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Jacob Bethell walked off the field at Old Trafford with a grin that said it all. His unbeaten 76 against India wasn't just another half-century it was personal. And for the young Englishman, it meant more than that famous Ashes hundred in Sydney that first put his name on the map.

Chasing 191, England found themselves in a bit of a tangle before Bethell took control. He played the perfect supporting role early on, watching captain Harry Brook smash a quick-fire 39 off just 15 balls. But when Brook fell, Bethell knew it was his turn to take charge.

The game flipped on its head in the 17th over. Ravi Bishnoi bowled two no-balls that ended up as free hits, and Bethell made no mistake launching both into the stands for six. The over went for a staggering 29 runs, and just like that, what looked like a tricky chase turned into a comfortable four-wicket win with three balls to spare.

What made this knock extra special? Context. Bethell's stunning 154 against Australia in Sydney this winter was a masterpiece, and his defiant 105 in the T20 World Cup semi-final against India back in March was gutsy too. But both ended in defeat. Those hundreds, as brilliant as they were, came with a nagging "what if" feeling.

"I've scored a few hundreds, but only one of them was in a winning cause," Bethell admitted after the match. "We lost in Australia, we lost in India. Both those games, you look back and think… 'I should have done more.' Today? I'm all smiles. There's nothing sweeter than walking off with a win, not out, shaking hands with the boys. I've got a few scars against India, so it's nice to get one back on them."

While Bethell was busy stealing the show, India's 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was making headlines of his own. The teenager who was the leading run-scorer, six-hitter, and MVP of this year's IPL , announced himself on the international stage with two towering sixes in his first seven balls. He fearlessly took on the likes of Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue, but his fireworks didn't last as long as England would have feared.

At 22, Bethell isn't used to being the "senior" player in the dressing room, but he couldn't help but admire the youngster from the opposition.

"It feels weird saying I'm playing against someone seven years younger than me," he chuckled. "But he's an unbelievable talent. I've watched him back in India, I watched him today and the way he swings the bat is just so clean."

On the other side, Ishan Kishan the world's top-ranked T20 batter was left to rue what might have been. India thought they had the game in their grasp until that 17th over changed everything.

"We felt we were on top, but those free hits made it so much easier for Bethell," Kishan admitted. "He was out there long enough to read the situation perfectly he knew exactly when to attack and who to target. He batted beautifully, no doubt. But for us, the lesson is simple: don't give away those extra balls next time."

England now lead the series 1-0, with three matches still to play after the opener was washed out. And if Bethell has anything to say about it, he's not done smiling just yet.