Key Points
Tilak Varma's unbeaten 72 steers India to victory
Brydon Carse impresses with fierce bowling spell
England shows aggressive intent despite series loss
Debut performances shine in high-stakes match
It was a chase for the ages as England gave the T20 World Cup champions a run for their money with an inspired bowling performance.
Even though debutant Brydon Carse almost silenced the Chepauk singlehandedly with his scorching spell, Tilak's flamboyance was too much to handle for the touring party.
The Three Lions roared in patches, but Tilak's unbeaten 72-run blitzkrieg was the perfect answer for Buttler's side. The young southpaw evaluated the permutation and combination to figure out the best course of action.
He picked his moments, chose the bowlers to target and unleashed his repertoire of shots to bring India home with a slender 2-wicket win.
The onslaught he unleased in the 16th over off Jofra Archer served as the perfect example of the plan Tilak had devised to take the game away from England.
"Great game. Really exciting end. Credit to Tilak for getting them over the line," Buttler said in the post-match presentation.
The 166 runs on the board was a modest target considering the high-scoring reputation of Chepauk. Debutant Jamie Smith, who has earned a reputation for swiftly piling up runs in Tests, was belligerent with his approach in the T20Is.
Carse brought thunder down in Chennai, leaving the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Washington Sundar dazed with his scorching pace.
Buttler was delighted with the aggression his side exhibited to turn the moderate chase into an exhilarating affair, even though his side fell to a 2-0 series deficit.
"We created a lot of chances and really pushed them close. Really pleased with the way we went about with the bat. There was the aggression we asked for, nearly a defendable score," Buttler said.
"Jamie Smith on debut, playing the way he did, Brydon Carse and the guys creating chances with the ball. We will improve on it all, but happy with the style. They are going to play three spinners, so they are going to take wickets. If we take them for runs, I am happy," Buttler concluded.
