Hardik Pandya’s half-century (51 off 33 balls), backed up by his superb bowling (4/33 in 4 overs), gave India a huge 50-run win over Jos Buttler’s England in the first T20 International — a day-night game — at The Rose Bowl here late on Thursday.
Pandya carried his superb form from the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the recently concluded Ireland series into the game against England, leading the visitors to a massive 198/8 in 20 overs before returning to bowl a fiery spell that saw the hosts bundled out for 148 in 19.3 overs.
Pandya joined Suryakumar Yadav (39 off 19) in the blitz, keeping the run rate above 10-an-over in the crucial middle phase.
The team has now won 14 of the last 17 T20Is since the tournament began, with a no-result against South Africa in Bengaluru meaning they have only lost twice in the same period.
Pandya then returned with the ball, dismissing dangerous opener Jason Roy (4), Dawid Malan (21), (Liam Livingstone 0), and Sam Curran (4) as England, led by new captain Jos Buttler, struggled from the start of their innings.
With Pandya’s commanding performance and players like Deepak Hooda also contributing significantly, the team’s prospects for the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year look promising.
Deepak Hooda’s 33 (17) demonstrates that his form in Ireland was not a fluke, with Dinesh Karthik’s career renaissance providing the side with another finisher.
Yuzvendra Chahal continues to look intimidating in the bowling department. The leg-spinner ended any hope of an English comeback by dismissing Harry Brook (28 off 23) and Moeen Ali (36 off 20).
While his red-ball counterparts are riding the wave of a successful start under Brendon McCullum, Buttler’s new T20I white-ball captain succumbed to defeat and fell for a first-ball duck in the chase.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar set up the right-hander, with the swing bowler’s first four deliveries moving away from Jason Roy, only for Buttler’s first delivery to hoop in and dismantle the stumps.
Buttler had previously used seven bowlers, with Chris Jordan (2/23 from four overs) being the only one to provide any resistance to India’s charges.
(Inputs from IANS)