Sunday, February 9, 2025
HomeSportVarun, Abhishek crush England at Eden Gardens, India maintain nine-year-old unbeaten record

Varun, Abhishek crush England at Eden Gardens, India maintain nine-year-old unbeaten record

India defeated England by seven wickets to win the first T20I at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The Men in Blue elected to bowl first as Mohammed Shami’s absence raised quite a few eyebrows. The veteran seamer was expected to make his return but the team management interestingly backed three spinners in Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi. The move brought criticism but eventually, it worked in favour of the hosts.

Young pacer Arshdeep Singh looked ruthless with the new ball, dismissing Phil Salt in the first over. In his next over, he sent Ben Duckett back to the pavilion as the Three Lions were reduced to 17/2. England lost a few back-to-back wickets, courtesy of Varun Chakravarthy’s magical spell but captain Jos Buttler maintained his calm and helped the visitors post a respectable total.

The keeper-batter didn’t compromise on his strike rate and played aggressively. He made 68 runs off 44 deliveries as England posted 132 runs on the board in the first innings. Varun was the star with the ball for India, clinching three wickets. Arshdeep, Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya cliched two each in the first innings.

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