India thrash England to secure seven-wicket victory in first T20I

India defeated England by seven wickets in the first T20I at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, chasing down a modest target of 133 with 43 balls to spare. Abhishek Sharma starred with a blistering 79 off 34 balls, overshadowing England's struggles with the bat.  

Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, India made early inroads. Arshdeep Singh, India's leading T20I wicket-taker, struck twice in his opening spell to remove openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett. His economical figures of 2 for 17 set the tone as England's batting faltered. Varun Chakravarthy then dominated the middle overs, claiming 3 for 23, including the key wicket of Jos Buttler, who top-scored with 68. Despite Buttler's resistance, England were bowled out for 132.  

In response, India's chase faced an initial hiccup as Jofra Archer dismissed Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav in quick succession. However, Abhishek’s counterattacking innings, laced with 5 boundaries and 8 sixes, ensured there were no further setbacks. Even after being dropped on 29 by Adil Rashid, Abhishek continued his assault, bringing up his half-century in style.  

India’s fielding was also a highlight, with Nitish Kumar Reddy pulling off a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Buttler, while Rinku Singh set the tone with a sharp effort to remove Duckett. On the other hand, England’s dropped catches, including a sitter off Abhishek, cost them dearly.  

With this emphatic win, India take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The second T20I will be played on Saturday, 25 January, in Chennai.