Jofra Archer claimed 3/23 and Jason Roy scored a quickfire 49, as England defeated India by 8 wickets in the first of the five T-20 internationals in Ahmedabad on Friday.
After being asked to bat first by England skipper Eoin Morgan, the home side started disastrously by losing Lokesh Rahul and India skipper Virat Kohli cheaply. In the second over Rahul dragged a Jofra Archer delivery onto his stumps, while Kohli was caught at mid off by Chris Jordan off Adil Rashid in the third over.
Shikhar Dhawan who got the chance to open the batting in the absence of vice-captain Rohit Sharma, failed to get going as he bowled by Mark Wood for 4, leaving the home side in a spot of bother at 20/3.
Rishabh Pant who was promoted at No 4 struck the ball beautifully from the word go, including a reverse flick off Archer for a six. The pair of Pant along with Shreyas Iyer added 48 runs for the fourth wicket before the former was caught at deep square leg by Jonny Bairstow off Ben Stokes.
Iyer along with Hardik Pandya resurrected the innings with a 54 run stand for the fifth wicket, before the latter mistimed a Archer delivery to Chris Jordan at mid off for 19.
Shardul Thakur became Archer’s third victim as he pulled a short delivery to Dawid Malan on the deep square leg boundary.
After scoring a breezy 67 off 48 balls, Iyer was the last player to be dismissed, caught brilliantly by a diving Malan on the boundary. India finished with a below par total of 124/7 in their allotted 20 overs.
Chasing 125, the visitors opening pair of Jason Roy and Jos Buttler made a fantastic beginning by putting on 72 runs for the opening wicket, before the former was trapped in front by Yuzvendra Chahal for 28.
Roy fell one run short of his fifty, as he was adjudged leg before wicket by Washington Sundar
Bairstow who had a horror test series, seemed to be a totally different player in the shortest format as he launched Chahal for two sixes in the same over. He remained unbeaten on 26 off 17, while Dawid Malan scored the winning runs by smashing Sundar over the long-off boundary. England reached the target of 125 in 15.3 overs.
Jofra Archer was declared the Man of the Match.