Ahmedabad: England thrashed India by eight wickets in the first T20 International here at the Narendra Modi Stadium Friday. The visiting England side first restricted India to 124 for seven in their 20 overs before coasting to the 125-run target in 15.3 overs to win the first game of the five-match series.
England opening batsmen Jason Roy and Jos Buttler did not have to do anything out of the ordinary or take undue risks as the target was small. Even then the two added 72 runs in eight overs to give the visitors a rollicking start.
Roy made 49 off 32 balls (4x4s, 3x6s) while Jos Buttler scored 28 off 24 deliveries (2x4s, 1×6). Buttler was scalped by Yuzvendra Chahal who was taken for 44 in his four overs while Roy was picked by Washington Sundar.
However, Jonny Bairstow (26 not out off 17 balls) and Dawid Malan (24 not out off 20 balls) took the visiting side to the target with 27 balls to spare. The two shared an unbeaten 41-run partnership for the third wicket.
Earlier, India were restricted to 124/7 by a disciplined England bowling attack.
Only Shreyas Iyer (67 off 48 deliveries, 8x4s and 1×6) could offer any resistance as the rest of the Indian batting fell apart. Rishabh Pant (21 off 23 balls) and Hardik Pandya (19 off 21 balls) were the only others to get to double figures.
England opened the bowling with leg-spinner Adil Rashid (1/14 in 3 overs) who picked the wicket of skipper Virat Kohli in only his second over.
Before Kohli, India had lost K.L. Rahul as the first wicket to Jofra Archer in only the second over of the game. Archer returned as the most successful England bowler picking three wickets for 23 runs in four overs. He got the wickets of Pandya and Shardul Thakur as well.
Rashid, Mark Wood (1/20 in 4), Chris Jordan (1/27 in 4) and Ben Stokes (1/25 in 3) were the others to pick wickets. The second T20 between the two sides will be played at the same venue on Sunday.
Brief scores:
India 124/7 in 20 overs (S Iyer 67, J Archer 3/23, A Rashid 1/14, M Wood 1/20) lost to England 130/2 in 15.3 overs (J Roy 49, J Bairstow 26 not out, J Buttler 28).
