IND vs ENG: India Bursts Bazball Bubble, Jos Buttler Explains Reasons for Loss

IND vs ENG 1st T20: England suffered a seven-wicket defeat against India in the first match. Disappointed after the loss, Jos Buttler said that there was some unexpected movement in the wicket at the start.

IND vs ENG 1st T20 Highlights: The first match of the five-match T20 series between India and England was played on Wednesday night at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, won the toss and elected to bowl first. England, renowned for its bazball cricket, batted first and was bowled out for a mere 132 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Jos Buttler scored 68 runs, but no other batsman reached the 20-run mark. In response, India achieved the 133-run target for the loss of three wickets with 43 balls remaining, securing a 7-wicket victory and taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

Buttler Unable to Read the Wicket

After the match, England captain Jos Buttler stated, “We wanted to play aggressively, but we’re playing against a very aggressive team, which makes it really exciting. You have to assess the conditions everywhere and play well. I’m really enjoying it.” He added, “There was a bit of movement in the wicket initially, which we weren’t expecting. Because of this, we lost a few wickets. But if you get past that stage, it’s a good pitch and a fast-scoring ground.”

Regarding their bazball approach, he commented, “We wanted to implement the game we wanted to play, but we weren’t able to do so against some good bowlers. Now we’re looking forward to the next match.” Buttler also praised his coach, saying, “I’m a huge fan of McCullum; I’ve always been a fan of his whenever he played. Now, it’s great working with him in the dressing room.”

Explosive Start from Samson and Sharma

Regarding the match, England’s innings began poorly. Both openers, Phil Salt and Ben Duckett, were back in the pavilion within 3 overs. Apart from captain Jos Buttler (who came in at number 3), no other batsman could stay for long. Buttler played a 68-run innings off 44 balls, including 8 fours and 2 sixes, while no other batsman reached the 20-run mark. In response, Sanju Samson (26) and Abhishek Sharma (79) provided an explosive start, and India achieved the target in 12.5 overs.