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Jos Buttler and Harry Brook in record T20 partnership as England thrash India
Simon Burnton | July 14, 2026 9:59 AM CST

It was a day Indian bowlers would want to forget in a hurry. England captain Jos Buttler, who had been enduring a lean patch with 18 innings without a T20 half-century, chose the perfect occasion to explode. He smashed a breathtaking 131 off just 64 balls, the second-highest T20 score by any Englishman. Alongside him, the red-hot Harry Brook remained unbeaten on 95, and together they stitched a monstrous 233-run partnership, England's best in T20s, the highest ever against India by a massive margin of 59 runs, and the fifth-best stand in all recorded T20 cricket worldwide. England finished with a colossal 257 for three, breaking their own record for the highest total ever posted against India in T20s, a record they had set in Mumbai just months earlier. In response, India showed some fight, reaching 110 for two at the halfway mark, but they eventually crumbled to 201 all out, losing the match by 56 runs and the series by a humiliating 4-0 margin.

Buttler's Emotional Century: For Buttler, this innings was deeply personal. Speaking after the game, he admitted that the pressure of his poor form had been mounting, but it strangely liberated him. "When you go a long time without scoring runs, you think the guys at the top might be thinking, 'It's time to move him on.' Weirdly, that gave me a lot more freedom today; if I was going to fail, I'll do it on my own terms. Days like this feel amazing. I've missed that feeling of contributing to a series win, of winning games for England. There have been days where you wonder if you'll ever score 100 again in an England shirt, and I'm delighted to be able to do that," he said. India's Fielding Nightmare: India's performance in the field was nothing short of disastrous. Both Buttler and Brook were handed reprieves that proved incredibly costly.

Brook was dropped on just 3 by Shivam Dube, who misjudged a high catch at deep third man and ended up diving backwards without even touching the ball. Brook, with savage inevitability, smashed the next two deliveries for sixes. Buttler, already on 101 off 52 balls, was dropped by Suryansh Shedge at deep midwicket. Later, in the final over, Ishan Kishan inexplicably put down another chance off the England captain. India's fielding, which had been poor throughout the series, hit rock bottom at the worst possible moment. The 19th over summed up India's misery: Shivam Dube, who had been hidden from England's destructive duo for as long as possible, was finally forced to bowl.

He delivered six wayward balls that yielded three sixes, a four, and two catches in the deep, a fitting end to a forgettable series. A Glimmer of Hope, Then Collapse: Despite the carnage, India's chase started promisingly. Sanju Samson, back in the side in place of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, raced to 27 off 14 before being dismissed. Abhishek Sharma fell early for 3, but India reached 110 for two at the halfway mark, just one run behind England's score at the same stage. However, the required run rate kept climbing, and the Indian batting order caved under pressure, managing only 201 in reply. What This Means For England: This series has been a statement of intent. They have not only whitewashed the reigning T20 world champions but also shattered records along the way. For India, it's a bitter pill to swallow; their fielding, bowling, and batting all came under scrutiny, and they now have serious questions to answer before their next assignment. Buttler and Brook, on the other hand, have reminded the world why they are two of the most feared batters in the game. Their record-breaking partnership will be talked about for years, and for England fans, this is just the beginning of what promises to be an exciting era.


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