in Joburg (2024).
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