Birmingham: India kicked off their T20 International series against England on a winning note, defeating the hosts by 4 wickets in a tense last-over thriller at Edgbaston on Saturday. The result puts India 1-0 ahead in the five-match series.
India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya was the undeniable hero of the match, first taking 3 wickets for 24 runs in his four-over spell to restrict England to a competitive 179 for 7, and then anchoring the chase with a crucial 42 off 26 balls that pulled India out of trouble from a precarious 87 for 5.
England had looked set for a much bigger total when Phil Salt (54 off 31) and Jos Buttler (48 off 33) put on a blistering 88-run opening stand inside the power play. It was Hardik’s twin strikes in the 12th over — removing both openers — that changed the game’s complexion. Spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel also chipped in with 2 wickets each to keep England under 180.
India’s chase started poorly, with skipper Rohit Sharma (8) and Virat Kohli (17) falling cheaply. Suryakumar Yadav played a characteristically audacious 38 off 22 but fell at a critical juncture. With 93 needed off 9 overs and lower-order batters in, the match seemed to have swung England’s way.
But Hardik Pandya, walking in at number 6, took the attack to England’s bowlers with three straight sixes off Jofra Archer in the 16th over. His partnership of 57 off 28 balls with Rinku Singh (28* off 14) sealed the deal, with India getting home off the second ball of the final over. Hardik was named Player of the Match.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir said the win reflected India’s “fighter instinct” and singled out Hardik for “a world-class all-round display.” The second T20I will be played at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Tuesday.
