AHMEDABAD, (Reuters) – England’s bowlers did the spadework before opener Jason Roy’s explosive 49 helped secure a comprehensive eight-wicket victory against India in the first Twenty20 International in Ahmedabad yesterday.
Electing to field, Eoin Morgan and his men denied India a strong start and eventually restricted them to a below-par 124-7 despite Shreyas Iyer’s breezy 67.
Roy smashed three sixes and four boundaries in his 32-ball blitz and England wrapped up victory with 4.3 overs to spare with Dawid Malan, who made 24 not out, sealing the win with a six.
After Morgan had won the toss and put India in, the tourists stifled the home team’s vaunted batting lineup with disciplined bowling backed up by sharp fielding.
India were reeling at 22-3 after the six powerplay overs, with Rishabh Pant contributing 16 of those runs.
Among the early wickets to tumble was that of home captain Virat Kohli who fell for a duck trying to hit Adil Rashid over the ring on the off-side.
Pant made 21, hitting a six off Jofra Archer (3-23) with a cheeky reverse-scoop before Ben Stokes dismissed him.
Archer removed the big-hitting Hardik Pandya to deny India a late assault and the hosts barely went above run-a-ball in their 20-overs despite Iyer’s fluent fifty.
Roy and Jos Buttler effectively killed off the contest with their 72-run opening partnership.
Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed Buttler for 28 and Washington Sundar denied Roy his fifty but Jonny Bairstow, who made 26 not out, and Malan completed the win for the tourists who were beaten 3-1 in the preceding test series.
The series assumes more importance for both teams as India will host the Twenty20 World Cup in October-November.
Ahmedabad hosts all five matches in the series with the second match scheduled for tomorrow.