India Cruises to Victory Chasing 133, Varun Chakravarthy and Arshdeep Shine with the Ball
Kolkata, January 22: Abhishek Sharma’s blistering knock of 79 off 34 balls propelled India to a commanding seven-wicket victory against England in the opening T20I at Eden Gardens. India’s bowling unit, led by Varun Chakravarthy and Arshdeep Singh, restricted England to 132, making the chase an easy task.
India’s Aggressive Chase Sets the Tone
Chasing a modest 133-run target, India started with an aggressive mindset. Sanju Samson (26) overcame early struggles against Jofra Archer, smashing two boundaries and a six off Gus Atkinson to give India a brisk start. Abhishek Sharma joined the party, hitting a boundary and a six off Archer.
Archer, however, bounced back, removing Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav (0) in quick succession, reducing India to 41/2. Despite the setbacks, Abhishek played a fearless innings, slamming boundaries and bringing up his half-century in style. His fiery knock ended at 79 when he was caught off Adil Rashid, but the damage was done. Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma sealed the win with over seven overs to spare.
England’s Struggles Against Spin
Winning the toss, India opted to field and immediately put England under pressure. Arshdeep Singh struck in the first over, dismissing Phil Salt for a duck and becoming India’s all-time leading T20I wicket-taker with 97 scalps.
Jos Buttler (68 off 44) anchored England’s innings, but he lacked support as Varun Chakravarthy (3/20) and Axar Patel (2/21) spun a web around England’s batters. Varun dismissed key players Harry Brook (17) and Liam Livingstone (0) in quick succession, while Axar claimed two middle-order wickets.
England’s innings collapsed from 74/4 to 132 all out. Buttler’s fighting knock ended when Chakravarthy bowled him, with Nitish Kumar Reddy taking a stunning catch to dismiss him.
Key Performances
- Abhishek Sharma (India): 79 off 34 balls, including six boundaries and five sixes.
- Varun Chakravarthy (India): 3/20 in four overs, pivotal in choking England’s middle order.
- Arshdeep Singh (India): 2/26, surpassing Yuzvendra Chahal as India’s leading T20I wicket-taker.
- Jos Buttler (England): 68 off 44 balls, the lone bright spot in England’s batting lineup.
Upcoming Matches
The five-match series continues with the second T20I scheduled for January 25 in Chennai, followed by matches in Rajkot, Pune, and Mumbai.