England suffer humiliating collapse losing eight wickets for eight runs as India claim T20 series victory

England loses eight wickets for eight runs as India wins T20 series

By winning the third Twenty20 international, India also secured the series 2-1. England thus ended their subcontinental tour battered, befuddled and beaten in all three formats.

India's M S Dhoni watches as England's Ben Stokes falls on the ground during the 3rd T20 match

Even by the golden standard of England collapses, this was a belter: their last eight wickets falling for just eight runs in 19 balls.

Virat Kohli with Yuzuvendra Chahal with the trophy after winning the series against England during the 3rd T20 between India and England

 In a way, it was the ultimate act of team solidarity: win together, lose together, get out more or less all at the same time.

team mates with the trophy after winning the series against England during the 3rd T20 between India and England

“Very disappointing,” captain Eoin Morgan said afterwards. “We haven’t produced a batting performance as bad as that in two, two and a half years.”

Amit Mishra with team mates celebrate the wicket of Jason Roy during the 3rd T20 between India and England

By the end, the procession of English batsmen had teetered into the realms of farce: the blithe abandon of a team dreaming of airline peanuts and hot face towels, of home and hearth, 

India's Amit Mishra with team mates celebrate the wicket of Jason Roy during the 3rd T20 between India and England

Yuzvendra Chahal, a rookie leg-spinner of guile and persistence but no great mystery, ended up becoming only the second man in history to take six wickets in an innings at this level.

India's Yezuvendra Chahal celebrate the wicket of Joe Root during the 3rd T20 between India and England

“We were completely outplayed,” Morgan admitted. “We’re going to have days like that.”

M S Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh during the 3rd T20 between India and England

To which the only possible response is: really? Well, why? Great teams do not see crushing defeats as part of the inevitable cost of doing business.

M S Dhoni plays a shot during the 3rd T20 between India and England

England do truly aspire to be amongst the very best, they will need to prove that they can learn from thrashings like this. 

Virat Kohli celebrates the win over England during the 3rd T20 between India and England at Chinnaswamy Stadium

England will no longer be able to avoid these pointed questions.