Kolkata: With a crowded infield, a wide slip, and a gully in place, Arshdeep Singh managed to make the ball rise sharply on Phil Salt from a good length, immediately indicating that scoring would be challenging despite the presence of dew. Although Mohammad Shami was not selected, the Eden Gardens pitch featured enough grass to prompt Hardik Pandya to deliver the ball slightly fuller. He exhibited swing both inwards and outwards, yet Jos Buttler adeptly positioned himself to meet the ball and seized his opportunities. A couple of impressive boundaries and a wicket within the first two overs established the atmosphere of a classic T20 contest, where neither team held back until India surged ahead, largely thanks to Abhishek Sharma, who amassed 79 runs off just 34 deliveries.

Buttler remained steadfast in his unique manner, but aside from his stabilizing innings of 68 runs off 44 balls, England found themselves in a precarious position. Ben Duckett attempted to flick Arshdeep but was unsuccessful. Jacob Bethel was denied any width until he decided to take a risk against Pandya, resulting in his dismissal at deep midwicket. Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone struggled to decipher Varun Chakravarthy’s enigmatic spin. Five of the top seven batsmen were caught out as England limped to a total of 132. In response, India comfortably chased down the target, winning by seven wickets with 43 balls remaining, thereby taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Once again, Sanju Samson provided India with a rapid start, striking Gus Atkinson for two consecutive boundaries before launching a massive six-over cover. Atkinson's troubles continued as Samson sent the ball past mid-on and glanced another boundary, accumulating 22 runs in that over. Jofra Archer managed to dismiss Samson, who was caught out and also accounted for Suryakumar Yadav, who top-edged a pull shot.

However, Archer's double strike had minimal impact on the match, as Sharma aggressively pursued the target, nearly completing the chase before the drinks break. He targeted Archer with a powerful shot, sending a wide delivery over deep point for a 70-meter six. Wood bowled quickly but strayed down the leg side, allowing Sharma to flick it over fine leg for another six. The next delivery resulted in an even larger six as Sharma advanced down the track to execute a powerful slash.

Buttler opted for Adil Rashid, and the leg-spinner nearly capitalized on a challenging low-return chance from Sharma. However, the subsequent three deliveries proved to be rather uneventful, as Sharma first struck a boundary through extra cover, followed by an audacious aerial flick that eluded Bethel’s outstretched hands at deep midwicket. Another six ensued, with Sharma clearing his front leg to power the ball over long-on. Rashid eventually dismissed Sharma, but by that point, England had already been thoroughly outperformed

Without Buttler's contributions, India would have swiftly dismantled the English batting lineup. The England captain exhibited a blend of textbook technique and opportunism, frequently shifting across the stumps to manipulate the bowlers’ lines, playing aggressively and occasionally edging the ball. Fortune also smiled upon him, as he amassed 34 runs by the time England surpassed the 50-run mark. In contrast, the other batsmen struggled significantly, primarily due to the fast, skidding deliveries and the exceptional performance of Chakravarthy, who claimed the crucial wickets of Buttler, Brook, and Livingstone.

Axar Patel faced a challenging beginning when Brook advanced down the pitch and struck him for a six, followed by another pull shot over midwicket for a second maximum. However, Chakravarthy maintained a straighter line and was relentless with his lengths, confounding both Brook and Liam Livingstone with his wrong’un in the eighth over, leaving England at 65/4. “From my observations, bowling with more side spin at the highest level causes the ball to skid on,” Chakravarthy remarked during the innings break. “I realized I needed to incorporate more overspin in my leg spin and googly, which is what I focused on.”

The overall bowling display was encouraging, as India restricted the opposition to just 67 runs in the 12 overs bowled by the three spinners, with Ravi Bishnoi being the third, returning figures of 0/22. Arshdeep was effective both at the beginning and the conclusion of the innings. Even Pandya managed to recover from a lacklustre start—conceding 18 runs in his opening over—by taking Bethel’s wicket and thwarting Buttler from establishing a significant partnership. India performed commendably.

Read Also: Abhishek Sharma Praises Team Culture After Victory Over England

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