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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi got a tough reminder of the demands of international cricket as England's fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue delivered a fiery performance to dismantle India in the third T20I on Tuesday.
England registered a massive 125-run victory, India's biggest-ever defeat in T20I cricket by runs. The defeat left India trailing 0-2 in the five-match series, with the opening game having been abandoned.
After posting 201/7 on the back of a brilliant batting effort, England's bowlers took complete control of the chase. India were bowled out for just 76 runs in 11.4 overs, with only four batters managing to reach double figures.
Archer and Tongue were the stars with the ball, creating constant pressure during the Powerplay. Archer finished with figures of 3/29 in three overs, while Tongue claimed four wickets for 28 runs in his four-over spell. Their pace and aggression left India's batters struggling to find answers.
The match was almost decided inside the first five overs when India slipped to 52/5. The batting collapse was marked by poor shot selection and a lack of resistance as England continued to dominate.
Captain Shreyas Iyer's difficult run continued as India's losing streak under his leadership extended to five matches. The team looked out of rhythm, and even former captain MS Dhoni, who was present at the ground on his birthday, watched as India lost wickets one after another.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi showed glimpses of his talent by hitting sixes against both Archer and Tongue, but his aggressive approach ended quickly. The young batter scored 13 runs off five balls before a sharp bouncer forced him into a mistimed hook shot, which was caught by Jos Buttler behind the stumps.
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Earlier, England's total was built around Phil Salt's explosive 70-run knock and Sam Curran's unbeaten 41-run finish. Salt took some time to settle before finding his rhythm and eventually smashed seven fours and three sixes in his 44-ball innings.
Jos Buttler also played a quick 36 off 21 balls, providing England with much-needed momentum. Harry Brook contributed 16 runs before being dismissed by Prince Yadav, who impressed with the ball for India.
India's bowlers had some positives despite the defeat. Harshit Rana and Prince Yadav picked up two wickets each and kept England under pressure at different stages. However, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy struggled to contain the scoring, conceding 49 and 35 runs respectively.
England were placed at 111/4 after 12 overs but finished strongly, adding 89 runs in the final eight overs. Curran played an important role in the late surge, smashing an unbeaten 41 off 24 balls to help England cross the 200-run mark.
India's chase started badly when Abhishek Sharma was caught at deep extra cover after another attacking shot. Ishan Kishan briefly provided hope with a six but fell soon after. Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel also departed while attempting attacking strokes against Archer. The remaining overs turned into a formality as England's bowlers continued to attack and India failed to build any partnership.