England’s powerplay bowling sets up routine eight-wicket victory: INDIA v ENGLAND TALKING POINTS

ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY looks back on the key moments from England’s victory over India in the first T20 in Ahmedabad

England exorcise powerplay demons 

Since their 2019 series against West Indies, Eoin Morgan’s team have struggled in the powerplay, conceding 9.11 runs an over – the highest of any full member side – and taking wickets at an average of 45.1.

However, they had no such trouble in the first six overs in Ahmedabad. Jofra Archer struck with his second ball of the match after his 90mph+ missile was edged onto the stumps by KL Rahul, while Adil Rashid, opening the bowling for the first time in his T20I career, conceded just seven runs from his 12 balls of spin and dismissed Virat Kohli for a duck in the third over.

Unwillingly to miss out on the fun, Mark Wood dispensed with Shikhar Dhawan in the fifth over, while Chris Jordan rounded off the powerplay in miserly fashion, conceding two runs.

Three wickets, 22 runs conceded and 25 dot balls. The only blot on England’s copybook? Rishabh Pant’s superb reverse scoop off Archer for six – a shot Kevin Pietersen described as the greatest ever.

And it set the tone for the rest of the innings. Archer collected two in two balls in the 18th over, dismissing dangerman Hardik Pandya and surprise number seven Shardul Thakur to silence any concerns about his elbow while Ben Stokes and Jordan each picked up a wicket. Only four overs went for 10 or more runs and India were limited to just three sixes during the match. 

Clinical execution from Morgan and a perfect illustration of the depth of England’s bowling attack.

^{Adil Rashid and Eoin Morgan celebrate the dismissal of Virat Kohli}

Roy and Buttler back up bowlers with dynamite display

Where India’s batsmen struggled early on, England openers Jason Roy and Jos Buttler had no such worries.

Buttler, who averaged 48.5 in 2020, scored 26 runs in the first six overs, including one four and one six. He also survived an lbw shout in the fourth over and was unlucky to be denied another maximum by a superb piece of boundary fielding by KL Rahul.

At the other end, Jason Roy added 24 runs off 15 deliveries, scoring three fours and one six to continue his free-scoring form from the Big Bash. At the end of the powerplay, England were 50-0; it took India 11 overs to pass the same score.

Buttler was finally dismissed with the last ball of the eighth over, trapped lbw by Yuzvendra Chahal to depart for 28 and was followed back to the dugout a few overs later by Roy. The 32-year old, dismissed lbw by Washington Sundar, fell one run short of his first T20 half-century since last February.

But, with the score at 89/2 after 11.1 overs, the damage was already done. England cantered home with 27 balls to spare, Jonny Bairstow scoring a confidence-restoring 26 (17 deliveries) in the company of Dawid Malan (24 off 20) to see Morgan’s side over the line.

Shreyas Iyer repays selectors' faith

Speaking ahead of first T20, Kohli commented on his squad’s increased batting depth, promising free cricket and no reliance on one man to score all of the runs.  Unfortunately, India’s batsmen didn’t get the memo, leaving Shreyas Iyer to pick up the pieces.

Prior to this match, Iyer had just one half-century in his last 12 innings and was dismissed for a golden duck in his most recent outing against Australia. However, kept in the side thanks to his Indian Premier League form – 519 runs at 34.6 for Delhi Capitals – the 26-year old was the India’s sole shining light with the bat.

Coming in with the score at 20/3, Iyer played a measured, if not spectacular innings, to reach his third T20I half-century from 36 deliveries and drag India towards triple figures. After hitting two consecutive fours off Archer in the 16th over and his first six in 17th, Iyer fell with three balls remaining after picking out Dawid Malan on the boundary. 67 runs from 48 deliveries, eight of India’s 12 fours, and one six: his place in the XI safe for another match.

^{Shreyas Iyer on his way to his third T20I half-century in 25 matches}

India’s opener gamble doesn’t pay off

Kohli played a bluff in his pre-match press conference on Thursday (March 11), stating with certainty that KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma were his go-to opening pair. But, when he reeled off his XI after the toss, Dhawan and not Sharma was the name on his lips.

Opting to rest Sharma and play a right-left opening combination, Kohli would have been hoping the two-leading run-scorers from the 2020 IPL would get his side off to a strong start. However, Rahul was dismissed in the second over and Dhawan 22 balls later for a combined score of five.

Given Rahul put on a first-wicket stand of 56 in the second T20 against Australia with Sharma, compared to 11 in the first with Dhawan, you have to question the wisdom of India’s selection.

A welcome return for the Mexican wave

As Mark Wood arranged his field to bowl the 14th over, the camera panned across the 67,200 capacity crowd to capture an enthusiastic Mexican wave.

Despite India’s batting woes, the Narendra Modi stadium maintained a boisterous atmosphere and after 12 months of artificial cheering and drastically reduced crowds, what a welcome sight and sound it was.

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