A splendid batting performance from Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube coupled with a disciplined bowling effort powered India to a 15-run victory that helped them clinch the five-match T20I series at the MCA Stadium, here on Friday.

Chasing India’s competitive 182 for victory, England were bowled out for 166 in 19.3 overs with Ravi Bishnoi (3/28), Varun Chakravarthy (2/28) and Harshit Rana (3/33) doing the damage for the hosts.

Earlier, it was Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube’s sixth-wicket partnership of 87 in 45 balls that eventually turned out to be the game changer for the hosts while batting after what was a horror start.

Abhishek Sharma gave India the perfect start depositing Jofra Archer’s fifth and sixth balls for a six and a four as the home side began proceedings with a 12-run over.

However, Sanju Samson’s wretched form continued as he was caught at deep square leg by Brydon Carse off Saqib Mahmood for just 1.

When Tilak Varma perished for a golden duck off Mahmood’s very next ball, India were in a spot of bother at 12/2 with skipper Suryakumar Yadav walking in with a lot of work to do.

But the Indian captain’s struggles were nowhere in sight as he holed out to Carse at covers as Mahmood wrecked the top order to leave India tottering at 12/3.

Rinku Singh joined Abhishek Sharma at the middle to rebuild the Indian innings and lend a semblance of respectability after what was looking like a procession to the dressing room.

The left-handed duo slowly but surely set about reconstructing the innings with Rinku slamming a couple of boundaries and a six to get things going.

The Aligarh-born batter was the more aggressive of the two once he got his eye in while Sharma kept chipping away with the odd boundary.

They were going good until the first ball of the eighth over after which Sharma was caught by Jamie Bethell off Adil Rashid as India fell to 57/4.

New man Shivam Dube was dropped by England skipper Jos Buttler off the third ball of the same over as India heaved a sigh of relief.

Dube made Rashid pay for the lapse smashing a six to signal his intentions.

At the 10 over mark, India were 72/4 with a score of 150-160 looming if the home side batted their full quota of overs remaining.

Rinku is taken out by Carse in the 11^th over getting him caught by third man Rashid as India were left in dire straits at 79/5.

In the 14^th over, Dube took Rashid on a carnage blasting a four and a six as India were beginning to press the accelarator.

Hardik Pandya went berserk too in the 16^th over as he deposited Mahmood’s delivery over the long off boundary line to give India the much needed momentum.

The duo took 17 runs off Archer’s over, India’s 17^th, to keep the scoreboard on track for a 170-plus total.

Pandya slammed Jamie Overton for a six and Dube got a four as India kept chugging along nicely as England’s plans were going awry at the back end.

The Mumbai Indians skipper’s 50 came in just 27 balls as he and Dube were giving India a fantastic finishing touch.

Dube brought up his fifty, fourth in T20Is, in just 31 balls as India finished with 181/8 in 20 overs.