Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], January 22 (ANI): Power-packed bowling performances by spinners Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and pacer Arshdeep Singh overwhelmed a valiant fightback by England skipper Jos Buttler, allowing India to restrict hosts to 132 runs in the first T20I at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
India needs to chase down 133 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
After India won the toss and elected to field first, they were off to a fine start as Phil Salt was caught behind by Sanju Samson on an Arshdeep Singh delivery, leaving England at 0/1 in 0.3 overs.
Skipper Jos Buttler came and got two boundaries. However, soon it was Ben Duckett’s turn to go for four runs in four balls, with a leading edge going into the hands of Rinku Singh near covers. England was 17/2 in 2.5 overs. With this scalp, Arshdeep became India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, overtaking Yuzvendra Chahal’s tally of 96 scalps.
Skipper Buttler and Harry Brook carried the innings forward from that point. Buttler smashed four boundaries against Hardik Pandya in the fourth over.
At the end of the powerplay in six overs, England was 46/2, with Buttler (34*) and Brook (6*).
Even though Buttler and Brook dismantled vice-captain Axar Patel with a 15-run over, consisting of a four and six each, taking England to the 50-run mark in 6.2 overs, Varun Chakravarthy’s bowling made life at the crease difficult for the captain-vice captain duo.
Varun cleaned up Brook (17 in 14 balls, with two fours and a six) and Liam Livingstone (0) within three balls, reducing England to 65/4 in eight overs.
In the next two overs, Ravi Bishnoi and Varun were extremely miserly, leaving England struggling at 74/4 in 10 overs, with Buttler (47*) and Jacob Bethell (3*) unbeaten.
Skipper Buttler reached his half-century, a hard-fought one in 34 balls, with six fours and a six.
Bethell was dismissed for just seven runs, with England at 83/5 in 11.5 overs.
Indian spinners continued to choke England’s scoring rate and taking wickets, as a poor shot by Jamie Overton landed in the hands of Nitish Kumar Reddy, giving Axar Patel his first wicket of the match. Overton was gone for two. England was 95/6 in 13.3 overs.
England reached the 100-run mark in 15.5 overs.
Gus Atkinson became Axar’s second victim for just two runs in seven balls, marking the end of the 16th over.
Buttler’s fighting knock came to an end at the hands of Chakravarthy, with Nitish taking a diving catch at deep backward square leg. Buttler was gone for 68 in 44 balls, with eight fours and two sixes. England was 109/8 in 16.2 overs.
In the final over, Jofra Archer lost his wicket to Hardik Pandya for 12 in 11 balls. England was 129/9 in 19.5 overs.
England ended their innings at 132/10, with Mark Wood run out on the final ball.
Chakravarthy (3/23) was the leading wicket-taker for India, with Arshdeep Singh (2/17), Hardik (2/42) and Axar (2/22) also doing well. (ANI)
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