1st T20I: Varun Chakravarthy's 3-23 and Abhishek Sharma's 79 propel India to a 7-wicket triumph over England
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Synopsis
In the opening match of the T20I series at Eden Gardens, Varun Chakravarthy's exceptional bowling and Abhishek Sharma's aggressive batting led India to a convincing victory over England. With this win, India takes a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Key Takeaways
- Varun Chakravarthy took 3 wickets for 23 runs.
- Abhishek Sharma scored 79 runs off 34 balls.
- India chased down 133 runs in just 12.5 overs.
- Arshdeep Singh became the leading wicket-taker for India in T20Is.
- Jos Buttler was the top scorer for England with 68 runs.
Kolkata, Jan 22 (NationPress) Wrist-spinner Varun Chakravarthy delivered an impressive performance with figures of 3-23, while left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma dazzled with a remarkable 79 to propel India to a seven-wicket victory over England in the first match of the five-match T20I series at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. This win gives India a 1-0 lead in the series.
From the outset, India executed their strategy flawlessly, opting to bowl first and restricting England to a mere 132 all out. Arshdeep Singh quickly dismissed the openers, becoming India’s leading wicket-taker in men’s T20Is. Following that, Chakravarthy created a spin challenge that left England bewildered in the middle overs. Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya also contributed with two wickets each, ensuring a dominant bowling display for India. On the England side, captain Jos Buttler fought valiantly, scoring 68 off 44 balls as his teammates struggled.
In response, India successfully chased down 133 runs in under 13 overs, largely due to Abhishek’s explosive 20-ball fifty, marking his first half-century in T20s on home turf. He showcased an exceptional performance in front of a packed crowd, hitting five boundaries and eight sixes during his 34-ball innings.
Abhishek combined elegance with power, scoring 68 of his 79 runs from boundaries, playing a pivotal role in India's comprehensive victory. The chase started positively as Sanju Samson plundered four boundaries and a six in the second over, amassing 22 runs off Gus Atkinson.
Abhishek opened his account by brilliantly carving Jofra Archer for four and six. However, Archer bounced back, catching Samson at deep mid-wicket during a pull shot. A second wicket followed as Suryakumar was dismissed for a two-ball duck.
Thereafter, Abhishek took center stage, flicking, carving, and hammering Mark Wood for two sixes and a four. After being dropped by Adil Rashid, Abhishek continued to excel, reaching his fifty in just 20 balls with a six off Jamie Overton.
His onslaught included a lofted four off Liam Livingstone and three boundaries off Atkinson. Abhishek's entertaining innings concluded when he mistimed a googly to long-off. Tilak Varma sealed the victory with an unbeaten 19 off 16 balls, including the winning run, with 43 balls to spare.
Earlier, Arshdeep dismissed Phil Salt with a short ball, leading to a catch by Samson. Although Buttler struck Pandya for two boundaries, Duckett was caught off Arshdeep’s bowling.
Buttler displayed confidence with several boundaries, while Harry Brook made a promising start against Chakravarthy and Axar. Just when it seemed England would set a hefty target, Chakravarthy turned the tide by bowling out Brook, leading to two quick wickets.
Despite Buttler reaching his fifty, he had little support from his teammates as Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton fell to Pandya and Axar respectively. Buttler was eventually dismissed by Chakravarthy, with Nitish Kumar Reddy taking a brilliant catch. Rashid and Archer added some late runs to take England past 130 before falling in the final over. The two teams will meet again for the second T20I at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.
Brief scores:
England 132 all out in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 68; Varun Chakaravarthy 3-23, Arshdeep Singh 2-17) lost to India 133/3 in 12.5 overs (Abhishek Sharma 79; Jofra Archer 2-21) by seven wickets
