England’s new era іn white-ball cricket under Brendon McCullum began with a crushing defeat against world champions India іn the first T20 іn Kolkata. England were bowled out for 132, with Jos Buttler playing a lone hand and scoring 68 from 44 balls. Harry Brook was the next highest scorer with just 17. Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel were key bowlers for India, with Chakravarthy taking 3-23. India won by seven wickets, with 43 balls tо spare.
England Spun Out Again
McCullum’s arrival as white-ball coach has been highly anticipated. While left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh struck twice early on, it was spin that led to England’s collapse from 65-2. Only Buttler, at his classy best, seemed able to handle Chakravarthy’s mystery deliveries. Brook and Liam Livingstone were bowled by his googlies, and afterwards, only Buttler managed to hit boundaries until Adil Rashid in the 19th over. England’s fielding was high-class, but India, led by a youthful squad, showed impressive depth without many of their big names from last year’s World Cup win.
Archer Shows Promise But Abhishek Cashes In
In contrast to India’s spin-heavy attack, England picked a pace-heavy XI. Jofra Archer conceded only one from a lively first over and offered hope for the series, taking 2-21. However, the rest of England’s bowlers struggled, with Gus Atkinson conceding 23 in his second over and Abhishek Sharma scoring 79 from 34 balls. Abhishek’s performance highlighted India’s depth, following the T20 retirements of stars like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja.
‘We Wanted To Enforce The Game We Want To Play’ – Reaction
- England captain Jos Buttler: “We lost wickets early on and struggled against good bowlers. There was a little bit in the wicket early on, and we probably didn’t expect that. We are better for the run out and look forward to the next one.”
- India captain Suryakumar Yadav: “All of the bowlers had good plans, and the way we batted was the icing on the cake. The way we started after winning the toss set the benchmark.”
- India spinner Varun Chakravarthy: “I am used to seeing such pitches in the IPL. There is a length that I bowl where it will be helpful. I am trying to keep it away from their arc.”
Conclusion
This match highlights both the promise and the challenges for England’s new era under Brendon McCullum. While there were individual performances to celebrate, such as that of Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer, the team’s familiar weaknesses against spin and the depth of India’s squad were clear. As England looks ahead to the next matches in the series, they will need to address these issues and build on the positives to achieve success.
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