Brook, Salt Blitz Leaves India Helpless in Bristol
India's hopes of salvaging the T20I series ended in emphatic fashion as England produced another dominant all-round display to register a nine-wicket victory in the fourth T20 International at Bristol , sealing an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series with one game still to play. The opening match of the series had been washed out, making England's latest triumph enough to clinch the contest and script their first-ever bilateral T20I series victory over India .
Asked to bat first, India found themselves under pressure almost immediately after slipping to 48/3 inside seven overs. Captain Shreyas Iyer once again emerged as the lone bright spot, anchoring the innings with a superb unbeaten 80 off 49 balls , laced with four boundaries and five sixes . Despite his fighting knock, regular wickets at the other end prevented India from building meaningful partnerships, restricting the visitors to 158/7 in their allotted 20 overs. England's bowlers maintained relentless pressure, with Jofra Archer returning 2/20 , Josh Tongue claiming 2/36 , while Will Jacks and Adil Rashid chipped in with a wicket apiece.
England's chase was nothing short of spectacular. Although Arshdeep Singh removed an opener early, that proved to be India's only breakthrough as captain Harry Brook and opener Phil Salt dismantled the bowling attack with an unbeaten 146-run partnership for the second wicket. Brook smashed 79 not out off just 35 balls , earning the Player of the Match award, while Salt remained unbeaten on 59 off 42 deliveries . The hosts raced to 159/1 in just 13.5 overs , completing the chase with 37 balls to spare and underlining their dominance throughout the series.
The result continues a worrying trend for India, who have now suffered five consecutive T20I defeats . The batting unit has repeatedly faltered at the top of the order, leaving Shreyas Iyer to shoulder much of the responsibility in the middle order. India's bowling attack has also struggled to contain England's aggressive approach, particularly during the powerplay and middle overs, exposing significant concerns ahead of future white-ball assignments.
For England, the victory reflects the remarkable progress made under Harry Brook's leadership. Since taking over as captain, England have won 19 of their last 22 completed T20 Internationals , establishing themselves among the strongest sides in the format. A victory in the final T20I would not only complete a 4-0 series triumph —with one match abandoned—but would also propel England to the No. 1 spot in the ICC Men's T20I rankings , replacing the reigning world champions.
Following Thursday's defeat, the best India can achieve is a 3-1 series scoreline by winning the fifth and final match. The final fixture will therefore serve as an opportunity for Shreyas Iyer's side to end their losing streak, restore confidence, and build momentum before attention shifts to the three-match ODI series later in the tour.
Brief Scores:
India:
158/7 in 20 overs ( Shreyas Iyer 80; Jofra Archer 2/20, Josh Tongue 2/36 *)
England:
159/1 in 13.5 overs ( Harry Brook 79, Phil Salt 59 ; Arshdeep Singh 1/26**)