\u201cWhen you go a long time without scoring runs you think the guys at the top might be thinking, \u2018It\u2019s time to move him on,\u2019\u201d Buttler said. \u201cIn a weird way that gave me a lot more freedom today \u2013 if I was going to fail, I\u2019ll do it on my own terms. Days like this feel amazing. I think what I\u2019ve missed is that feeling, the feeling of contributing to a series win, to winning games for England. I\u2019ve just missed batting, the feeling of being in control and playing well. There\u2019s been days where you wonder if you\u2019ll ever score 100 again in an England shirt, and I\u2019m delighted to be able to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both batters were dropped in what was a ragged, sometimes puzzling and in its final moments comic display in the field from India. Buttler had already banked a century when his reprieve came, Suryansh Shedge putting down an easy chance at deep midwicket with the batter on 101 off 52. But Brook had only three when he top-edged Prince Yadav high to deep third and Shivam Dube ran back a little too enthusiastically, realised he had gone too far and ended up diving backwards, failing even to lay a finger on the ball as it fell to earth. Brook, with savage inevitability, hit the next two for six (and later, in similar circumstances, returned the favour by dropping Dube).<\/p>\n
Jos Buttler\u2019s 131 is the second-highest T20 score by an England batter. Photograph: Saud Ahmed\/PPAUK\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
The England captain was dropped again in the final over, inexplicably, by Ishan Kishan, as India\u2019s fielding, poor throughout the series, took a downward turn at its very end. England\u2019s 19th over was certainly their oddest: Dube was asked to bowl for the first time, Shreyas Iyer having hidden him from England\u2019s swashbuckling duo for as long as he could before finally running out of options. Six more or less terrible deliveries brought three sixes, a four and two catches in the deep.<\/p>\n
By the end of England\u2019s innings India looked a team that had already accepted defeat, but these are still world champions and there was a bit of fight in them yet. They kept pace with England\u2019s scoring through the early stages of their innings, with Sanju Samson \u2013 back in the team in place of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi \u2013 brutal in racing to 27 off 14 before he rather limply prodded Sam Curran to cover point. With Abhishek Sharma going early for three they reached halfway on 110 for two, one run fewer and one wicket more than England\u2019s score at the same point.<\/p>\n
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