India v England LIVE: T20 result and latest cricket reaction as Sharma blasts hosts to victory
England face the world champions in Brendon McCullum’s first match in charge of the white-ball side
England suffered a heavy defeat to India in the first of a five-match T20 series in Kolkata as Jos Buttler’s side paid for a subpar batting effort.
The captain was a lone ranger as the rest of his teammates succumbed to a scintillating spell of new-ball bowling from Arshdeep Singh and the wiles of India’s spin trio. A total of 132 all out was never likely to be enough at Eden Gardens with the outfield rapid, the surface true and dew descending - and so it proved as the hosts blasted to victory. Abhishek Sharma was the star, showing off his range of hitting with a 34-ball 79 that included eight sixes with Gus Atkinson taking particular punishment.
The match was England Test coach Brendon McCullum’s first in charge since taking the white ball reins. Yet more struggles against the turning ball for his side will be reason to fret both with the rest of the series to come and the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, which begins on 19 February and will be held in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Re-live all of the action from Eden Gardens below:
India 83-2; Varma 7, Abhishek 45 (8 overs)
Into the attack comes Adil Rashid - could they have given him one in the powerplay? That does feel like a archetype this England XI is missing, with none of their spinners particularly proficient in the powerplay.
Shelled! A chance for Rashid down at his bootlaces and, in the end, a poor drop, giving Abhishek Sharma a life. The batter celebrates by clapping a slow front-of-the-hand ball for four and then launching a leg spinner for six over the head of a leaping Jacob Bethell at deep midwicket.
Another mighty maximum! Full, flighted, and sent downtown! Abhishek is showing off his strokeplay.
India 67-2; Varma 7, Abhishek 29 (7 overs)
India see off England’s prize pony in this attack of thoroughbreds, Archer very nearly winkling out Tilak Varma with his final ball, which is fast and furious. 4-0-21-2 - it’s good, but almost certainly not enough.
India 63-2; Varma 5, Abhishek 27 (6 overs)
Abhishek adjusts well as Mark Wood tries a slower ball, the off-cutter hit back over the bowler’s head for four. India are rattling along at more than tens as an all-seam powerplay concludes.
Surely it is time for some spin? Nope, here’s Jofra Archer to complete his allocation
India 57-2; Varma 4, Abhishek 22 (5 overs)
Back-to-back sixes! India keep swinging, a lovely larrup to long leg from Abhishek Sharma followed by a flay as Mark Wood’s pace works against him.
India 45-2; Varma 4, Abhishek 10 (5 overs)
Tilak Varma joins Abhishek Sharma with Jos Buttler very much vindicated in his decision to use up another of Archer’s quota. Nearly a third, too! Two slips are waiting but they can only watch a top edge over their heads.
India won’t go into their shell. Ah, the impudence of youth.
OUT! Suryakumar ct Salt b Archer 26 (India 41-2, 4.5 overs)
Suryakumar Yadav is the new batter with India seeking to preserve the right-hand/left-hand combination. And his stay is brief! Looking to get a move on, a shuffle across the stumps and big swing draws the top edge. Phil Salt has the gloves on and signs on for duty underneath the high ball - now then...
OUT! Samson ct Atkinson b Archer 26 (India 41-1, 4.2 overs)
A breakthrough for England!
Sanju Samson’s fun is over. Jofra Archer gets a third over in the powerplay, underlining their need for wickets, and delivers, a short ball just hurrying the batter slightly. A flap carries to Gus Atkinson coming in off the square leg fence; England have their first.
India 39-0; Samson 24, Abhishek 10 (4 overs)
A reminder that India might well like to have Yashasvi Jaiswal and, perhaps, Shubman Gill at the top of this order as they look to the future - plenty of options for Gautam Gambhir to consider.
This is a good stuff from Wood, though, properly thundering in and sending one down at 95mph that beats both batter and poor Phil Salt behind the stumps, who didn’t have a hope as it flew threw the gate like a bolting colt.
India 33-0; Samson 23, Abhishek 10 (3.1 overs)
Right, here’s another of the gas men - Mark Wood back from a stress fracture in his elbow hoping to crank it up. This might be England’s fastest seam attack ever, you know - not that it’s doing them that much good so far.=
India 33-0; Samson 23, Abhishek 10 (3 overs)
Archer continues, ratcheting it up towards 90mph and beyond. Abhishek Sharma takes two balls to settle himself before latching on to a short ball and crunching a cut over point, the left-hander prepared to flay uppishly and trust his connection.
More like it from Archer, his trademark angle in and nip away from the leftie. A beauty. But a slight failure in line grants Abhishek the room he desires to produce an even better offside shot - over the rope and six more to a rapidly swelling tally.