Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy shine with bat and ball

A swashbuckling 34-ball 79 runs knock by opener Abhishek Sharma laced with five fours and eight sixes while chasing a under par score of 132, after a mesmerizing spell by leg spinner Varun Chakravarthy (3/23), paved the path for the hosts thumping seven wicket victory over England in the opening T20I match that was played at the packed Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday night.

India in the process took a 1-0 lead in the five match T20I series at one of their favourite venue in the country by registering their seventh triumph in a row (since 2016) and will next play the visitors in the second T20I at Chepauk, Chennai on 25 January.

Buoyed by a fiery start by his fellow partner Sanju Samson who smashed pacer Gus Atkinson for 22 runs (four boundaries and one six) in his opening over,  the second of the innings , a confident Abhishek raced to a 20-ball half-century, the same incidentally was the second-fastest T20I fifty by an Indian against England, after his mentor Yuvraj Singh's iconic 12-ball 50, during in the inaugural ICC T20I World Cup held in South Africa where the he hit pacer Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over.

The southpaw was severe on England’s leading pacers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood inside the power play of whom he blasted one boundary and four sixes even though he lost his fellow opener for 22, after the duo had posted 42 for the first wicket. The fireworks ensured India raced to 63 in the first six overs of the power play, even as Archer had accounted for Samson and Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav off consecutive balls.

A reprieve by Adil Rashid off his own bowling of Abhishek, proved to be costly as the 24 year-old batter hit 4,6,6 off consecutive balls in leg spinner first over of the spell and India soon raced to 100 in 10 overs. The bowler however had the last laugh soon after and had him caught at long-off by Harry Brook with a googly. Needing eight runs at this stage Tilak Varma who played a sedate role in his 84 runs partnership for the third wicket with Abhishek, scored the winning boundary off Wood in the penultimate ball of the 13th over of the innings in his unbeaten knock of 19.

Earlier a disciplined Indian bowling attack led by left arm pacer Arshdeep Singh with the new ball upfront saw England being bowled out for 132 in the final over of their innings despite a standout performance by Jos Buttler who scored 68 runs. The left handed pacer Arshdeep (2/17) who accounted for rival openers Phil Salt for a duck and Ben Duckett for mere four in consecutive overs and also became India's leading wicket-taker of all time in T20I cricket with 97 .

Buttler however took special liking for  Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya and scored six boundaries in his two overs inside the powerplay. A six each by Buttler and Harry Brook in Axar Patel's first over soon after the powerplay brought up England’s 50, before of Chakaravarthy's double-wicket haul of Brook and Liam Livingstone with a googly ensured India’s supremacy soon after. The Indian spin trio of Chakaravarthy, Axar and Ravi Bishnoi gave away 67 runs in their combined spell of 12 overs while taking five wickets among themselves along with two by Hardik saw India restrict England to a modest score in the end.

Varun Chakaravarthy who was named the Player of the Match post the match said,  “ I'm quite used to seeing such pitches during the IPL, so I had a fair idea of what lengths would work for me. My focus was on keeping the ball away from the batters' arc to make it harder for them. Bowling at Eden Gardens is always challenging, especially with every over bringing a new test. The last over, in particular, was very tough, but by God's grace, I managed to pull it off. I can't rely on side spin to beat the batsmen—bounce is my primary weapon. That’s what I try to use to my advantage. I’d rate myself a 7 out of 10 at the moment; there’s still more work to do, and I’m committed to improving further."

Jos Buttler, England Skipper on the other hand said, "There was a little bit in the wicket early on, and unfortunately, we lost a couple of wickets. Jofra (Archer) always looks good—he’s an absolute superstar. Watching him and Wood operate together is really exciting; they bring so much to the team. From venue to venue, it’s crucial to assess the conditions quickly and adapt your game accordingly. Personally, I’m really enjoying the environment within the team. I’ve always been a big fan of Brendon McCullum, and it’s fantastic to be working with him. His approach and insights have been invaluable."

Suryakumar Yadav, India Skipper shared, “ The energy after winning the toss set the benchmark for the game. The bowlers had clear plans and executed them brilliantly, and the way we batted was the icing on the cake.We followed a similar approach to what we did in South Africa, where Hardik took responsibility with the new ball, giving us the cushion to play the extra spinner. Varun's preparations have been spot-on, and Arshdeep has stepped up by taking extra responsibility, which is great to see. There’s a lot of freedom within the team, and we want to play a bit differently, pushing boundaries to improve. Fielding has been a key focus for us—we’ve been working really hard on it. Taking those half-chances and making a difference in the field can be crucial in tight games."

Brief scores (Ist T20I): England - 132 all-out in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 68 (44b: 8x4s, 2x6s), Harry Brook 17 (14b: 2x4s, 1x6), Jofra Archer 12 (10b: 1x4); Varun Chakaravarthy 3/23, Arshdeep Singh 2/17, Axar Patel 2/22, Hardik Pandya 2/42) lost to India - 133/3 in 12.5 overs (Abhishek Sharma 79 (34b: 5x4s, 8x6s), Sanju Samson 26 (20b: 4x4s, 1x6), Tilak Varma 19* (16b: 3x4s, 1x6); Jofra Archer 2/21, Adil Rashid 1/27) by 7 wickets and 43 balls to spare. Player of the Match: Varun Chakaravarthy (India)

Photo Cover: Indian opener Abhishek Sharma scored the second fastest fifty by an Indian against England after his mentor Yuvraj Singh  (Photos courtesy BCCI)

Photo Above: Local boy Varun Chakravarthy (left) took three crucial wickets including that if England skipper Jos Buttle