India vs England, First T20I: Updates and Commentary

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While India’s fortunes have dwindled worryingly in Tests, they are making merry in the shortest format. England, on the other hand, have endured two shoddy T20 World Cups in a row. Barring a 2-1 ODI series win in 2018, England haven’t won a single bilateral white-ball series in India since 2017. Can the revamped Three Lions snap the losing streak or will the hosts continue with their winning ways? Stay tuned to find out..

12.5th Over
India complete a demolition job - IND 133/3

A rude shock for England in Kolkata. 132 was a feeble score and they were always playing catch-up since. India go 1-up in the five-match series! The cricketing caravan moves to Chennai and the visitors will have to search for a quick fix for their spin troubles.

12th Over
Abhishek falls in an attempt to finish things up - IND 127/3

Abhishek walks back for an emphatic 79 off 34 balls, striking at 232. His beautifully brutal innings was laced with eight sixes.

10th Over
100 up for India at the halfway mark as Abhishek runs amok

Fastest 50s for Ind vs Eng in T20Is
12 balls – Yuvraj Singh Durban 2007
20 balls – Abhishek Sharma Kolkata 2025
27 balls – KL Rahul Manchester 2018

6th Over
Abhishek Sharma is using the pace and bounce on offer - IND 63/2

Sublime batting this from the youngster. He is getting into positions early and making the velocity of the England pacers work to his advantage. Gallops to 27 off 11 balls as India successfully capitalize on the fielding restrictions despite the two wickets.

5th Over
England storm back into the contest - IND 41/2

Jofra Archer is wrestling the advantage. Double blow for India as Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav perish in short order. Smart bowling by the returning quick!

3rd Over
India are off to an absolute flier - IND 33/0

The target is already down to 100. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are cruising. Breathtaking strokeplay at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

20th Over
ALL OUT! England use all their resources to reach 132

England scored 46/2 in the Powerplay but could only manage 86 in the remaining 84 deliveries to fold for an underwhelming total. Buttler crafted his fifth 50+ score versus India in T20s but there was a modicum of help as spin proved the visitors’ bugbear yet again.

17th Over
England struggle to score against spin - ENG 110/8
Chakravarthy finishes with impressive figures of 3/23 while Axar bowls out for 2/22 despite a 15-run over.

Chakravarthy’s returns in T20Is since his return last year:
8 matches
20 wickets
Avg 11.70
SR 9.6
ER 7.31

17th Over
England's lone ranger departs for 68 - ENG 110/8

Buttler was holding fort for India and the six that he uncorked off the on-song Varun gave the feeling that he might be able to take England to a respectable total but the skipper has spliced a pull to Nitish Reddy in the deep. Great catch as he misread it initally. Solid knock individually, but he didn’t have any allies whatsoever to put India under pressure.

14th Over
Another two wickets in quick succession - ENG 97/6

Half-centurion Buttler is waging a lone war as England implode from the other end. Jacob Bethell’s nervous stay at the crease was brought to an end by Hardik as he found the man at deep square leg. Jamie Overton holes out to long-off, leaving England in a spot of bother. They bat deep though, can the lower order support the captain?

9th Over
Varun Chakravarthy spins a web - ENG 69/4

The England batters are not reading the mystery spin of Varun Chakravarthy and the inability has led to the fall of two quick wickets. Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone have had their defences breached as India keep striking to peg England back.

Read Aryan Surana’s feature from our ODI World Cup 2023 coverage on why England players do not make for the best spin negotiators.

The spin-handling asterisk to England’s title defence grows bigger

7th Over
50 up for England on the other side of PowerPlay - ENG 61/2

Productive over for England. Harry Brook shimmies down the wicket and bludgeons Axar Patel over wide long-off for a flat six. Buttler then picks up the length in a flash to hammer a six over mid-wicket.

4th Over
Hardik Pandya leaks runs - ENG 35/2

India want to ease the resurgent Mohammed Shami into the action so they are holding him back, but that means lesser potency upfront as Hardik Pandya shares the new ball with Arshdeep. Buttler cashes in to fetch 18 off the over, thanks to four boundaries.

3rd Over
Duckett perishes in the bid to counter-attack - ENG 17/2

England are no shrinking violets in the tutelage of Brendon McCullum, so it was expected that there will be no slowdown despite the early wicket of Phil Salt. Jos Buttler advanced down the pitch to smack Hardik Pandya for a boundary and Ben Duckett ramped Arshdeep Singh over third man, but the accelerating motive has spelt doom for the southpaw. Nice catch by Rinku Singh as he backpedalled to settle underneath Duckett’s top edge.

1st Over
Arshdeep Singh dents the visitors early - ENG 3/1

Arshdeep Singh is renowned for troubling those who face the new ball with his ability to generate movement both ways. Phil Salt is taken aback by the bounce and away-nibble from a good length ball from over the wicket, spooning it right up in the air. Sanju Samson accepts the dolly and India get the start the doctor ordered in what is presumed to be a high-scoring clash.

India have won the toss and opted to bowl

Teams:
England (Playing XI): Ben Duckett, Philip Salt(w), Jos Buttler(c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy

Broadcast Schedule

India v England White ball series
IND v ENG 2nd ODI, Cuttack
9th February
Start time: 8:00 am GMT
IND v ENG 3rd ODI, Ahmedebad
12th February
Start time: 8:00 am GMT