T20 WC, India beat England in warm-up game: Match report
India claimed a comprehensive victory against England in their first warm-up fixture of the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. They chased a mammoth 189, with Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul anchoring the run-chase. Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya added the finishing touch. Earlier, Mohammed Shami stood out for India, having taken three wickets. Here is the match report.
England scored 51/2 in the powerplay
Jos Buttler and Jason Roy gave England an ideal start after Indian skipper Virat Kohli elected to field. The duo added 36 runs before the former departed. Buttler fell to Mohammed Shami on 18(13). Shami also dismissed Roy in his next over. The likes of Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were a tad expensive as England managed 51/2 in the powerplay.
Jonny Bairstow was England's top-scorer
Jonny Bairstow emerged as England's top-scorer in the match. He smashed 49 (36) with the help of 4 fours and 1 six. Bairstow shared a 52-run stand with Liam Livingstone, who registered a quickfire 30 (20). Meanwhile, Moeen Ali finished off in style. He racked up 43* off 20 balls (4 fours, 2 sixes). He smashed Bhuvneshwar for 21 runs in the last over.
Shami took a total of three wickets
Shami was the pick of India's bowlers, however, he leaked runs at 10.00 an over. He picked up a total of three wickets. Meanwhile, Bumrah and Rahul Chahar took a wicket apiece. Bhuvneshwar looked off-color. He conceded as many as 54 runs in four overs. R Ashwin remained wicket-less but registered the lowest economy rate (5.80) among the Indian bowlers.
KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan punished the bowlers in powerplay
KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan wreaked havoc in the first six overs in India's run-chase. The former smashed the bowlers all around the ground. He slammed Chris Woakes for 18 runs in the fourth over. Ishan also punished the England bowlers with endearing strokes. The duo completed 50 runs in the sixth over. Rahul brought up his half-century in just 23 balls.
Ishan hammered an unbeaten 70 (46)
Ishan was unstoppable throughout the run-chase. He was watchful at the start but accelerated once Rahul departed. Ishan hammered an unbeaten 70 off 46 balls with the help of 7 fours and 3 sixes. He finally decided to walk back in the 16th over.
Virat Kohli will bat at number three
At the toss, Indian skipper Virat Kohli indicated that he will be batting at number three throughout the T20 World Cup. He also revealed that Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will open the innings. "Now it's difficult to look beyond KL Rahul at the top. Rohit is a no-brainer. He's been solid up front. I will be batting at three," he said.
