Team India beat England by 7 wickets to take 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series. Abhishek Sharma top scored with 79 runs. The Men in Blue chased down the target of 132 runs with 43 balls to spare. Openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma provided brisk start putting on 41 runs for the opening stand. Samson was aggressive between the two smashing Gus Atkinson for 22 runs in a single over. However, Archer brought England back in the match first by removing Samson followed by the wicket of skipper Suryakumar Yadav for a duck.
However, Abhishek Sharma continued the onslaught smashing a half-century of just 20 balls as he stitched a partnership of 84 runs with Tilak Verma to keep India on course for victory. Abhishek was eventually dismissed for 79 Runs Off 34 Balls before Tilak Verma finished the innings with an unbeaten 19 runs of 16 balls.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma give India brisk start before Jofra Archer not only broke 41 run oopening stand but also dismissed Suryakumar Yadav for a duck.
Team India spinners dominated England’s batting lineup and restricted them to during the IND vs ENG 1st T20I at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. Arshdeep Singh’s early strike put England on the backfoot as he dismissed Ben Duckett and Phil Salt. The left-arm seamer also became India’s leading wicket-taker in the shortest format of the game.
Varun Chakravarthy was the next to inflict more damage when he dismissed well-set Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone in his first over. Brook and Buttler had steadied the innings after 48 run stand for the third wicket.
Jos Buttler held the first at one end, while the rest of the England batters failed to get going. The pressure eventually got to Buttler who was dismissed by Chakravarthy for 68 off 44 balls while trying to accelerate the innings.
For India Varun Chakravarthy finished with figures of 3/23, while Arshdeep SIngh, Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya picked up two wickets apiece.
Varun Chakravarthy picks two wickets in a space of three balls and that leaves England reeling in Kolkata. They have now lost 4 wickets inside the first 10 overs.
Arshdeep Singh surpasses Yuzvendra Chahal to becomes India’s leading wicket taker in T20 International. The left arm pacer is now getting close to 100 wicket milestone
IND vs ENG 1st T20I playing XI
India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi.
England: Phil Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook (vc), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
Toss
Team India to bowl first after Suryakumar Yadav wins toss
India vs England 1st T20I Preview
India will be entering the match at Eden Gardens on the back of solid form in the past. The Men in Blue have played seven T20Is at this iconic venue, including six wins and one loss which came against the English team back in 2011.
This will be the first time both teams will be facing each other since the Men in Blue edged out England in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024. Currently, India is the top-ranked tea in the shortest format of the game, while Jos Buttler-led England finds itself in the third position.
The biggest talking point of the series is the return of star pacer Mohammed Shami after a 14-month gap. Shami will lead the pace bowling unit alongside Arshdeep Singh. Axar Patel has been given the vice-captaincy dutries despite presence of all-rounder Hardik Pandya. For England, head coach Brendon McCullum confirmed that Buttler will focus on captaincy and will relinquish the wicketkeeping duties.
Team India will begin their white ball season against England in the T20I format. The world champions will face the English lions at Eden Gardens in the 1st T20I on Wednesday. With just couple of hours left before the opening game we take look at the pitch and weather conditions for the opening encounter.
Weather For the IND vs ENG 1st T20I
The India vs England 1st T20I weather at Eden Gardens is favourable with no chance of rain. AccuWeather predicts minimal cloud cover (around 3%) with the temperature dropping to a comfortable 16°C in the evening.
Pitch report for the IND vs ENG 1st T20I
The 22 yard strip at Eden Gardens will offer good bounce and pace. The batsmen will enjoy playing shots with the ball coming onto the bat. The boundaries are small, and expect the ball to travel quickly across the field. Eden Gardens is expected to be a batting paradise and captains of both teams Suryakumar Yadav and Jos Buttler will not hesitate to bat first on a belter of a track.
