Team India have managed to restrict the English cricket team to a total of 132 runs in the first T20I at the Kolkata’s inconic Eden Gardens. While Varun Chakravarthy claimed three wickets for the Men in Blue, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each. Only Jos Buttler (68 runs off 44 balls) managed to have a respectable score for the English men.
After seamer Arshdeep Singh dismissed Phil Salt for a three-ball duck and Ben Duckett in his first two overs, the middle order fell in a sorry heap against India’s spinners and England were bowled out for 132.
Only English skipper Buttler got to grips with the India attack, playing a defiant knock of 68 from 44 balls to at least ensure the game remained a contest heading into the second innings.Harry Brook was the next highest scorer with 17.
Brook was bowled in the eighth over by the superb Varun Chakravarthy, who then dismissed Liam Livingstone for a duck two balls later as England’s scoring stalled and wickets tumbled.
Jacob Bethell struggled for seven from 14 balls, Jamie Overton managed only two at number seven and Gus Atkinson fell to England’s old foe Axar Patel for a painful two from 12 balls.
Chakravarthy returned to dismiss Buttler in the 17th over – ending England’s hope of a big finish as he claimed figures of 3-23.
I am still seven out of 10
India spinner Varun Chakravarthy: “I am used to seeing such pitches in IPL. I know it is for the seamers but there is a length which I bowl where it will be helpful. I am trying to keep it away from their arc – a just short length.
“The point behind me putting in more work in is to extract extra bounce. I cannot beat batsmen with side spin the only way I can beat batsman is bounce. I am would say I am still seven out of 10 in that. Still more work to do.”
All three spinners did a wonderful job’
India captain Suryakumar Yadav:
“The energy, the way we started after winning the toss set the benchmark. We took it from there. All of the bowlers had good plans. The way we batted was the icing on the cake.
“We wanted to stick to our strengths [by picking three spinners]. Hardik could take the responsibility of taking the new ball so I had the cushion to play the extra spinner. All three of them did a wonderful job.
“We have been working really hard with our fielding coach. There is only one demand that we have good energy and then take the half chances.”
The second T20 in the five-match series is on Saturday in Chennai .
(Inputs with agencies)
