India vs England highlights, 1st T20I: IND beat ENG by 7-wickets and take 1-0 lead in Kolkata

The energy, the way we started, that set the benchmark. All the bowlers had their own plans and executed. (On picking three spinners) We wanted to stick to our strengths. All three of them are doing a wonderful job. (On Varun) He's keeping things very simple, his preparations are on point. He (Arshdeep) took the responsibility and he's been doing it consistently. There's a lot of freedom being given by Gauti bhai. We've been working hard with the fielding coach.

There was a little bit in the wicket early on and we lost a couple of wickets. He (Jofra Archer) always looks good, he's a superstar. To see him and Wood operate in tandem is exciting. Venue to venue, you got to assess the conditions quickly and play well. I am really enjoying the environment. I have always been a fan of Brendon McCullum, great to be working with him.

: I just wanted to express myself. A special mention to the captain and coach. They have given us a lot of freedom. The way they talk to youngsters, it's tremendous. It was a double-paced wicket. Our bowlers bowled well, they were really good. I thought we would chase something around 160-170, but the bowlers bowled really well. We (other batters) were always talking to each other. I enjoy from the other end when Sanju is batting. It's about expressing myself. The plan was simple. IPL has helped me a lot. I haven't seen a team environment like this. When it's coming from the captain and coach, to play freely, it's special. The way they (England pacers) bowled, I was ready for it. I knew they were going to bowl short.

That's the game Tilak Varma gets the winning runs. It is a proper mauling by the hosts. Apart from that brief partnership between Harry Brook and Jos Buttler at no point did England looked in it. As per their bowling, Jofra Archer did well but Abhishek was too hot to handle for them. With the win India take 1-0 lead in five match T20I series.

This is the hitting of the highest quality from India. Abhishek Sharma has toyed with the England bowlers. He has been brutal on both sides of the wicket. Against spinners, he accessed the areas down the wicket, and as soon as pacers came in he stayed on the back foot and slashed through point and square-leg region. As we update Rashind picks Abhishek Sharma.

It has been as comprehensive as it gets. We might not stay here for long given how Abhishek is batting. He tends to get through scores of poor scores however, when he gets a rhythm going on the night he is a match-winner like many other batters in this lineup. While England's batting would hurt them their bowling would hurt them even more.

Abhishek Sharma climbed onto Adil Rashid in his opening over and this game now increasingly seems like done and dusted for England. While the Indian spinners made a mockery of England batters young Sharma gave a master class on how to pick the ball from length and go after in that bowling. With two left-handers in the middle Buttler has gone to Livingstone.

Jofra Archer is done for the day it was a good spell from the Englishmen. While others have been easy to deal with Archer has troubled the batters even on a wicket which has been conducive for batting he has been able to make an impact. The performance today might not come on a winning cause for him today but he looks in rhtyhm which just be omonious for Indian batting going deep in thee series.

It was slower delivery which did the trick for Archer. It seemed like a plan the way he celebrated Surya's wicket India has lost two now but Abhishek Sharma immediately counter-punched Mark Wood in the following over to ease any pressure that was building on. They have bowled some good balls did England but weren't able to sustain the pressure.

Jofra Archer gets the first wicket and it is Sanju Samson who picks. It was a good delivery at the ribs of Samson who tried to muscle the ball through the fine-leg region however, the ball hit the sticker of the bat and carried to square-leg. As we update Archer picks up Suryakumar Yadav its once again that delivery on ribs does the damage.

The conditions are now looking very good for batting with the dew setting in. The surface has gone a tad bit darker with moisture in however, on the contrary England also has four seamers who in theory need to get some help with this new ball but apart from that first over they haven't hit their mark consistently and once that sheen is gone after few overs batting is looking very easy now.

That second from Atkinson has been a poor one from Archer's first over. However, Samson too has played some sublime shots in that over. In defending small totals like these we just wonder if that over might have broken the back of this chase early in the piece. Samson since coming to open has been a revelation in this lineup if he gets going this might be over pretty quickly.

Archer has taken the new ball for England as we see first signs of Brendon McCullum's aggressive mindset on this England side. It was a Test match-like field set in that opening over to Samson. They are chasing for the wickets England here which is the right thing to do with not too many runs to play with for them in the tank.

Well, that's it the innings is done and dusted. Hardik Pandya picked up Archer and Wood got himself run out of the final ball. 132 runs are not something India will lose their sleep over in this chase however, England has a potent bowling line up which can make it slippery for India. Do stay with us for all the action from the second innings.

The partnership between Archer and Rashid has got England to 130. If they can make use the conditions and work with the new ball and pick few early wickets we never know how this chase might unfold for India.

This has been a tame batting effort from England. There was not much in the wicket to suggest that the current scorecard would be the situation when Surya opted to bowl first. The England batters were uncomfortable against the Indian spinners, especially the wrist ones. They are not going to go away England just have to find a method to deal with them better in next games.

Varun Chakravarthy gets his third of the evening and it is a big scalp of Buttler. However, the credit for the catch must go to the fielder Nitish Kumar Reddy it was a fuller one on middle stump and Buttler tried to hit it over the fine-leg fielder and Nitish Reddy running inwards took a brilliant catch diving forward. England have lost eight now.

Axar Patel has come in and picked up Overton. It was a nothing shot from the English all-rounder he tried to loft the ball through the long-off boundary and got the bottom edge of the ball which went straight to the fielder. While attacking cricket in T20 is welcome but with set batter at the other end it just seemed like a poor shot selection in the situation.

Hardik Pandya came back in and got Bethell. It was a shot ball and the batter tried to pull but did it straight to cow corner. England lost half their side with their skipper Buttler battling out at the other end. Jamie Overton has walked into the middle he is a big hitter but at this point in time all he needs to do is stick around with his skipper.

Jos Buttler got to his fifty. He did come all guns blazing early on his innings however, the wickets from the other end have slowed him down a touch. He needs a partnership here with Jacob Bethell or someone who will come next to take England to a reasonable total. As evening goes on batting only becomes with dew setting in.

We have reached the halfway point in the first innings. Apart from Buttler none of the England batters have looked comfortable on this wicket, especially against Varun Chakrvarthy. They don't seem to be picking him at this point. Meanwhile Ravi Bishnoi who is brought into the attack to is kind off an unorthodox spinner when compared to traditional leggies.

That over from Varun was fabulous. It is what he does bowl stump-to-stump and does subtle variations with his fingers and pace. The English batters seem to have the habit of picking spinners from the surface rather than the hand which has caused the downfall. As per Livingstone dismissal it was similar to Brook except the latter tried to push the former drove and missed it.

Varun Chakravarthy gets the breakthrough. It is Harry Brook who just started to open his arms and got out. It was classical Chakravarthy targeting the stumps and the batter did not pick his wrong-un which came back in. Brook tried to play him as an orthodox leg-spinner by pushing the ball through the off-side with an angle that created the gap between and pad and bat and the ball sneaked through. As we update Varun picks Livingstone

Arshdeep Singh is done with his three here and he did exhaust a review which did look foolish on replay as Buttler tried to whack one and missed it but the left-armer insisted on taking the review and there was clear air and the Indian team did look sheepish for taking that one. India has now turned to spin they have brought in Varun Chakravarthy into attack.

It has been a tale of two ends in this game so far. The ball just seems to be doing a bit more from Arshdeep Singh. The odd ball just seems to be stick a bit from Arshdeep's end meanwhile from Hardik's end the ball is skidding on nicely. This is what will change as the game goes on once the dew sets in and both sides of the pitch will play well.

Arshdeep Singh gets another one. The ball just seems to be stopping a bit at this point in time. Arshdeep Singh's incoming delivery it was and Duckett seems to make up his mind to play the ball on the leg-side and got the leading edge and Rinku Singh running backwards took a brilliant catch. England have lost two within powerplay now.

Jos Buttler has walked into the middle and he started to go after the bowling right from the word go. It is a new number for him in T20s he is used to opening the batting. New coach and seems like a new role for the English skipper. There has been no suggestions in the first couple of overs there is any seam or swing moment.

Arshdeep Singh gets the opening wicket and it is Phil Salt. The ball came back in a touch and seemed like it was moving away from him later. However, Salt trying to play on the line tilted his bat on the leg-side and got the leading edge with Samson taking a simple catch behind the stumps. Much needed wicket for India first up.

National anthems are done. It is not the full house yet but it has a bit of a late winter vibe in the ground here with smog all over. We might see dew come into play just within few overs in the first innings itself. 

I made a conscious decision to play all the domestic and all the other tournaments that goes around in India. I had a lot of games behind me, so that gave me the confidence in the IPL and when I was able to make a comeback for the country, that actually helped me a lot. That's why I wanted to play more matches - to test out what I was trying. Basically what I have observed is bowling more side spin in the highest level, the ball just keeps skidding on. I thought I have to impart more overspin in my leggings and googly, that's what I was working on. The last IPL I tried, it worked out 50-50 but in the 2024 IPL it was much better. That's how my progress has been. It took more than 2 years (to get familiar with it). (Bowling at this venue) The crowd supports and loves us. As I play for this franchise, they give more love to me. Eden is always a batter's delight but I am up for the challenge. Just stick with my basics. If it's my day, I am going to come up with the battle. If it's his (batter) day, he's going to do well. T20 cricket has grown leaps and bounds, all I can do is prepare well. I should not worry too much about the results.

The six-hitting festival starts today here at this iconic Eden Gardens Stadium. The average sixes hit in the last two years is 10 per innings in a T20 game. Dimensions - 59m and 66m square, straight down the ground is 75m. There's a nice tinge of green, not overly green and I don't think it's going to do a whole lot but it'll do enough. It'll carry a little bit as well. The tall England bowlers will get a little bit out of the surface. Generally this is a high-scoring venue. There'll be a lot of runs scored here. More carry and pace on this surface. Looks a bit drier right now, looks white-ish now, but the colour will change and will get darker as the game continues because of the dew factor. There'll be pressure on the bowlers. Not so much (help) for spin, don't think it's going to spin much.

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy

Looks a good wicket, I'm sure it's going to be a good match. There will be some dew around. It's a great ground, it's an honour to play against India in these conditions. Everyone is in a good spot. It's nice to be together, a lot to look forward to. McCullum taking charge, he has a lot of experience. It's going to be a challenge, we are right up for it. There is some incredible talent in both sides. Saqib Mahmood, Brydon Carse, Jamie Smith and Rehan Ahmed will miss out.

We will look to bowl first. The wicket looks sticky, there will be dew later on. It will be heavier later on. The boys have been amazing. The preparations have been good, looking forward to this series. It's going to be great competition between both the sides. A good headache, we want to stick to our strengths.

“This new era of fearless cricket by India will be tested against a high-quality England side. This series will be a proper test of our abilities.”

“Bazball vs Skyball will be an exciting spectacle. This series will also test India’s T20I depth.”

“All the venues are batting-friendly, with small boundaries and high-scoring grounds.”

“Both teams are packed with powerful hitters, and it promises to be an entertaining series for fans who enjoy aggressive batting.”

“Bangladesh was a weak team, while South Africa fielded a second-string pace attack, although their batting was excellent,” Ashwin said on “Ash Ki Baat.”

Ashwin also highlighted the evolution of the T20I format in recent years.

“This T20I era is all about flexibility,” he said.

“Three or four years ago, batters were reluctant to play out of their usual positions, but bowlers now vary their bowling strategies throughout the 20 overs.”

India has many middle-order options in ODIs, including KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, which puts Suryakumar Yadav's (SKY) ODI career at risk, especially after his poor performance in the 2023 World Cup (106 runs). SKY acknowledges this, stating that if he's affected by being dropped, it's because he hasn't performed well enough, and those who have deserve the spot.

Unlike many players, especially captains, Surya is open about his inconsistent form. This honesty is similar to his unorthodox batting style. Despite his talent, his ODI record is underwhelming, with only 773 runs in 37 matches.

“Why would I be hurt? If I played well, I would have made the Champions Trophy side. I didn’t perform well so it’s also important to accept that,” captain Suryakumar Yadav on Tuesday said as he effortlessly lofted a question about his exclusion out of the park 

SKY has been a highly successful T20I captain for India, boasting a high win percentage and an undefeated record in bilateral series. He has instilled an aggressive batting approach in the team, with players now attacking from the beginning, a shift from India's previous cautious style.

“Jos and I have been friends for a long time and, while we haven’t played together, we’ve often shared similar philosophies on the game and that friendship gives us a really good base to be able to get things going pretty quickly with this team,” 

“It gives Jos the opportunity to have the last say with the bowler and to have that relationship build at that last second rather than being 22 yards away,” McCullum said. He offers him a success tip too: “If you can let yourself go a little bit with nothing to prove other than trying to get the best out of those around you, sometimes it can free your game up even more and you can end up performing really strongly.”

Stands are gradually filing up as slowly as the Kolkata traffic outside. Meanwhile, a couple of England players are tonking the ball around near the boundary ropes

“Last year during the IPL, Punjab Kings chased down 266 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. Both teams are packed with powerful hitters, and it promises to be an entertaining match for fans who enjoy aggressive batting,”

It's a really exciting tour coming to India with what I'd say is a full line-up for us. Sometimes there's so much cricket that certain players have to be rested or managed, but that's certainly not the case for us at all in this series. So we've got a full complement of players, which is really exciting

It's always a good challenge playing against them. They have been good in almost all the formats. Even when they play T20, they have always been aggressive. And we also have a similar kind of batting order, so it will be a good challenge against them. And from the bowling point of view, we have a few plans. We have also discussed with them (bowlers), what kind of cricket they play, where they can feel a little discomfort. So all these things, we have been planning. We have been good, it's very relaxed

Almost one hr 15 mins left for toss, Eden still looks deserted

Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Mohammed Shami

Ben Duckett, Philip Salt(w), Jos Buttler(c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood

Jos Buttler's personal performance declined during England's struggles in white-ball cricket. He had a very poor World Cup, averaging only 13.87 on slow pitches in the Caribbean and US. He hasn't scored a century in ODIs for 19 innings. A calf injury, which kept him out for four months, disrupted his attempt to regain form during the West Indies tour.

England's white-ball cricket needs a revitalizing "Bazball" approach. Since Eoin Morgan's departure, the team has struggled in terms of both results (with the exception of a T20 triumph) and playing style. Their approach has become dull, with some key players underperforming and the clear vision of the Morgan era lost. Jos Buttler's captaincy record reflects this, with 18 wins and 20 losses in 39 ODIs (including a poor 2023 World Cup) and a 16-14 win-loss record in T20Is, failing to defend their T20 title.

England believes the partnership of Jos Buttler (influential limited-overs batsman) and Brendon McCullum (dynamic coach) will bring back exciting and enjoyable white-ball cricket. The previous coach, Matthew Motts, achieved results (like the 2022 triumph) but the team's style was considered dull. The Buttler-McCullum pairing, seen as a natural fit, aims to make England the most entertaining ODI and T20 team. McCullum has stressed their desire to play a "watchable brand of cricket."

England's cricket captains, Ben Stokes (Test) and Jos Buttler (white-ball), have vastly different personalities. Stokes is confident and assertive, while Buttler is introspective and prone to self-doubt. Coach Brendon McCullum's main priority is to improve Buttler's morale as he takes on the white-ball captaincy.

“I always felt when playing that everything was based around cricket and sometimes you forgot to enjoy yourself. We want an environment where you want to turn up to work, have a good time, be the best version of yourself, push the boundaries of what you’re capable of. That’s our focus.”

Welcome to our live blog for the first T20I between India and England. It will be a fascinating five-match T20I series as two of the most powerful batting units in the world cricket will take on each other. Our correspondent Sayak Dutta is at the ground he will give all the updates from the ground meanwhile we will update you with our analysis do stay with us for all the action.