England lost their opening T20I game by seven wickets in India, It was not a great beginning for England. For the chase, India rode their luck somewhat with a flying 79 from Abhishek Sharma and total of 133 runs in hand. Varun Chakaravarthy stars with three wickets to become the Player of the Match. England are looking to get over the smog in their next match, noted Harry Brook.
New Delhi: England had a disappointing beginning to their tour of India, suffering a significant defeat in the first match of the series by seven wickets. India successfully chased the target of 133 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. The Indian bowlers performed effectively, preventing the English batsmen from establishing a rhythm. Arshdeep Singh was particularly impressive, taking two wickets early on.
Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel each took two wickets, while Varun Chakaravarthy was the standout bowler, claiming three wickets. The England batsmen had difficulty deciphering the mystery spinner and faced challenges against his bowling.
Harry Brook attributed England’s difficulties to the smog and expressed a desire for clearer air in Chennai. The city is set to host the second T20I on Saturday, January 25.
“Chakaravarthy is an exceptionally good bowler. But with the smog the other night, it was a lot harder to pick. Hopefully, the air is a bit clearer here and we can see the ball a bit easier,” Brook said.
Brook made 17 runs off 14 deliveries before being out by Chakaravarthy. Jos Buttler was the sole batsman to exceed 20 runs, scoring 68 runs off 44 balls, which helped his team surpass the 100-run milestone.
Abhishek Sharma was the standout player for India, scoring 79 runs off only 34 deliveries. The left-handed batsman struck 8 sixes and 5 fours during his innings. He partnered with Sanju Samson, who contributed 26 runs, to put together a 41-run opening stand.
Chakaravarthy received the Player of the Match accolade for his outstanding bowling display. India is missing key players Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill. Abhishek stepped up in their absence and aims to maintain his performance. Mohammed Shami, who did not play in the first match, is expected to remain sidelined in Chennai.
