Harry Brook Creates History With Whirlwind 95* Vs India In 5th T20I

Harry Brook [Source: AFP]

Harry Brook blazed his way to an electrifying 95 off just 45 balls against India in the fifth T20I of their five-match series. Batting first at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, the England captain clattered four cracking boundaries and eight huge sixes in the innings and shared a thunderous 233-run stand with senior pro Jos Buttler. 

Through the course of his innings, Brook also scaled a huge national record for England, previously achieved by no other English cricketer in history. 

Harry Brook punishes India bowlers on road to history 

Harry Brook bulldozed Team India bowlers with a scorching 95* off just 45 balls in the fifth T20I of the series on Saturday, July 11. Through the course of his innings, the 27-year-old charted the eighth T20I half-century of his career, and his second in succession this series.

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Just a couple of days ago in Bristol, the cricketer blasted 79* off just 35 balls as England made lightwork of India’s 158-run total. He has now concluded his five-match T20I series against India with 229 runs to his name from just four innings at a splendid average of 114.50 and with an astonishing strike rate of 214.01. 

The explosive middle-order batter has now become the first England cricketer in history to aggregate more than 200 runs in a single T20I bilateral series at home.

Brook surpasses Nicholas Pooran for another record

Harry Brook also surpassed former West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran for another T20I record, that of aggregating most runs in a single T20I series against Team India. 

Pooran previously held the record by minting 184 runs in a three-match series against India back in 2022. The blistering stumper registered scores of 61, 62 and 61, all at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata to smear three successive half-centuries. 

However, unlike Brook, Pooran’s West Indies lost its T20I series to India by a 0-3 margin. 

Brook soars, Jos Buttler returns to form as England mount 257

Batting first, England lost in-form opener Phil Salt for just six off nine balls in the second over of the match to Indian paceman Prasidh Krishna. However, England fend off its early setback with a monumental 233-run partnership for the second wicket between captain Harry Brook and senior man Jos Buttler.

While Brook slapped 95* off just 45 balls, Buttler himself tonked 131 runs off just 64 balls with 12 boundaries and eight sixes. The innings also marked the return to form for the legendary England opener and former captain.

Their collective batting bombardment helped England mount 257-3 in 20 overs.

Aiming to seal a 4-0 series sweep, England fast bowlers Sam Curran and Jofra Archer dismissed Indian openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma respectively both inside the powerplay. 

Ishan Kishan at number three led India’s fightback with a cracking half-century as the visitors kept the chase alive, at least up until the halfway stage of the innings.

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