India vs England, 1st T20I: Hosts set 125-run target
England got the perfect start against India after electing to bowl first in the first T20I in Ahmedabad. The visitors got three quick wickets inside six overs and applied the pressure. Eoin Morgan's side didn't allow India to find any momentum as the bowlers delivered the goods. For India, Shreyas Iyer (67) batted well as the hosts managed 124/7. Here's the mid-innings report.
England dominate the powerplay overs
India managed just 22 runs in the first six overs as England dominated the proceedings. Skipper Eoin Morgan used four bowlers and all of them impressed at large. Jofra Archer was brilliant, starting with a maiden over and getting the wicket of KL Rahul (1). Adil Rashid got the dangerous Virat Kohli (0) next, before Mark Wood castled Shikhar Dhawan (4).
India's top-order all over the place
KL Rahul played a loose shot after getting dragged on to a drive and managed an inside edge on to the stumps. Kohli wanted to break free after England applied pressure and the ploy failed. He made room to go over mid-off but failed to clear the fielder. Dhawan went for an expansive slog and Wood bothered his stumps.
Pant shows promise, Iyer impresses for India
Rishabh Pant managed a 23-ball 21. The in-form batsman hit two fours and a six. His reverse sweep against the express pace of Archer caught the eye. Pant added 28 runs alongside Shreyas Iyer for the fourth wicket. Meanwhile, Iyer impressed with his superb application. He played some gorgeous shots and scored a valuable fifty. He also shared a 54-run stand alongside Hardik Pandya.
England pacers have a good time with the ball
England pacers were consistent with their line and lengths and that helped them create the pressure. Mark Wood bowled with a lot of pace and finished with figures of 1/19. Archer was terrific and made the difference. He also got the dangerous Hardik Pandya (19) to finish with three wickets. The likes of Chris Jordan, Sam Curran, and Ben Stokes stuck to their plans.
