Some in England might term it an upset, but it was pretty much a regulation job for Team India as they outclassed the hosts in the tour-opening T20 International at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
After captain Virat Kohli called correctly at the toss and decided that his bowlers should get the first opportunity to bowl, Team India restricted England to a below-par 159-8. Later in the evening, KL Rahul bossed the England bowlers, helped himself to a second hundred in T20Is and powered India’s run-chase. India cruised past the finish line in 18.2 overs, won the match by 8 wickets and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
England Collapse to Spin, Yet Again
It was the all-too-familiar story with England batsman and their deficiencies against quality spin as the middle order batsman failed to read the wrist spin of Kuldeep Yadav and fell like nine pins. The left-arm wrist spinner, introduced into the attack in the tenth over, bowled an uneventful first over, before striking for the first time in his second, castling the one-drop batsman Alex Hales.
In his third over, Kuldeep swung the momentum completely in favour of Team India by picking up three high-quality wickets. After having the England captain Eoin Morgan caught at the midwicket fence, he deceived Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root with tossed up deliveries and had them stumped, handing both batsmen first-ball ducks. In his final over, he had the in-form and the well-set Jos Buttler caught in the outfield, to collect his maiden 5-for in T20Is.
Kuldeep Flummoxes England
Kuldeep Yadav returned figures of 5-24 – the best-figures by a left-arm wrist spinner in T20Is and the best figures by a spinner in T20 Internationals in England.
Honours for MS Dhoni
Though Kuldeep had a catch dropped off his bowling, he had good support behind the stumps from MS Dhoni, who played a part in two of his five wickets.
With the stumpings to dismiss Bairstow and Root in the Manchester T20I, MS Dhoni became the claimant to the record for the most stumpings in T20 Internationals; he now has a total of 33 stumpings in the format.
Rahul Demolishes England
Much to the delight of the Indian management, KL Rahul has carried his scintillating IPL form into international cricket and has now played two knocks of substance. After scoring a fluent 70 in the 2nd T20I against Ireland, Rahul powered India’s run-chase in Manchester with yet another high-quality knock. While Aaron Finch had pummelled Zimbabwe and helped himself to a century in Harare earlier in the day, Rahul’s was a knock of high class – filled with several eye-candy strokes.
There were a few instances when he improvised, but by and large, Rahul held his shape while at the crease and played elegant copybook strokes. A couple of the pull shots he played couldn’t have been timed any better, while some the flicks were as nonchalant as can be.
Team India on a Roll
Courtesy Kuldeep Yadav’s 5-fer and Rahul’s ton, India registered a comprehensive win – their 7th consecutive win in T20Is, which equalled the team’s longest winning streak.
Other Records and Milestones
- The Indian captain Virat Kohli won the toss & opted to field in the tour-opening T20I against England; it ended a series of 8 consecutive T20Is in which he had lost the toss!
- When on 36, Jos Buttler got to 5000 runs in Twenty20 cricket.
- When he got to 8, Virat Kohli completed 2000 runs in T20Is; he became the first Indian batsman and the fourth overall to reach the milestone in the format. Incidentally, Kohli is the quickest of the four batsmen who have reached the milestone; he reached the 2000-run milestone in 56 innings – 10 innings quicker than Brendon McCullum who was the previous quickest.
- Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul stitched together a partnership of 123 which would become India’s best 2nd wicket partnership against England in T20Is. Their association would also be the best partnership (for all wickets) in T20Is at the Old Trafford.
- The 8-wicket win in Manchester was India’s first win over England in T20Is in England.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)