Humiliating defeat for England as India feast on Bazball blood

When Brendon McCullum brought his England Test team to India a year ago, they lost 4-1, and they received an utter shellacking in the final match. And so it was for McCullum’s T20 team in his first assignment as white-ball head coach. Perhaps it is good that the ODI series, which starts on Thursday, is only three matches long.

This was a brutal, humbling defeat that smashed a bevy of unwanted English records. Defeat by 150 runs made it their heaviest in T20 internationals (beating a 90-run defeat to India 13 years ago); within that, the 247 they conceded was just one shy of the biggest total they have surrendered in the format, and they responded with their shortest completed innings (just 10.3 overs), as they were bowled out for 97.

They conceded more sixes (19) than ever before. Thirteen of those came from the bat of the extraordinary Abhishek Sharma, who made 135 from just 54 balls, the second-highest individual score against England. With the bat, Phil Salt scored 55, and no one else managed more than 10. They lost their last six wickets for 15 runs, four of them to part-timers, one of whom was Abhishek, and the other was Shivam Dube, who was playing despite being concussed just two nights ago. India were simply toying with England.

“We were really outplayed,” said the phlegmatic England captain, Jos Buttler, in the understatement of the tour. “I’ve played quite a lot of cricket and credit to Abhishek Sharma, that’s as clean as any ball-striking I’ve seen. That was one of the best T20 knocks I’ve been on the receiving end of. We couldn’t stop him.”

Any international at the Wankhede is a special occasion, with fans flocking in from Marine Drive, and a flat pitch and short boundaries combining for all-action cricket. The great and the good turn out; on this occasion that included the Duke of Edinburgh, here on business, and the former Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, watching for pleasure alongside Asia’s richest family, the Ambanis, who are the new co-owners of Oval Invincibles.

The last time Buttler and his team met Sunak they were celebrating a T20 World Cup win, in Australia in 2022. In the semi-final in Adelaide, they humiliated India by 10 wickets. This could not have been more different as the favour was returned by a new, fresh group of fearless Indian players. Buttler will no doubt be relieved that the likes of Abhishek and Varun Chakravarthy, who took two more wickets to finish the series with 14 at an average under 10, are not in the squad for the ODIs or the Champions Trophy that follows. On this evidence, it is extraordinary that they are not, and England may even be relieved to see the likes of Virat Kohli turning up in Nagpur this week.

Jofra Archer’s first ball, to Sanju Samson, was hit for six, setting up a brutal opening in which India racked up 127 for the loss of Samson, caught in the deep off Mark Wood, in the first eight overs. At that stage, with Abhishek running amok, it was worth wondering if India could better the 297 they scored against Bangladesh in Hyderabad in October, or even if they should consider the first declaration in T20i history. It really was that one-sided. “At one point I was thinking I don’t want to be the team that concedes 300 for the first time,” said Buttler.

From there, England actually did well to pull it back. For that they had Brydon Carse, their player of the series, to thank. He came on in the ninth over and immediately resorted to death-over skills, with yorkers and variations, picking up a wicket in each of his first three overs. Wood joined in, bowling impressively at the death. It was the unusually expensive Adil Rashid who eventually dismissed Abhishek, caught at deep-point, ending a stunning innings full of gorgeous strokes down the ground. Jamie Overton was brutalised, while Archer recorded the second-most expensive figures of his T20 career, with the worst coming in Chennai earlier in the series.

“You always sit down and think what more could we have done or how we could have stopped him but some days I think you have to give a lot of credit to the opposition,” said Buttler.

At the break, with dew setting in, the target did not seem impossible. England were blown away, though.

“Chasing big scores like that, it generally goes one of two ways,” Buttler said. “You either get somewhere near or you fall in a heap and today was that day. If you are going to chase 248, you are going to have to take some risks, and they are going to have to come off. Phil Salt played beautifully, struck the ball really well, and we needed a few more guys to catch fire if you are going to chase a score down like that.”

Such an explanation would be fine if the failures were not so familiar and frustrating. Their batting lacks calculation and craft, especially against spin. Three bowlers – Chakravarthy, Dube and Abhishek – struck with their first ball. Another, Ravi Bishnoi, took a wicket, Harry Brook again, with his second. Liam Livingstone holed out to the first ball he faced from Chakravarthy, refusing to take a look.

Throughout the series, India’s spinners have had the wood over England’s middle order, including Buttler, their best player of spin. England’s top five have all made a single contribution in the series, but failed more often than not. The case for Joe Root, an interested spectator ahead of the ODIs, grows stronger with next year’s T20 World Cup looming. The jury is very much out on whether McCullum’s team – in fact any of McCullum’s teams – can combat spin in these conditions.

England had their moments in this series, but it was bookended by two humiliating defeats orchestrated by Abhishek and Chakravarthy and revelled in by packed-out crowds baying for Bazball blood. They have much to work on.

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04:57 PM GMT

And finally a word from Jos Buttler

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04:26 PM GMT

England were rubbish today

England lose by 150 runs, bowled out in 63 balls.

Among Test-playing countries that margin of defeat has only been bettered by India’s 168-run victory over New Zealand at Ahmedabad in 2023.

They were one-dimensional with the ball. Rockets in India? You need more subtlety against India’s new model batsmen and bat-makers.

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04:25 PM GMT

Wicket!

Wood c Samson b Shami 0  Legside strangle off the glove for a golden duck. FOW 97/10

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04:22 PM GMT

Wicket!

Rashid c Samson b Shami 6  Backs away to give himself some room so Shami follows him with the bouncer and he top edges it high over his head to the keeper.  FOW 97/9

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04:22 PM GMT

OVER 10: ENG 97/8 (Archer 1 Rashid 6)

That’s nice by Rashid who may not have the power but can bat properly. He retracts his left leg towards the square leg umpire and swats a four over the bowler’s head. Dube goes short again but wider and Rashid again flat-bats it over mid-off for two.

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04:18 PM GMT

Call Roy Castle

England’s record defeat before today was by 90 runs and they have never been bowled out before in fewer than 14 overs.

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04:17 PM GMT

Shame!

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04:16 PM GMT

Wicket!

Bethell b Dube 10 Swipes across the line and hacks it off the inside edge. Loses his leg-stump and trudges off. Poor series after such promise in the West Indies and New Zealand. FOW 90/8

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04:14 PM GMT

OVER 9: ENG 90/7 (Bethell 10 Archer 0)

Well… England not all at sea but on the floor of the ocean.

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04:11 PM GMT

Wicket!

Overton c Surya b Abhishek  Excellent running catch as the ball swirled in the heavens. The captain turned at cover and hared after it though it seemed to be getting away off him as it spiralled off the toe of Overton’s Millichamp and Hall willow-sabre. But he got there.  FOW 90/7

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04:08 PM GMT

Wicket!

Carse c Chakravarthy b Abhishek 3 Who writes his scripts? He also takes a wicket first ball when Carse pans a short ball off the back foot hard and flat to long on. FOW 87/6

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04:08 PM GMT

OVER 8: ENG 87/5 (Bethell 9 Carse 3)

Carse pulls just short of fine leg for a single. Bethell slaps a cut for one and deflects the fuller one down to third man for another. Carse thick edges another.

England need 161 off 72 balls or 13.41 RPO in old money.

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04:03 PM GMT

Wicket!

Salt c Samson b Dube 55 Takes a wicket with his first ball. Eat that Jos! He is like for like. Salt charges the allrounder and feathers an edge off the slower ball through to the keeper. FOW 82/5

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04:03 PM GMT

OVER 7: ENG 82/4 (Salt 55 Bethell 7)

Fifty for Salt off 21 balls, the quickest by an Englishman against India and he gets there with a six, mowing it over midwicket. Salt chops a cut for a single then Bethell joins the resistance with a slog swept six of his own.

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03:59 PM GMT

Abhishek’s innings ball-by-ball

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03:59 PM GMT

Wicket!

Livingstone c Rinku b Chakravarthy 9  Swipes across the line and slogs it to deep midwicket.  FOW 68/4

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03:58 PM GMT

OVER 6: ENG 68/3 (Salt 48 Livingstone 9)

With England’s goose all but cooked, Livingstone leans out to fillet cover with a brutal, wristy drive then lumps a four back past the bowler. It’s resistance but they have lost too many wickets to make this anything other than a seat of the pants chase.

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03:54 PM GMT

Wicket!

Brook c Chakravarthy b Bishnoi 2  He has an obvious problem against white-ball legspin in India and holes out again on the slog sweep.  FOW 59/3

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03:53 PM GMT

OVER 5: ENG 59/2 (Salt 48 Brook 2)

Brook hangs back and works a single off his pads and Salt ends the over with a pair of fours, the first pulled off a drag down, the other one smeared down the ground.

Bishnoi will bowl the last over of the powerplay.

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03:49 PM GMT

Wicket!

Buttler c Tilak b Chakravarthy 7 The clarity of purpose when chasing what would be a record if successful means there is no option other than hitting out. And Buttler dies by the sword off the leg-spinner’s first ball, splicing his drive to long off. FOW 48/2

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03:48 PM GMT

OVER 4: ENG 48/1 (Salt 39 Buttler 7)

Hardik starts with the pace on straining for a yorker but doesn’t land the inswinger and Salt flicks it round the corner for six. The next ball is an off-side bouncer that Salt uppercuts off the top edge of the toe and it falls to earth just beyond point’s grasp. They run a single.

Buttler cannot pierce the infield ring with a couple of heaves. But he picks the slow bouncer and uppercuts it for four over cover.

The next ball is arrowed into his body but he jabs it away for a single and Salt ends the over with another blistering stand and deliver drive through mid-off for four that went like a bullet.

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03:42 PM GMT

OVER 3: ENG 31/1 (Salt 28 Buttler 2)

Buttler charges Shami first ball and is almost cut in two so stays at home for the next one and punches a drive through mid-off’s hands. They run two. After Buttler flicks a single, actually a leg-bye, Salt hammers a drive through mid-off for four. No footwork but plenty of wristwork.

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03:36 PM GMT

Wicket!

Duckett c Abhishek b Shami 0 Golden duck after a long wait. Duckett lost his grip and the bat bevelled in his hands as he spooned it to cover.  FOW 23/1

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03:36 PM GMT

OVER 2: ENG 23/0 (Salt 23 Duckett 0)

Salt scythes Hardik’s first ball, a cutter, through point. Axar makes a headlong parrying stop and they hustle through for two. Hardik watches Salt’s feet walk across to the offside and Hardik adjusted with the slow bouncer. Salt had a big swing but was too early on it and he’s done by the lack of pace on the next one two, yahooing his bat through the line without touching it.

Hardik beats him again with an outswinging yorker to make it three dots in succession. Make that four when Salt slaps a drive along the ground to cover.

But Salt connects with the last ball and carts it over midwicket for four.

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03:30 PM GMT

OVER 1: ENG 17/0 (Salt 17 Duckett 0)

Silence greets Phil Salt creaming the first ball of the reply from Mohammed Shami for four through long-off. The next ball is also drilled but straight and earns four more.

The third ball is on middle and leg and Salt whips it away over midwicket for six! Some start this. He throws his hands at the fourth one too and toes out it over mid-on and it plugs 3m in from the rope. They run two. Salt charges the next ball and drags it off the bottom edge into the pitch. No run. He slaps the last to cover for a single.

The required rate was 12.4 an over so that’s a terrific start.

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03:24 PM GMT

The only higher successful chase in T20is

Came in 2023 when South Africa made 259 for four to beat West Indies at Centurion with seven balls to spare.

Jamie Overton will remember that same year Middlesex chasing down 252 in the Blast to beat Surrey by sevenw ickets with four balls to spare.

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03:20 PM GMT

Halfway verdict

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03:19 PM GMT

India 247 for 9

Well, it could have been worse. That was the likelier outcome after 10 overs.

England’s highest successful chase was the 230 for eight against South Africa at the Wankhede in 2016 during the T20 World Cup.

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03:15 PM GMT

Wicket!

Bishnoi c Carse b Overton 0  Swipes across the line at the last ball and Carse runs in from midwicket to catch it. Two wickets in two balls to end.  FOW 247/8

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03:13 PM GMT

Wicket!

Axar run out 15  Haring back for two to keep the strike for the last ball, he cannot beat Livingstone’s hard flat throw from deep midwicket.  FOW 247/8

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03:12 PM GMT

OVER 19: IND 240/7 (Axar8 Shami 0)

Three singles, two off the bat and one from a leg-bye as England finally wrest back control… far too late. Wood ends with two for 32. Overton will bowl the last over.

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03:08 PM GMT

OVER 18: IND 237/7 (Axar 6 Shami 0)

Abhishek’s 12th six, smacked 90m back over Rashid’s head takes him to 128 which is India’s highest individual innings in a T20I. The records keep falling. Three balls later he has his 13th six, again clobbered straight and high, but mercifully for England holes out next ball.

Yes, it’s a glorious batting pitch but I don’t think I’ve seen a better T20 innings.

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03:05 PM GMT

Wicket!

Abhishek c Archer b Rashid 135  He departs surrounded by England players patting him on the back after he carves a drive to the cover boundary, Rashid holding the ball back a bit in his grip.  FOW 237/7

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03:02 PM GMT

OVER 17: IND 219/6 (Abhishek 120 Axar 5)

Abhishek picks Carse’s slower ball and harpoons a drive down the ground that would have taken the umpire’s head off had he not hit the deck. Abhishek’s 11th six is dispatched to long-on with a languid six. No Indian has ever hit 11 sixes in a T20I.

After Abhishek swats the off-cutter for a single, Axar takes his front leg towards square leg to open his stance and smash a drive down the ground for four. He took some tap in that over but Carse’s 4-0-38-3 was a worthy return amid the wreckage.

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02:57 PM GMT

OVER 16: IND 202/6 (Abhishek 108 Axar 0)

Archer comes back and restricts them to a pair of twos and a four before pinning Rinku leg-before. In comes Axar Patel and Archer makes him dance with a brute of a bouncer to greet him.

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02:54 PM GMT

Wicket!

Rinku lbw b Archer 9  Three reds – the only doubt was whether he managed to jam his bat on to the ball at the same time as it struck the pad but he was a fraction of a second late. Plumb. FOW 202/6

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02:53 PM GMT

IND review

Rinku lbw b Archer  Hit the pad before the bat.

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02:53 PM GMT

Braveman or Invincible?

Thought he was a Souther Brave stan?

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02:50 PM GMT

OVER 15: IND 194/5 (Abhishek 108 Rinku 1)

Mark Wood returns and a bowler with no variations is a sitting duck. But, after being pulled for six, he gets his reward when Hardik picks out the fielder and bows his head with a rueful smile. He could not have hit that any sweeter.

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02:46 PM GMT

Wicket!

Hardik c Livingstone b Wood 9  Timed the pants off his legside whip but hit it straight to Livingstone at deep backward square. Good catch given how hard he hit it.  FOW 193/5

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02:44 PM GMT

OVER 14: IND 185/4 (Abhishek 107 Hardik 2)

Brydon Carse has been the diamond in the dross, taking three wickets by changing his pace and line. Buttler’s misfield at mid-on turning a dot ball into four seems particularly unjust given how well he has bowled. Thanks to that he has 3-0-21-3.

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02:39 PM GMT

Wicket!

Dube c Rashid b Carse 30 Another good bouncer at his right shoulder and the left-hander takes it on again but top edges it to fine leg who hangs on a metre in from the boundary. FOW 182/4

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02:39 PM GMT

OVER 13: IND 178/3 (Abhishek 106 Dube 26)

Overton went for 25 off his first over and starts with a sense of deja vu when Dube takes a step to leg to free his arms and lamps a straight drive for six. Dube then throws his hands at a wide yorker and thick-edges it for four. He does pin Abhishek with the next yorker, right on the toe but it pitched outside leg and England burn their review. Abhishek celebrates by slicing a one-handed drive over point for four.

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02:33 PM GMT

OVER 12: IND 161/3 (Abhishek 102 Dube 14)

Archer returns to test Dube under fire. He bangs the ball in and the first one doesn’t get up so Dube swivels and clips it at thigh height for four through midwicket. Bethell would have caught it had he been back on the rope but he was 20m in. Archer returns with a vicious 94mph bouncer that Dube takes on on the pull and flaps it off his shoulder via the top edge for six!

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02:29 PM GMT

OVER 11: IND 148/3 (Abhishek 101 Dube 2)

Abhishek plays tip and run to cover to bring up a maiden T20i hundred off 37 balls, made with 10 sixes and five fours. Incredible power and skill.

After Suryakumar holes out cheaply for the fifth time in the series, in comes Dube, who was concussed on Friday but has made a miraculous recovery. He almost drags the last ball on but it bounces down behind leg stump and trickles away for a single.

The fastest century against England before today’s was Aaron Finch’s in 47 balls at the Rose Bowl in 2013.

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02:24 PM GMT

Wicket!

Suryakumar c Salt b Carse 2 Closed the face of the bat too soon as he tried to flick it over fine leg for six but sent it up the chimney off a leading edge. Salt circled but managed to get there in the end. Magnificent catch. FOW 145/3

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02:20 PM GMT

OVER 10: IND 143/2 (Abhishek 99 Suryakumar 2)

After two dot balls from Rashid, Abhishek needs to hit the third ball of the over for six to match Rohit’s 35-ball hundred but he spears it for four through extra-cover. His single off Rashid’s googly takes him to 99 off 36-balls and gives the strike to his cptain who late cuts past the diving slip for a two to get going.

Drinks. 

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02:17 PM GMT

OVER 9: IND 136/2 (Abhishek 94 Suryakumar 0)

Blimey! England now turn to Carse and all his variations make some difference. Abhishek picks the slower ball and creams it over mid-off for six but that apart, he keeps them down to three singles and then dismisses Tilak.

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02:14 PM GMT

Wicket!

Tilak c Salt b Carse 24 Tries to uppercut but was cramped for room as the ball got big on him. The second wicket partnership ends at 115 off 43 balls. FOW 136/2

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02:12 PM GMT

OVER 8: IND 127/1 (Abhishek 86 Tilak 23)

Another 16-run over, two sixes and some small change. Both sixes add to Abhsihek’s score as he dumps one of them over long-on and the other high over cover, losing his grip as he swung so hard outside off stump as Livingstone tried to fox him.

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02:09 PM GMT

OVER 7: IND 111/1 (Abhishek 72 Tilak 21)

Even Rashid cannot tie him up. Abhishek pounces on a shorter ball and hoists it back over the bowler’s head for six and then uses his feet to chassé on to the dancefloor and loft a steepling straight drive on to the roof of the commentary box.

England are taking a pasting here. The run rate is 15.85.

The most England have ever conceded in a T20 is 248 to Australia in 2013.

Rohit Sharma has a35-ball T20 hundred, Sanju Samson a 40-ball ton.

Abhishek has 72 off 25.

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02:04 PM GMT

OVER 6: IND 95/1 (Abhishek 58 Tilak 19)

Buttler turns to Livingstone and he immediately slams the brakes on, well by comparison anyway,  by going for 15…

Abhishek cuts four through point and Tilak cover drives and reverse sweeps for his two boundaries.

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02:01 PM GMT

OVER 5: IND 80/1 (Abhishek 53 Tilak 11)

Abhishek Sharma brings up a 17-ball half-century with a pair of sixes. Overton took the pace off for his first ball but the left-hander stands up right and pans it over mid-off for six. The next ball is the yorker but it doesn’t land and he pulverises it down the ground for six more. That’s the second quickest T20 fifty in India’s history, Yuvraj holding the record for the 12 balls he took to marmalise Stuart Broad at the inaugural T20 World Cup 18 years ago.

Now Tilak joins the party and top-edges Overton for six on the pull. As Tony Greig used to say ‘Carnage in the car park’, or more accurately from Greigy: ‘Cornidge in the cor pork’

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01:55 PM GMT

OVER 4: IND 55/1 (Abhishek 38 Tilak 1)

After Tilka gets off the mark with a thickish edge to cover point, Abhishek pulls Wood over midwicket for four then plays the most elegant of classical off-drives for another. Wood goes full again and Abhishek slices it deliberately over point for six. He’s got 37 off 14. Wood finally nails his yorker but Abhishek’s eye is in and he chisels it out for a single to cover.

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01:51 PM GMT

OVER 3: IND 39/1 (Abhishek 23 Tilak 0)

Abhishek runs down the pitch to Archer and lofts a drive over cover for four. Archer responds with the bouncer which he can’t hit but the left-hander then cloths a drive over long-off that plugs 10m in from the rope. He runs two then smashes two sixes, the first an uppercut between third man and point, the second a glorious stroke over extra-cover, having retreated to the legside, picking it off middle stump and a good length with extraordinary timing and a blur of wrists.

Archer, who hasn’t bowled badly, has been thrashed for 34 off two overs.

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01:44 PM GMT

OVER 2: IND 21/1 (Abhishek 5 Tilak 0)

Abhishek plays and misses at a wide yorker, angled across the left-hander then is cramped on the pull but gets away with a top-edged flap over midwicket for two. Two more come with mistimed hoick past midwicket and a single slapped to point.

Wood breaks 95mph to Abhishek but it’s about line as much as anything and he gets it spot on to the right-handed Samson.

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01:41 PM GMT

Wicket!

Samson c Archer b Wood 16 Fell into the man trap. Cramped for room, he takes on the pull nonetheless, can’t extend his arms and carts it straight down deep backward square’s throat. FOW 21/1

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01:37 PM GMT

OVER 1: IND 16/0 (Samson 16 Abhishek 0)

Sanju Samson, under pressure, tries a new tack against the short ball, walking across his stumps and collaring the first ball from Archer and pulling it for six over midwicket. Next ball is closer to middle stump but still short and this time Samson retreats to leg and aims over point but is beaten for pace. Now he stands like Peter Willey, chest on, with his back foot outside off stump, and is hit by the nip-backer on the right index finger and requires treatment. There’s blood around the nail and he needs a plaster and some tape.

After a lengthy delay, Samson is hit on the front knee but had shuffled so far across his stumps that he was struck outside the line.

Then he reprises the first two balls, walking across to off to oull for six over long leg and now connecting with a steer over the slips for four. Punch and counter-punch.

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01:25 PM GMT

Players meet Duke of Edinburgh and Rishi Sunak

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01:16 PM GMT

What Buttler said

He did it with a big grin on his face!

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01:12 PM GMT

Buttler’s quip

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01:06 PM GMT

India make one change

Mohammed Shami replaces Arshdeep Singh. Dube, therefore, has passed a concussion test and stays in the middle-order. Insert your own joke about whether he will relapse midway through the game here…

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy.

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01:04 PM GMT

England make one change

Oddly, out goes Saqib Mahmood who started with a triple-wicket maiden and has taken more powerplay wickets than any other Englishman over the past 12 months, for Mark Wood.

Phil Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (capt), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.

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01:02 PM GMT

England have won the toss

And put India in to bat. Quelle surprise.

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01:01 PM GMT

Honoured guests

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12:59 PM GMT

Preview: Preparing for 2026 T20 World Cup

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of the fifth T20 between India and England, from Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. England have already lost the series after their third batting collapse in four matches at Pune, though the decision of the match referee, Javagal Srinath, to authorise a distinctly unlike-for-like concussion substitution has exercised many from the England captain to scores of supporters, some of whose reaction has been disturbing and borderline hysterical. It was a bad call, certainly, but part of a wider conspiracy? The influence and control Indian money now has on the global game is a cause for major concern but looking for it in a concussion substitution or in the post-Covid relaxation driven by costs of regulations requiring neutral referees for bilateral white-ball contests does the wider concerns a disservice. This is a triviality compared with the treatment of Test playing countries not called India, Australia or England.

Anyway, today’s dead rubber in Mumbai is England’s first return since they were trounced by South Africa in the 2023 ODI World Cup when serious doubts about their thinking – opting to bowl first in 40C heat – materialised. At that point they were kings of the world in both white-ball formats and they have never looked certain since, their playing of spin suffused with doubt and hesitancy, their ability to think on their feet prone to evaporating when under pressure with the bat.

The next T20 World Cup is being held 12 months from now in India and Sri Lanka and England have precious few further opportunities to find a winning formula on Indian pitches. I would suggest that Ben Duckett, who was superb against spin in Pune, is wasted as an opener and should be in the middle order where he can use his array of sweeps to cuff them to distraction. Brendon McCullum rarely changes his mind quickly but long-term Buttler opening and Duckett at No4 or five has to happen.

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