ardik Pandya’s all round splendor and Rishabh Pant’s 125 not worn out of 113 balls India to a five-wicket win in their one-day international series decider against England.
Pandya sent Jason Roy and Ben Stokes away in an excellent opening burst before returning to take the wickets from Liam Livingstone and as Buttler in the same left to finish with an ODI best four for 24.
Buttler scored the highest score with 60 from 80 in England’s 259 all-out in 45.5 overs, but that was overshadowed by Hardik’s 71 from 55 deliveries in a tie for 133 runs with Pant on Emirates Old Trafford.
While Reece Topley followed his England record of six out of 24 on Thursday with the top prize of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, Pant and Pandya skillfully led the recovery from 72 for four.
The pair presented opportunities but grew in confidence with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius and while Hardik left with 55 needed, Pant’s unbeaten ton of 16 fours and two sixs brought India across the line with 7.5 overs left.
A carnival-like atmosphere greeted Pant’s first ODI century, in which he accelerated after he passed 50. Mixing orthodox blows with his own unique genius, he gave England a lesson after failing their 50 overs for the third time in a series and losing 2-1.
After being asked to bat first, Roy dealt with an authoritative punch, the first of three fours left in Mohammed Shami’s opening.
But if England were relieved by the absence of Jasper Bumrah, that was quickly put into perspective when his replacement Mohammed Siraj exploited an early move to find the edges of Jonny Bairstow and then Joe Root.
Roy continued to assert himself and Stokes was optimistic in a 54-run union of 47 balls, but Pandya slowed down in a great opening spell of 4-3-2-2. Roy skied a top edge to leave for 41, while an attacking Stokes got confused after Pandya dragged his length back and offered a comeback at 27.
Buttler was lucky to have a few uppish drives short for outfield players, while he was on the hook twice late and clattered into the helmet through Siraj. He did better in the next over, pulling confidently before praising Yuzvendra Chahal for the first of his two sixes.
Moeen Ali sparkled briefly but was caught for 34 at the leg side after a 75-point stand with Buttler, who went to a 65 ball shortly after, not his slowest attempt but one of his more sedate and his first since succeeding Eoin. Morgan as England captain on a full-time basis.
Livingstone was spirited but perished in the deep end on 27 seeking his third six from the returning Pandya, with Buttler hollowing out three balls later before England’s 200 ran out.
David Willey (18) and Craig Overton (32) made useful contributions in the sequence and although 25 balls went unused in England’s innings, their hopes grew as Topley picked up where he left off at Lord’s.
Dhawan’s bat twirled in his hands as he skewed back, Rohit nibbled on a delivery that hung away from him, as did Kohli, whose unfortunate run over formats was extended after another low score.
Suryakumar Yadav finished it off at Overton, who then erased his writing-book by straying too far into the field of his fine leg and watched Pandya’s pull bounce off the rope just after Pant was given a reprieve at 18. On the way to Moeen, Pant was defeated by a lavish turn, but Buttler failed to take the punch opportunity.
They were costly misses, with the India pair unfolding some glorious ground rides against England’s rotating cast of bowlers. Hardik, comfortable on the fore and hindfoot, was particularly confident, hitting a 43-ball fifty-first before Pant had his 71 deliveries.
Neither batter took unnecessary risks and it wasn’t until Pant was in his 70’s that he hit Overton for India’s first six. By now the borders in England were bleeding, but at least they managed to get rid of Pandya when Stokes made a sensational low catch that plunged forward from the middle.
The wicket failed to dampen the enthusiasm of Pant, who entered the 90s with a slog sweep high over the deep midwicket, although he made a mistake at 97, the ball just dodged the jumping David Willey at midwicket.
After hitting his 106-ball ton — his second fifty came from just 35 deliveries — Pant didn’t feel like hanging out. Willey vanished in all directions as he allowed five fours in as many balls before Pant ended the proceedings with a reverse sweep for four on Root.
Additional reporting by PA.