Synopsis
On February 2, Abhishek Sharma's explosive batting led India to a remarkable score of 247 runs in the fifth T20I against England. His incredible innings included the second-fastest century in Indian T20I history, showcasing his dominant performance at the Wankhede Stadium.Key Takeaways
- Abhishek Sharma scored 135 runs in just 54 balls.
- India set a total of 247 runs against England.
- Sharma's century was the second-fastest by an Indian in T20Is.
- The partnership between Sharma and Varma significantly boosted India's total.
- Brydon Carse was England's standout bowler with 3 wickets.
Mumbai, Feb 2 (NationPress) Displaying an array of spectacular shots across the pitch, opener Abhishek Sharma achieved the second-fastest century by an Indian in just 37 balls, propelling India to an impressive total of 247 for 9 against England during the fifth and final T20I at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
Abhishek smashed the second-fastest fifty (17 balls) and second-fastest century (37 balls) with a magnificent score of 135 off 54 balls, treating every England bowler with contempt, executing pulls, hoicks, reverses, and drives with finesse as he struck seven boundaries and 13 dazzling sixes.
England captain Jos Buttler opted to bowl first, hoping to take advantage of the assistance typically offered to bowlers at the Wankhede, but Abhishek came out firing on all cylinders.
Earlier, Sanju Samson kicked off the Indian innings explosively but was dismissed cheaply in the second over. The Kerala wicketkeeper batter sent Jofra Archer’s first delivery soaring for a six over midwicket, followed by a pull behind square for another six and a four on the next ball.
He attempted to replicate the performance by hitting Mark Wood but ended up with a simple catch to Archer. Samson scored 16 off seven balls, including one four and two sixes.
Archer's struggles continued as Abhishek first smashed him to the extra-cover boundary, followed by back-to-back sixes with cuts and cover drives. Archer’s two overs resulted in a costly 34 runs.
The left-handed batsman unleashed fury on Mark Wood and Jamie Overton, hitting Wood for two fours and a six in the fourth over, and smashed two consecutive sixes off Overton’s first two deliveries, racing to his fifty in just 17 balls, the second-fastest for India in T20Is after Yuvraj Singh's 12-ball blitz in the 2007 T20 World Cup against England. At the end of six overs, India stood at 95/1, their highest-ever score in Powerplay in T20Is.
Abhishek and Tilak Varma propelled India to 100 runs in their second-wicket partnership off 36 balls, with Abhishek contributing 80 and Varma 23. Varma (23 off 15) was dismissed shortly after, caught behind by Phil Salt off Brydon Carse. However, their partnership of 115 runs set India on the path to a substantial total.
The pitch was anticipated to offer early assistance to bowlers, but the Indian batsmen made it look effortless. Abhishek continued to dominate the English bowlers, reaching his century in 37 balls, hitting five fours and 10 sixes. He narrowly missed out by two balls on the record for the fastest century in T20Is involving full members, held by David Miller and Rohit Sharma, who scored a hundred in 35 balls against Sri Lanka in 2017.
Although skipper Suryakumar Yadav (2) fell cheaply, Abhishek found reliable support in Shivam Dube, who returned following a concussion from the previous match. Dube hit back-to-back boundaries and sixes off Archer and Overton in the 13th over as India reached 178/3. He scored 30 off 13 balls before getting caught by Rashid off Carse. Hardik Pandya (9) and Rinku Singh (9) were dismissed cheaply, as India crossed the 200 runs mark in the 16th over.
As Abhishek approached his century, he momentarily slowed down but unleashed once more in the final five overs, striking Carse for a four and a six, followed by two sixes against Adil Rashid before being caught by Archer trying to hit a wrong’un. India stood at 237/7 in the 18th over and finished close to 250, thanks to a few boundaries by Axar Patel (15).
Brydon Carse was the most effective bowler for England, taking 3 wickets for 38 runs, while Mark Wood was the most economical, finishing with 2 wickets for 32 runs in four overs.
Brief scores:
India 247/9 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 135, Shivam Dube 30; Brydon Carse 3-38; Mark Wood 2-32) against England.
