England created history by clinching their first ever bilateral T20I series win against India in a contest that featured two or more matches after a commanding nine-wicket victory in the fourth T20I at the County Ground, Bristol.The win gave Harry Brook’s side an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series after the opener was washed out, marking a landmark achievement against one of the strongest T20 teams in the world. The defeat also highlighted India’s recent struggles in the format. This is the first time since February 2019 that India have lost a consecutive bilateral T20I series, having previously gone down 2-0 to Ireland earlier this year. The last such incident came when India lost 2-1 to New Zealand before suffering a 2-0 defeat at home to Australia in 2019.
Brook and Salt rewrote the record books
England’s tight chase of 159 was powered by an unbeaten 146-run stand between captain Harry Brook and opener Phil Salt, the fourth-highest partnership against India in T20I history and one of the biggest ever in a successful chase.
Highest partnership against India in T20Is:
| Partnership: | team: | Venue: | Year: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 174* – Quinton de Kock & David Miller | South Africa: | Guwahati: | 2022 |
| 170* – Alex Hales and Jos Buttler | England: | Adelaide (T20 World Cup SF) | 2022 |
| 152* – Babar Azam & Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan: | Dubai (T20 World Cup) | 2021 |
| 146: – Harry Brook and Phil Salt* | England: | Bristol: | 2026 |
| 133 – David Warner and Shane Watson | Australia: | Colombo (T20 World Cup) | 2012 |
Brook remained unbeaten on 79, while Salt finished with 59 not out, as England chased down the target in 13.5 overs, winning with 37 balls to spare.
One of England’s greatest pursuits
The clinical pursuit has also entered the record books in England. The win was England’s joint second-biggest win by wickets remaining in a successful 150-plus chase, equaling their nine-wicket win over South Africa in a 192-run chase in Cape Town in 2020. England’s only famous 10-wicket win over India in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-finals, in when they won the semi-final with an unranked 169.Among Full Member nations, England’s chase also became the joint fourth fastest successful chase of a 150-plus target in terms of balls remaining.
Most balls left in successful 150-plus chases (Full Members)
| Balls left: | game: |
|---|---|
| 60: | India vs New Zealand, Guwahati (2026) |
| 43: | New Zealand vs South Africa, T20 World Cup 2026 |
| 37: | West Indies v South Africa, Kingston (2024) |
| 37: | England v India, Bristol (2026) |
| 33: | England v Pakistan, Lahore (2022) |
Captains lead from the front
The Bristol competition also produced another remarkable milestone. This is the 37th Men’s T20I in which both captains have scored 50-plus, the 16th involving two Full Member nations, and the first ever between India and England.