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:
England 121-8; Rashid 8, Archer 3 (19 overs)
Flair! That’s some shot from Adil Rashid, clearing the front leg and lifting with style over extra cover, using Arshdeep’s left-arm angle to his advantage. Arshdeep comes around the wicket and goes to the bouncer, Rashid ducking beneath having anticipated the response.
A toe-crusher strikes Jofra Archer and Surykaumar Yadav reviews at his bowler’s urging...though ball tracking confirms the initial thought that it struck Archer outside of the line of off stump. A review burnt by the hosts - not that it’ll much matter. Outstanding stuff from Arshdeep throughout.
Can England eke out 130?
England 114-8; Rashid 3, Archer 2 (18 overs)
Axar Patel’s first over went for 15, but just seven more from the rest of his spell leave his figures just as fine as his tweaking colleagues. An exceptional comeback.
India won’t need Nitish Kumar Reddy, you wouldn’t have thought - Arshdeep to bowl the penultimate over.
England 110-8; Rashid 1, Archer 0 (17 overs)
Right then, Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer, what can you muster? This pitch is turning but this feels like a wretched total on a surface that has looked relatively true.
A match-turning spell from Varun Chakravarthy, who England, Jos Buttler aside, just didn’t seem to pick: 4-0-23-3.
OUT! Buttler ct. Kumar Reddy b Chakravarthy 68 (England 109-8, 16.2 overs)
What a catch! That’s the end of England’s set batter, understandably hitting out with partners running short but gone to a brilliant bit of fielding from Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Buttler had already hit one six to start the over, but an attempt to repeat the dose lands short of its intended destination. Still, it takes some catching, Reddy haring in off the square leg boundary and scooping it up off the turf like a warthog.
OUT! Atkinson st Samson b Patel 2 (England 103-7, 16 overs)
Frustration for Jos Buttler with Gus Atkinson simply unable to manufacture a single. Axar Patel smartly gives him no flight to work with, and Atkinson is very, very fortunate when one skids past his slog and just evades leg stump.
Four byes bring up the England hundred...but Atkinson is gone! A heavy-handed heave, eyes taken off the ball, and off come the bails with England’s number eight done like a kipper. Another one perishes having chewed up 13 balls.
England 99-6; Buttler 61, Atkinson 2 (15 overs)
The last for Ravi Bishnoi. Gus Atkinson can’t pick him, perhaps unsurprisingly. A single from Jos Buttler is followed by four dots and a single, which India won’t mind at all conceding given it keeps the England skipper off strike.
4-0-22-0 a rather tidy analysis for the wrist spinner.
England 97-6; Buttler 61, Atkinson 1 (14 overs)
England do bat deep - Adil Rashid will be in at 10 or 11 and has more first class hundreds than his skipper. Gus Atkinson feels a sensible head for this situation, though can’t beat cover with a sweetly struck drive at the end of a very tidy return to the attack from Axar Patel.
OUT! Overton ct. Kumar Reddy b Patel 2 (England 95-6, 13.3 overs)
Oh dear! England really are in the mire.
Jamie Overton was never likely to enjoy his trial by turn, the Surrey all-rounder more of a seam lumper than middle overs craftsman. A great hoick goes up the chimney and down in the hands of Nitish Kumar Reddy, safely underneath the steepler.
England 94-5; Buttler 59, Overton 2 (13 overs)
While Jos Buttler remains, England have hope. The captain continues to look a class apart, picking his moments to steer Ravi Bishnoi through an offside gap twice in the over, first off the front foot and then the back. A leg side nurdle keeps him in possession of the strike.