Virat Kohli leads from front as India beat England to clinch T20 series

Unbeaten 80 from captain helps home side win high-scoring decider by 36 runs in Ahmedabad

India captain Virat Kohli celebrates after beating England by 36 runs to clinch a 3-2 T20 series victory at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, March 20. AFP

England's Jofra Archer is run out for just one. Reuters

India's Shardul Thakur celebrates after taking the wicket of Dawid Malan. AFP

England batsman Dawid Malan is clean bowled by India's Shardul Thakur for 68. AFP

India bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with 2-15 off his four overs. AFP

England batsman Jos Buttler on his way to 52. AP

England's Jos Buttler, right, is congratulated by teammate Dawid Malan after reaching his half-century. AFP

India captain Virat Kohli celebrates the dismissal of England's Jos Buttler. AFP

England's Dawid Malan top-scored for England with 68. Getty

India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar, left, celebrates clean-bowling England opener Jason Roy for a duck. Reuters

India's Virat Kohli celebrates reaching his half-century that helped his team reach 224-2. AFP

India captain Virat Kohli on his way to an unbeaten 80 off 52 balls. AP

England's Mark Wood drops a chance off India batsman Rohit Sharma. AFP

India's Rohit Sharma on his way to 64 off 34 balls. PA

India's Rohit Sharma, left, celebrates his half century with Virat Kohli. Reuters

England captain Eoin Morgan looks on during India's innings. Reuters

India's Rohit Sharma is clean bowled by England bowler Ben Stokes. AFP

Ben Stokes celebrates the wicket of Rohit Sharma with England teammates. Getty

England fielder Chris Jordan takes a one-handed catch on the boundary before throwing ball to Jason Roy in one movement to dismiss India's Suryakumar Yadav for 32. AFP

Virat Kohli led from the front as beat England by 36 runs in the final Twenty20 International to complete a 3-2 series victory on Saturday.

Rohit Sharma smashed 64 and Kohli remained not out on 80 to power India to 224-2, their highest total against England, after being put into bat.

Dawid Malan and Jos Buttler struck half-centuries to fuel England's chase before India's seam bowlers took the game away from them.

"It was a complete game for us," said Kohli. "We totally outplayed the opposition. The fact Rishabh and Shreyas didn't get the chance to bat and still got close 230 is testament to how we did.

"I have batted in different positions in the past but I feel we have a solid middle order now. Now it is about the two best players getting the maximum number of balls in T20 cricket. I would like to partner Rohit at the top."

Earlier, Kohli passed a fitness test and promoted himself to open the innings with deputy Rohit.

One of the game's cleanest strikers of the ball, Rohit looked in sublime form, smashing five sixes in his 34-ball blitz.

Ben Stokes ended the 94-run stand with a leg-cutter which Rohit chopped onto his stumps while attempting a pull-shot.

Suryakumar Yadav belted 32 before Chris Jordan's athleticism and presence of mind sent him back.

Stationed at long on, Jordan sprinted to his right to take a running one-handed catch and threw the ball to a grinning Jason Roy just before momentum took him over the ropes.

Kohli, who had been watching the batting carnage from the other end, accelerated in company of Hardik Pandya who made a quickfire 39.

Roy fell for a duck when England began their chase but Dawid Malan (68) and Jos Buttler (52) launched a spectacular assault to shrug off the setback.

Malan, the top-ranked batsmen in this format, roared back into form, forging a 130-run partnership with Buttler.

The brilliant Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-15 off his four overs) returned to send back Buttler, and Shardul Thakur dismissed Jonny Bairstow and Malan in the same over to turn the match on its head.

T Natarajan dismissed Stokes for 14 in the penultimate over to effectively seal the match in India's favour and England finished on 188-8.

The teams now move to Pune where they will play a three-match one-day series from Tuesday.

England captain Eoin Morgan said: "[It has been] Extremely productive. To play a strong India team in their own conditions was fantastic. Ideally we would have played on wickets that turned more just to get that exposure.

"Regardless of the result we are looking to grow and get better. We played some really good cricket. There are a lot of positives to build on."