28th Jan: England claimed their first win in the five-match T20I series against India with a solid 26-run victory, thanks to a strong performance from their bowlers.
Jamie Overton took three wickets, while Brydon Carse picked up two, helping England bounce back and stop India from sealing the series.
India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, won the toss and chose to field. A big change in the Indian lineup was the return of veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, who replaced Arshdeep Singh for his first match since the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final.
England’s captain, Jos Buttler, kept the same playing XI, with Jamie Smith as the wicketkeeper instead of Phil Salt. Salt was the first to get out in the second over.
Opener Ben Duckett played a crucial innings, scoring a half-century before being caught by Abhishek Sharma off Hardik Pandya’s bowling. His partnership with Buttler gave England a strong start at 83/2.
However, India’s Varun Chakaravarthy turned the game around, taking an impressive 5-24 and breaking through England’s middle order. This left England struggling at 127/8.
Liam Livingstone stepped up, scoring a quick 43 off 24 balls, with crucial support from Adil Rashid and Mark Wood, who both added 10 runs. Their efforts helped England set a competitive target and stay alive in the series.