India’s Clinical Bowling and Abhishek Sharma’s Firepower Dismantle England
In a dominant display, Abhishek Sharma’s electrifying 135-run knock propelled India to a crushing 150-run victory over England in the fifth T20I at Wankhede Stadium. His fearless strokeplay put England under immense pressure from the outset, leaving the visitors reeling in what turned out to be their heaviest defeat in T20I history.
Buttler Acknowledges Abhishek Sharma’s Unstoppable Innings
England’s white-ball skipper, Jos Buttler, was quick to recognize Abhishek’s brilliance, admitting that none of England’s bowling strategies could contain the 24-year-old.
“Yeah, (we are) disappointed (with the result), they (India) played a fantastic batting innings. I think credit to Abhishek Sharma, I thought that’s as clean a ball-striking as I’ve seen, I thought he played fantastically well,” Buttler stated.
He further added, “We 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. He played brilliantly well.”
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England’s Bowling Effort and Struggles
While England suffered a heavy defeat, Buttler did praise his team’s fightback in the final overs of India’s innings.
“He (Abhishek) played a brilliant innings and sometimes you want to credit the opposition. You always think of what more could you do, how could we get him out, how could we slow him down, but yeah, credit to us for sticking in there and fighting back and keeping them down to 240 after the start they got,” he commented.
England’s Batting Collapse Under Pressure
Chasing a mammoth 248, England never looked in control. Phil Salt’s quickfire 55 off 23 balls provided a glimpse of hope, but the rest of the batting unit crumbled under the mounting required rate.
India’s bowlers ensured there was no way back for the visitors, with Mohammed Shami leading the attack with 3/25, while Shivam Dube and Varun Chakravarthy chipped in with crucial wickets. Interestingly, Abhishek Sharma also showcased his all-round ability by picking up two wickets in just one over.
Jos Buttler Draws Parallels to IPL Experience
Reflecting on Abhishek Sharma’s dominance, Buttler recalled his performances in the 2024 Indian Premier League.
“Shellshocked’s not quite the word, I think. It can be difficult sometimes when a player gets on a roll and they play as well as he did. Looking back at the last IPL, he and Travis Head were the same at the top of the order for Sunrisers (Hyderabad), and he’s brought that into India,” Buttler admitted.
England Look to Bounce Back in ODI Series
With their T20I campaign ending in disappointment, England will shift their focus to the upcoming three-match ODI series against India. The first match is set to take place on Thursday, February 6, giving Buttler’s men a chance to regroup and respond with a stronger performance.
