Nottingham: England managed a consolation victory in their Twenty20 international series against India after a stunning century from Suryakumar Yadav threatened to lead the tourists to a remarkable win at Trent Bridge on Sunday.
India had already made sure of a series success after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in a three-match campaign with victories at Southampton and Edgbaston.
They were in trouble, however at 13-2 inside three overs on Sunday as they chased a target of 216.
Blistering knock
But Yadav, who made a blistering 117 off just 55 balls, including 14 fours and six sixes, kept them in the hunt.
India’s hopes of a whitewash, however, effectively ended when he fell in the penultimate over to leave Rohit Sharma’s men 191-7.
England all-rounder Chris Jordan then closed down the game after recalled left-arm quick Reece Topley had taken 3-22 in four overs.
Buttler's first win as captain
Earlier, Dawid Malan top-scored with 77 in England’s 215-7, a total boosted by Liam Livingstone’s 42 not out off 29 balls, with India leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi taking 2-30.
Victory gave Jos Buttler his first win as England full-time white-ball captain since succeeding Eoin Morgan following the 2019 50-over World Cup-winning skipper’s retirement.
When India collapsed to 31-3 after five overs, England appeared on course for a comfortable win.
Topley, in for fellow left-arm paceman Sam Curran, had dangerman Rishabh Pant caught behind by Buttler off an inside edge before Rohit was caught in the deep.
In between those wickets, David Willey, another of England’s left-arm quicks, removed Virat Kohli for just 11 after the struggling star batsman slashed a short and wide ball to cover.
Yadav, having made a steady start, completed a 32-ball fifty but then accelerated in remarkable fashion, with the 31-year-old right-hander facing just 16 more deliveries to go to his hundred.
England's find of the series
Livingstone’s spin was smashed for two soaring sixes, with paceman Richard Gleeson, arguably England’s ‘find’ of the series, also sent clear over the rope.
Moeen Ali was next to suffer, Yadav hitting him for two sixes and a four.
The off-spinner then had his revenge in the 19th over when a wider delivery led to Yadav to-ending a drive to Phil Salt at long-off.
Malan’s 10 previous T20 innings had failed to yield a half-century, prompted renewed criticism of the 34-year-old left-hander, who has often been accused of scoring too slowly in an otherwise dynamic England top-order.
Malan, however, was in aggressive form on Sunday during a 39-ball innings featuring six fours and five sixes, albeit India had rested frontline quicks Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah ahead of next week’s three-match one-day international series against England.
He brought up a 30-ball fifty before falling in Bishnoi’s last over, skying a catch to wicketkeeper Pant.
