1st T20I: Chakaravarthy claims 3-23 as Indian bowlers restrict England to 132

Synopsis

Varun Chakravarthy's outstanding bowling performance helped India restrict England to 132 runs in the first T20I match at Eden Gardens. His figures of 3-23, alongside Arshdeep Singh's key wickets, laid the foundation for India's impressive win.

Key Takeaways

Varun Chakravarthy led the bowling attack with 3 wickets for 23 runs.
India bowled out England for just 132 runs.
Arshdeep Singh became India's leading T20I wicket-taker.
Jos Buttler scored 68 runs but lacked support from his teammates.
India leads the series 1-0 after this match.

Kolkata, Jan 22 (NationPress) Wrist-spinner Varun Chakravarthy excelled with impressive figures of 3-23 as the Indian bowling unit delivered a stunning performance, dismissing England for a mere 132 runs in the opening match of the T20I series at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday. From the moment they decided to bowl first, everything clicked for India. Arshdeep Singh quickly removed the opening batsmen, establishing himself as India’s leading wicket-taker in men’s T20Is. Following this, Chakravarthy spun a marvelous web of spin to leave England bewildered during the middle overs.

Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya also contributed with two wickets each in a dominant bowling display by India. For England, captain Jos Buttler fought bravely, scoring 68 off 44 balls, while his teammates struggled around him.

Initially, Arshdeep made his mark by dismissing Phil Salt with a short ball that was caught by Sanju Samson. Buttler showcased his skills with some powerful shots, including two boundaries off Pandya, while Duckett fell to another leading edge caught in the pacer's second over.

Buttler demonstrated his class, hitting Pandya for four boundaries in the fourth over, while Harry Brook began aggressively, hitting Chakravarthy for four and then slamming Axar for six over long-on. As it seemed England might build a substantial total, Chakravarthy's googly castled Brook, and he followed up by dismissing Liam Livingstone with a stunning delivery.

Despite reaching his fifty, Buttler had minimal support as Jacob Bethell fell to Pandya, while Jamie Overton and Gus Atkinson were dismissed by Axar.

Chakravarthy eventually took out Buttler, with Nitish Kumar Reddy taking a spectacular catch. Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer contributed a few runs, helping England surpass 130 before being dismissed, setting India a target of 133 to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Brief scores:

England 132 all out in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 68; Varun Chakaravarthy 3-23, Arshdeep Singh 2-17) against India