ENG vs IND: 1st T20I Review – Intentful India humble England

India registered an emphatic 50-run win over England in the first T20I at The Rosebowl in Southampton on July 7 to draw first blood in the three-match series. This morale-boosting victory was possible courtesy of a brilliant all-round performance from Hardik Pandya who scored a half-century and then went on to register a four-wicket haul.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first. While Rohit did get off to a good start, he failed to convert into a big one and was dismissed for a 14-ball 24. The middle-order duo of Deepak Hooda and Suryakumar Yadav played important cameo knocks scoring a 17-ball 33 and 19-ball 39 respectively. Pandya once again made it matter scoring 51 runs from 33 deliveries as India posted a stiff total of 198/8.

In reply, England lost skipper Jos Buttler for a golden duck. Even Dawid Malan failed to convert his good start and power-hitter Liam Livingstone did not trouble the scorers. While there was some relief for the visitors when Harry Brook (28) and Moeen Ali (36) were involved in a 61-run stand, thel hopes were dashed when the duo was dismissed in the middle overs.

Chris Jordan tried to delay the inevitable by staging a fightback against the Indian bowlers from a helpless position, but with the asking rate getting steeper and no support from the other end, he could not challenge the opposition much as the hosts were bundled out for 148 in the final over.

Top performers of the Match

Hardik Pandya:

Hardik Pandya made the ultimate difference in this contest with his all-round performances. While his batting masterclass helped India set a target close to 200 where he scored a blistering 51 runs from 33 deliveries, he rediscovered his rhythm back with the ball in hand exceptionally well, registering figures of 4/33 where the Baroda cricketer accounted for Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan and Sam Curran.

Arshdeep Singh:

Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, who was handed his maiden India cap, showcased an outstanding performance with the ball in hand against a quality England batting side. The yorker specialist created a great first impression by bowling an economic spell and finished with figures of 2/18 from his 3.3 overs at an economy of 5.1 including a maiden.

What’s next for both sides?

England and India will now be locking horns in the second T20I at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Saturday, July 9.