Virat Kohli-led Team India outclassed hosts—Eoin Morgan’s side England—in all departments as they clinched the three-match T20I series 2-1.
Rohit Sharma was one of the star performers for India as he struck an unbeaten century to guide his team to victory over England by seven wickets at the County Ground on July 8.
Chasing 199 for victory, Rohit remained not out on 100 off 56 balls, including 11 fours and five sixes.
Besides Rohit, all-rounder Hardik Pandya was the other star performer as he picked a four-wicket haul and also played an unbeaten 14-ball 33-run cameo as India achieved the target with 8 balls to spare. Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni was also at his best behind the stumps, taking five catches and affecting a brilliant run-out in the last ball of England’s innings to get Jordan’s wicket.
During the final match of the series, the trio entered their name in the records books with their magnificent performance.
Rohit Sharma (100 off 56 balls, 11×4, 5×6)
- This was the right-handed batsman’s third century in the game’s shortest format, making him just the second player to hit three tons.
- Rohit Sharma became the first batsman in history to score 3 centuries in each format of international cricket — 3 in Tests, 17 in ODIs, 3 in T20Is.
- Rohit became the second Indian, next only to Virat Kohli, and the fifth batsman overall to score more than 2000 runs in T20 Internationals.
- The 31-year-old now has five T20 hundreds, most by any Asian batsmen.
Hardik Pandya (4/38, 14 off 33)
- Pandya became the first Indian cricketer to score 30-plus runs and take four wickets in a T20 international.
MS Dhoni (5 catches, 1 run-out):
- MS Dhoni completed 50 catches in T20Is
- He became the first wicket-keeper to take 50 T20I catches
- He became the second player overall to take 50 catches after AB de Villiers (65)
- He became the first keeper to take 150 T20 catches
- He is the only keeper to take 5 catches in T20I innings
Earlier, Virat Kohli invited hosts to bat first on a batting-friendly pitch. England got off to flying start as both their opening batsmen—Jos Buttler (34; 21b; 7×4) and Jason Roy (67; 31b; 4×4, 7×6)—scored 73/0 in six overs.
Both the batsmen made a mockery of the Indian pace attack before Pandya brought visitors back into the game with his four-wicket haul. Pandya, who bowled 11 dot balls in the middle overs, picked up the wickets of Alex Hales (30; 24b; 3×4; 2×6), skipper Eoin Morgan (6), comeback man Ben Stokes (14) and Jonny Bairstow (25; 14b, 2×4, 2×6).
This was India’s sixth successive T20I series win.
Such a great feeling to have played with such talented team mates and win the series in a great style. Time to celebrate now! _#EngvInd #Champions __ pic.twitter.com/nfDL7qiPkj
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) July 8, 2018
Brief scores: India 201/3 in 18.4 overs (Rohit Sharma 100 not out, Virat Kohli 43) beat England 198/9 in 20 overs (Jason Roy 67, Jos Buttler 34; Hardik Pandya 4/38, Siddharth Kaul 2/35).
