It was a day to remember for Jos Buttler and every England fan packed into Southampton. The veteran wicketkeeper-batsman, who had been going through a lean patch for a while, finally silenced his critics with a magnificent century , his first in international cricket in three long years. His knock of 131 from just 51 balls was pure class, featuring eight massive sixes that sent the crowd into absolute raptures.

Buttler, now 35, looked like a man possessed. He drove, pulled, and sliced the Indian bowlers to all parts of the ground.

His fifty came off just 34 deliveries, and he accelerated brilliantly to bring up his hundred in only 51 balls, pulling Axar Patel over square leg for a massive six to reach the milestone in style. The innings was a reminder of why he remains one of England's greatest white-ball players of all time.

He found excellent support from Harry Brook, who played the perfect second fiddle with an unbeaten 95 off 45 balls. The pair stitched together a mammoth 233-run partnership, the highest second-wicket stand in T20 international history. England posted a towering 257 for three, and India never really looked like chasing it down.

India's reply started with promise. Sanju Samson, who replaced teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, smashed two sixes early on but fell soon after to Sam Curran for 27. Captain Shreyas Iyer then joined Ishan Kishan and added 55 runs for the third wicket, but Iyer's dismissal to Liam Dawson broke the backbone of the chase. Kishan fought hard and made 56, but his spectacular catch by Phil Salt off Adil Rashid ended any faint hopes India had. Tilak Varma contributed 53 late in the innings, but it was never going to be enough as India finished on 201 for eight.

England were simply brilliant in all departments. Sam Curran led the bowling attack with figures of 3 for 36, while the fielding was sharp and energetic throughout. Buttler himself took three catches behind the stumps, making it a perfect personal outing.

After the match, an emotional Buttler said he was absolutely delighted to get back to his best, especially in an England shirt. He admitted that while he had played well in the IPL, nothing compares to performing for the national team.

Indian captain Shreyas Iyer was honest in his assessment, admitting that his team has a lot to learn from this series, especially in terms of adapting to conditions and improving their fielding, which he described as a key area of concern.

The victory also meant England dethroned India from the top of the ICC T20 rankings, a spot India had held since February 2022. It was a complete performance from the hosts, who have now won four out of five matches in this series.

There was also disappointment for young fans who had come hoping to see 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, only to find that he had been dropped from the playing XI. But Buttler's fireworks more than made up for it, leaving the Southampton crowd thoroughly entertained.

The two teams now move on to a three-match ODI series starting in Birmingham on Tuesday. All eyes will be on Virat Kohli, who has already retired from Tests and T20Is, and this could very well be his final ODI campaign on English soil. For now, though, the spotlight firmly belongs to Jos Buttler and his new No. 1-ranked England side.