Match report
The man of the match is young blade Ishan Kishan, who picks up his award in shorts. He dedicates his innings to his coach’s dad who died a few days ago.
And that’s it from me. A dominant performance by India - the merry-go-round lands again in Ahmedabad on Tuesday for the third ODI at 1.30pm. We’ll see you then!
Ishan Kishan and Virat Kohli win the partnership of the match and hold a giant cheque looking very much like Jedi and Jedi in training.
Kohli, “We ticked all the boxes we wanted to especially with the ball. It was very smart bowling by all our bowlers, special mentions to Washy. All in all very, very, happy and then very, very happy with the bat too. It did come onto the bat better in the second innings, just a little bit of dew, just enough for the ball to come onto the bat a bit better. Special mention to Ishan , I do what I can but he totally took the game away from the opposition. When you play in the IPL with such dominance like he does, he’s a fearless character, we had a conversation out in the middle where he understood and analysed the game very smartly. He was calculated but not reckless.
[about his bad run]I had to shift the focus back to the basics of the game, probably thinking of too many other variables, but I’ve always taken pride on doing the job for the team. The management spoke to me about things, when you have your family with you they keep your focussed. I had a special chat with AB de Villiers before this game and he told me to watch the ball so that’s what I did!”
Eoin Morgan: “At the half way stage we were about par. I thought India bowled well and full credit to them. We didn’t manage to counter that but one of the biggest things for us today is we don’t get many opportunities to play on slow wickets so we want to take the opportunity to learn. I think statistically it is easier batting second, tonight there was no dew around and full credit to India for batting well.”
First to...
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) March 14, 2021
1000 T20I runs: Brendon McCullum (May 2010)
2000 T20I runs: Brendon McCullum (March 2014)
3000 T20I runs: Virat Kohli (March 2021)#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/Xw765ZfBcS
The tables turned almost exactly in this game, with India dominant. England, Roy apart, struggled to make good on their start. India, well, they’ve turned the earth and found another superstar in Ishan Kishan. Add to that a 13-ball star turn from Pant, batting from Kohli that shows just why he is the best, a couple of crucial drops from England and a handful of bowlers not at the best, and it all adds up to a thrashing. Utterly intriguing to see what will happen next.
India win by 7 wickets! Kohli 73 not out.
17.5 overs: India 166-3 (Kohli 73, Shreyas 8) Kohli wins it with a six - pure nonchalance over fine leg! Earlier in the over he had tried to paste a Jordan full toss but only managed a single. He rights the ship with a charming just charming wristy-flick for four before finishing things off with that six. The king of the chase rules supreme, whilst picking up his 3000th T20 run.
India win with 13 balls to spare and the five-match series is all square.
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17th over: India 154-3 (Kohli 62, Shreyas 7) India need 165 to win. Archer comes back, they knock a couple of singles, then Kohli drives uppishly through cover, doesn’t quite time it, still soars: four, Archer’s comeback is a vicious, searing bouncer, that Kohli ducks then gives a respectful nod.
16th over: India 147-3 (Kohli 56, Shreyas 6) India need 165 to win. Super ball from Rashid, Kohli misses and Buttler smartly removes the bails. On the replay, it is close, really close, but the shadow of a shoe peeks over the line. Buttler mutters darkly through his helmet, but whatever Kohli says makes him smile. Kohli is suddenly uncharacteristically jittery. Nice final over by Rashid.
15th over: India 143-3 (Kohli 54, Shreyas 4) India need 165 to win. Tom Curran, headband heavy over his forehead, doesn’t have to deal with Pant or Kishan, but he does have to deal with Kohli. He reaches fifty with the most dreamy, effortless, charming six you could dream of whilst lying in silken sheets in a sun-dappled glade. Kohli swings and misses and that’s the over. India need 24 from 30.
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14th over: India 133-3 (Kohli 46, Shreyas 2) India need 165 to win. Jordan returns, after that over that cost 12 earlier in the innings. Pant tees off through extra over for four. And again, more wildly, full swing of the bat for six, before finally falling to the one ball he doesn’t throw the kitchen sink at. One a ball is fine now.
WICKET! Pant c Bairstow b Jordan 26
After dispatching Jordan for 10 in two balls, Pant chips him in to deep mid wicket where Bairstow doesn’t drop them. A perfect cameo of 26 from 13 balls.
13th over: India 119-2 (Kohli 44, Pant 16) India need 165 to win. Curran scurries onward as only he can. He keeps the boundaries at bay, varying his pace, until the last ball of his spell which is pumped by Pant on his toes over cover for four.
12th over: India 111-2 (Kohli 42, Pant 10) India need 165 to win. Ping! Pant kneels and hoists Rashid over midwicket, earning a hug from Kohli and more gushing adulation from the crowd. Steps back, cuts, and sends Kohli through for a single. A bit more pitter, patter follows. Pant beats a smart throw from Jason Roy. England still on their toes in the field.
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11th over: India 99-2 (Kohli 38, Pant 2) India need 165 to win. Sammy Curran comes back, Kohli and Pant bat a quintet of singles and England take a breath.
10th over: India 94-2 (Kohli 35, Pant 0) India need 165 to win. Kishan kneels and swings at Rashid, for six. He goes to fifty next ball with another six, bucket and spaded to infinity and beyond. And he barely looks old enough to shave. Rashid gets his revenge with the last ball, but that’s a debut stamped in multi-coloured lights. And as Kishan leaves, Pant arrives.
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WICKET! Kishan lbw Rashid 56
Reverse-sweeping, misses and is caught on the back pad. What an innings - five fours, four sixes, 32 balls. Kishan wants to review, Kohli permits it, but it is umpire’s call, clipping off stump.
9th over: India 80-1 (Kohli 35, Kishan 42) India need 165 to win. Archer brings some control at last. varying the pace, beating Kishan with a rapid bouncer (it’s a wide). Just five from the over.
There’s a children’s character called Judy Moody who is invited by her friend Amy Namey to join the International My Name Is A Poem Club. @tjaldred Hoping Amy has been in touch with #IshanKishan
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) March 14, 2021
8th over: India 75-1 (Kohli 32, Kishan 41) India need 165 to win Now we have Rashid. Kishan picks up a couple then prods at the wrong’un. Next ball is swept between the two fielders for four, knees, timing, stretch, perfection This is some finger-kissing debut. Next ball, Ben Stokes drops him, a dolly, falls through his hands, bounces off his chest and tumbles to the ground. The lights - must have been the lights.
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7th over: India 66-1 (Kohli 31, Kishan 34) India need 165 to win Morgan throws his cards in the air and comes up with Stokes. A couple to Kohli before Stokes oversteps and with the freehit, Kohli lifts a casual outside edge which flies way over third man for six deep into the crowd. Kishan then savagely pulls him over deep square leg for six more. In the middle Kohli and Kishan pause for a chat, they seem to find the situation hilarious.
6th over: India 50-1 (Kohli 22, Kishan 27) India need 165 to win Tom Curran is greeted by Kishan wellying him over long-on for six. A dot, then a flaying through the covers for another boundary. Four more off the last ball, a short one sent behind square to bring up India’s fifty . Morgan holding Adil Rashid back, possibly because of Kishan’s reputation against spin. But 16 off the over suggests he’s not too bad against medium pace either.
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5th over: India 34-1 (Kohli 21, Kishan 12) India need 165 to win Ooof, Chris Jordan replaces Sam Curran, Kohli swishes, edges behind, and is dropped by Buttler who dives with both gloves. A couple more singles follow, before Kohli, beautifully, pulls again, up-ishly but safe. A couple more off the last ball and a handy 12 from the over. Will England rue that drop?
4th over: India 22-1 (Kohli 10, Kishan 11) India need 165 to win I don’t want to go all gushy but that was pull perfection from Kohli, wristy, swively, spectator joy. Archer, double-chained, then beats him with a 146kph bouncer
3rd over: India 15-1 (Kohli 4, Kishan 11) Kishan pulls Curran from the top of the bat for a high-flying four. Curran, whose new hairstyle is glued to his head like an old-fashioned action man, has either had an accident with a bottle of bleach or has spent serious amounts of time in the sun. Five singles.
2nd over: India 6-1 (Kohli 1, Kishan 5) India need 165 to win Kishan glances at Jofra Archer and tissue papers his first down for four. Kohli avoids his fourth duck in five innings with a little leg-push for a single.
1st over: India 0-1 (Kohli 0, Kishan 0) India need 165 to win A perfect start by Sam Curran who serves up five dots before snaring Rahul. Who can say no to a wicket maiden? From the dug-out Kohli stares through his grill
“Rhyming cricketing names is a tough one, although I suppose the place to search would be a list of Sri Lankan cricketing names” says Peter Rowntree. “But one playing today who qualifies would be the Western Australian player, Cameron Gannon. So, one more for the team.”
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WICKET! KL Rahul c Buttler b S Curran 0
Rahul, frustrated after five dots from the first five balls, fishes outside off stump and it is a simple catch for Buttler.
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The debutant, and pleasingly rhyming, Ishan Kishan will ...not...face the first ball, which will be bowled by Sam Curran.
“A par score” thinks Nasser Hussain. “The change England have made looks good, Tom Curran looks the right sort of bowler for this pitch.”
Dinesh Kathik says “ It is a decent total but not a match winning total. The English bowlers have the template right there, cutters and slower balls.”
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ENGLAND 164-6
20th over: England 164-6 (Jordan 0, S Curran 6) Stokes fumes at the non-striker’s end after missing an off-cutter. He stands and swots emptily at the third and is out to the fourth. Only a swatted four from Sam Curran off the last ball brings England any sweetness. Smashing over by Thakur and a great recovery by India’s bowlers in the last quarter of. the innings. Time for a quick drink before the fun starts again.
WICKET! Stokes c Pandya b Thakur 24
A frustrated Stokes, unable to get the ball away in this final over, mistimes a pull to long-on and the ball falls into the hands of the waiting Pandya
19th over: England 158-5 (Stokes 23, S Curran 2) Not a boundary to be had off Bhuvneshwar until Stokes takes aim and switches the ball straight back past a diving umpire. Smart reactions. A single ensures Stokes will face the final over.
18th over: England 149-5 (Stokes 14, S Curran 2) Morgan beaten by a slower ball from Thakur. Clever bowling. Stokes and Curran pick up the tempo, smart singles, then three from an angled slice to backward point.
WiCKET! Morgan c Pant b Thakur 28
Reaching for a wide one, Morgan toe-ends the ball vertically and into the gloves of the waiting Pant.
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17th over: England 142-4 (Stokes 8, Morgan 28) Stokes loses his top hand as he swings at a ball that barely bounces. Stokes scoops the ball and a nifty bit of fielding from Chahal prevents the boundary. Stokes then swings and misses a golf drive and is beaten by a bouncer. Smashing over by Pandya.
16th over: England 136-4 (Stokes 4, Morgan 27) Bhuvneshwar . Morgan goes full throttle at his fourth ball but sends it only upwards and they pick up just the two. Stokes similarly attempts a club-heavy drive but mistimes it and they pick up just the single. Breathing space for India here.
15th over: England 129-4 (Stokes 2, Morgan 23) A handful of singles off Chahal, then a reverse sweep from Morgan that is absolutely on point.
“Can I take advantage of your reference to Mothering Sunday and ask you to mention my mother Averne, a keen cricketer who would bowl at me in the nets when I was a youngster? She remembers the Touring Australian cricket team coming to visit and play at her school - Wycombe Abbey - in the late1950s. And my aunt Julie who, though more of a rugby fan (delighted about England’s narrow victory over France Yesterday), has been following England’s test cricket fortunes on terrestrial TV.” Of course, Colum Fordham.
14th over: England 120-4 (Stokes 0, Morgan 16) Surya redeems himself with that catch after earlier in the over Bairstow pulled Sundar square , high and fast, and the ball burst through Surya’s fingertips for six. Perhaps burst is unfair. Scraped.
WICKET! Bairstow c Surya b Sundar 20
On the second attempt, Surya catches a bullet, off his own chest, as Bairstow goes for the slog sweep.
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13th over: England 111-3 (Bairstow 13, Morgan 14) A bowling change brings back Thakur. Morgan rides his luck when an inside edge flies diagonally past Pant for four. A misfield on the boundary by Iyer gives Morgan another. A third bounces off his helmet straight down to fine leg for four leg byes, which brings a concussion check.
“A cursory search of England Test cricketers brings me to Gregor MacGregor, who played eight Tests between 1890 and 1893 for England at cricket and also played for Scotland at rugby, going on to be an original member of the Barbarians.
The appropriately-named Arthur Fielder played six Tests for England between 1904 and 1908, whereas Henry ‘Harry’ Lee only played one Test in 1931, the same year the great Hedley Verity made his debut.
Another tenuous pre-war one, the last one pre-WWII, is James ‘Jim’ Sims who played four Tests. That seems a good point to stop this diverting Wikipedia trawl before I lose the rest of the afternoon.” John Davis, you earn an OBO golden prevarication award.
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12th over: England 97-3 (Bairstow 12, Morgan 5) Eoin Morgan gets his bike on the path with a darling wristy nibble over extra cover for four.
WICKET! Roy c Bhuveneshwar b Sundar 46
A buccaneering innings, off 45 balls, comes to an end when a toe-ended slog flies high rather than long and falls into the hands of the grateful fielder.
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11th over: England 91-2 (Bairstow 11, Roy 46) A pause while Chahal’s thumb is put back together after diving for an attempted catch. Only four singles off his first five balls until Baristow, side steps and flat bats him down the ground for four. Scorching.
“My mother once had me substituted from the field of play due to a scrape on my knee.” writes Joe Sweeney. “Utterly mortified as a rough tough 8 year old centre-back. Given the day, I’ll pretend I’ve forgiven her...” Respect to Mrs Sweeney and her powers of parental persuasion over the coach.
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10th over: England 83-2 (Bairstow 5, Roy 44) Virat Kohli makes a rare error in the field, flicks the bails off, hurts his hand, drops the ball and England sneak a second. He almost looks abashed. At half way, England are bristling.
The crowd, by the way, would not pass a Chris Whitty Covid inspection. Does anyone know if spectators are supposed to wear masks?
I played cricket at school with Sanjeevan Sumasunadram, its still one of the best names I've ever heard.....such rhythm
— Dr_Pilling (@dr_pilling) March 14, 2021
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9th over: England 74-2 (Baristow 1, Roy 39) The end of a staccato innings by Malan. Bairstow toe-ends a single first ball. A game of cat and mouse between Chahal and Roy, ends in victory for Roy who twice reverse sweeps him for four. Kohli remonstrates with the umpire, probably about the, marginal, wide called.
“Hello Tanya!” Hello Abhijato Sensarma. “Glad to see both Kishan and Suryakumar making their debuts today - they’re the members of my favourite franchise, Mumbai Indians, and make up for the absence of my favourite player, Rohit Sharma. India aren’t ‘resting and rotating’ with the same fluency as their counterparts. Rather, they’re testing out their strategies and those who can execute them - Ishan and SKY very much can, I suspect.”
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WICKET! Malan lbw Chahal 24
Virat Kohli declines the opportunity to review the first ball, an Lbw shout, to a Malan reverse sweep. He accepts the second, as Malan sweeps again, .... and this pitches in the right place, and hits.
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8th over: England 64-1 (Malan 24, Roy 31) Malan off drives Hardik for four, a hopeless attempt to field at mid-off helping it on its way. A flat batted, one legged, ostrich shot by Roy passes over the top of Hardik’s outstreched hand and lands just short of the rope. It’s kinda ugly, but it works.
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7th over: England 51-1 (Malan 18, Roy 26) It’s Chahal! Dot, Dot, then Jason Roy is befuddled by a legbreak that turns a curtain swish. Replays show Roy’s foot safely behind the line. Chahal then fields a fireblaster from Roy, saving his own skin at the same time. His fifth is hoofed over the ropes for six.
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6th over: England 44-1 (Malan 18, Roy 20) Hardik Pandya replaces Washington Sundar, pink arm warmers reaching from wrist to elbow, and matching purple socks. Pretty Wristiness from Roy then an unedifying full stretch carve over cover for a couple. A dot finishes the power play. And, Ooops, thanks to all those who pointed out that I gave England more than 300 in their fourth over. Respect especially to Paul Stockton for working out the (imaginary) run rate...
5th over: England 37-1 (Malan 16, Roy 16) Roy charges at bowling change Shardul Thakur, and is made to look a little foolish as he thwacks at thin air. A wristy flick brings a more responsible single. Malan feeds short fine leg a cherry but it falls a finger short. Next ball an edged drive falls just short of short third man and brings four. The shot of the over - a cover-drive - ticks up a respectable single.
“Bob Hobbs died of covid-19 last year.” Thank you John Starbuck.
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4th over: England 30-1 (Malan 11, Roy 15) Malan gallops at Sundar, but he sees him coming and holds back. An lbw shout, then, off the last ball, Malan clobbers four straight over Sundar’s head. We see YJB clapping politely in the dugout.
Very good:
@tjaldred before he changed his name Yousuf Youhana had a nice flow to it. #guardianobo
— Anandkumar N (@anandkumarn) March 14, 2021
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3rd over: England 23-1 (Malan 6, Roy 13) Four leg byes squeeze past a diving Pant, then an inelegant heave brings Roy four more. A despondent Bhuveneshwar is summoned to a council of war by Kohli who not happy and redirects his artillery in the field. Malan hoofs a couple more.
“In like a lion, is that March or Morgan?” says Finbar Anslow. “Thanks for the hand squeeze Tanya. She’d have been 102 not out, half an eye on the cricket, another on the tennis and still worrying if I was wearing enough jumpers.”
2nd over: England 12-1 (Malan 8, Roy 4) Jason Roy frying pans Washington Sundar’s first ball for six. Sundar, gold medallion perfectly positioned in the neckline of his shirt pins him back second ball. Malan plays out three dots to finish things off.
“Ishan Kishan,” says Mark Hooper, “Good to see a rhyming cricketer. Top 10 best rhyming cricketers?”
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1st over: England 5-1 (Malan 4, Roy 1) A fabulous diving stop at backward point prevents a Roy boundary which brings Buttler to the crease for his briefest of stays. He is uncharacteristically unbalanced for that ball, which drifted in from Bhuveneshwar. Malan’s first ball slides past his outside edge, but he’s off the mark with a silken cover drive for four.
WICKET! Buttler lbw Bhuveneshwar 0
A golden duck for Buttler who is caught on the crease by a pinpoint Bhuveneshwar. Buttler doesn’t bother reviewing. What a start!
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Jason Roy and Jos Buttler are in the middle, looks like another huge crowd. Bhubeneshwar Kumar has the ball..
Some more information on Mark Wood, it is a bruised left heel which is keeping him out of today’s match after bowling the speed of light in the first.
Some Ishan Kishan stats:
Ishan Kishan makes his international debut. In the last two seasons of the IPL, his Average Batting Impact is +4.0 - the only Indian batsman with a better record in that time (min 10 matches) is Rishabh Pant, with +4.4. A big day for the youngster. #INDvENG
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) March 14, 2021
And while we’re here, a happy Mother’s day to all the mums out there, and a hand squeeze to those without their mums today.
Teams
England are without Mark Wood who isn’t well.
England: Roy, Buttler, Malan, Bairstow, Morgan, Stokes, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan
India pack their batting, with the addition of their two debutants. Shikhar Dhawan and Axar Patel miss out, Rohit Sharma is still rested.
India:Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal
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India win the toss and will bowl!
Kohli, resplendent in blue: “The variable bounce in the first innings means I think its better to bowl first.”
Two debuts for India
Caps for 22 year old wicketkeeper batsman Ishan Kishan and 30 year old batsman Suryakumar Yadav.
How can it be 20 years?!
Can't believe it's been 20 years! Honoured and humbled to have played my role in a memorable Test match. To be a part of that wonderful team was magical, as was having a fulfilling partnership with my good friend. #DownMemoryLane #EdenTest pic.twitter.com/pEs8m4gxTs
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) March 14, 2021
Preamble
England’s extended working holiday in Ahmedabad continues today in the second T20 match at the Narendra Modi stadium. An eight wicket victory in the first game, with Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow knocking off the final runs with 27 balls to spare, illustrated the ease in which England move in their red pyjamas.
Gone was the nervous prodding of the pitch, gone was Axar Patel’s invincibility (0-24), gone was the spectator’s involuntary squint through the fingers motion when Jonny Bairstow bristled to the middle. Instead, on a two-paced pitch, the excellent Jofra Archer knocked the daffodil heads off the Indian innings; while Adil Rashid, opening the bowling for the first time in international white ball cricket, had Virat Kohli caught for a fifth ball duck.
The difference? Confidence. Clearly defined roles. Confidence. Skill. And Eoin Morgan. To quote Adil Rashid in Ali Martin’s piece:
“It’s his presence,” said Rashid. “And the biggest strength from him is his emotion – he doesn’t really show any. If things are not going well, you will never see him down or waving his hands around. Or if they’re going really well, you won’t see him really excited. Being level-headed is a big factor – it stands out with him as a leader.”
Today, England may switch Moeen Ali for Sam Curran to give themselves an extra spin option; we wait to see whether India can resist hauling the resting Rohit Sharma off the sofa to bulk out the top of the order. Kohli himself is desperate for runs after his second duck in a row - his third in his last five international innings.
And while you wait, a cracking read from the magnificent Sharda Ugra on pitches, press and more.
Sarda Ugra on pitch (and media) angst. https://t.co/38RaKzFNDp
— neeru bhatia (@neerubhatia3) March 12, 2021
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