Chasing 189 for victory, Indian openers – KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan – added 82 runs for the first wicket that set the tone for the Men in Blue.
After Rahul’s dismissal on 51 in the 9th over, Kishan (70) continued to bat aggressively till he was given out retired hurt, and Suryakumar Yadav walked in to bat in place of him. However, Yadav could only manage eight runs, and in the end, quick-fire knocks from Rishabh Pant (29 not out) and Hardik Pandya (14 not out) guided India to victory.
Earlier bowling first, Mohammed Shami picked three wickets while Jasprit Bumrah (1/26) and Ravichandran Ashwin (0/23) bowled economical spells. For England’s middle-order batsman Jonny Bairstow took Jos Buttler & Co. to an imposing total of 188 runs. Bairstow top-scored with 49 off 36, while Moeen Ali remained unbeaten on 43.
In the meantime, former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer has lauded Rahul, Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin for their good performances. He also took a subtle dig at ex-England captain Michael Vaughan after India’s win.
“3 things stood out in this win: 1: KL and Ishan with the bat. 2: Boom, Ash & Shami with the ball. 3: Michael Vaughan staying offline #INDvENG #T20WorldCup,” tweeted Jaffer.
After beating England, India will next cross swords with Australia in their second and last warm-up game on Wednesday, October 20.
Virat Kohli and his men will begin their T20 World Cup campaign with a Super-12 match against Pakistan on Sunday (October 24) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. The Green team is yet to edge past the Men in Blue in World Cup matches.
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