Jos Buttler’s England National Cricket Team faced a crushing defeat at the hands of the India National Cricket Team in the first T20I of the five-match series at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22.
England, under the leadership of Jos Buttler, lost the match against Suryakumar Yadav’s team by 7 wickets to go down 0-1 in the series, with the next match scheduled to be played in Chennai on January 25.
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England face crushing defeat in Kolkata T20I
The Three Lions lost the toss and were invited to bat first in the match. They were off to a poor start as they lost both the openers quickly. Things only got worse for the visitors as the game progressed further as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Only skipper Jos Buttler played a good knock as he slammed 68 runs off 44 balls, with 8 fours and 2 sixes. In the end, the visiting team got bowled out for 132 runs.
With the ball in the second innings, the English bowlers were taken to the cleaners by the Indian openers. The bowlers tried their best but couldn’t do any major damage as India completed the run-chase in 12.5 overs.
Jofra Archer is a superstar – Jos Buttler
Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, England skipper Jos Buttler said that the surface was helpful for the bowlers in the first innings and they lost quick wickets.
Jos Buttler further said that Jofra Archer is a superstar, and he expressed his excitement seeing Archer operate alongside Mark Wood. He added that working with Brendon McCullum has been a good experience for him.
“There was a little bit in the wicket early on and we lost a couple of wickets. He (Jofra Archer) always looks good, he’s a superstar. To see him and Wood operate in tandem is exciting,” Jos Buttler said.
“Venue to venue, you got to assess the conditions quickly and play well. I am really enjoying the environment. I have always been a fan of Brendon McCullum, great to be working with him,” Jos Buttler added.
How England Performed In Their Previous T20I Match Against India?
England’s performance in the semi-final match against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 was disappointing, as they lost the match by a big margin of 68 runs. Chasing a target of 172, England’s batting line-up struggled against Indian bowlers, managing to only score 103 runs in 16.4 overs, before getting bundled.
England’s chase got off to a rocky start as they lost early wickets. Captain Jos Buttler (23 off 15 balls) and Phil Salt (5 off 8 balls) were dismissed cheaply, followed by a string of quick wickets. Jonny Bairstow (0), Moeen Ali (8), and Sam Curran (2) all fell before England could build any momentum. Harry Brook was the top scorer with 25 runs, but even he could not provide the necessary acceleration.
The turning point came with an incredible spell of bowling from India, led by Axar Patel, who took 3 crucial wickets for just 23 runs. Kuldeep Yadav also contributed significantly with 3/19, while Jasprit Bumrah’s 2/12 added more pressure on the English batsmen. England batters struggled badly on the Guyana pitch and they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
In the end, Jofra Archer (21 off 15 balls) tried to do his best by smashing some boundaries but it wasn’t enough for the win. Indian bowlers kept the intensity high, and England’s batting crumbled under pressure, losing the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
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