Horror start for Buttler as England crash
THe Jos Buttler era got off to an underwhelming start in Southampton last night as england were thrashed by India in the first T20 international by 50 runs.
The new captain fell first ball, Liam Livingstone also made nought, and Jason Roy contributed a horrible four off 16 deliveries as the hosts made a pig’s ear of a chase of 199.
Bazball this was not. Right now, english cricket feels very upside-down.
In fairness, India — ranked no 1 in the world in this format — enjoyed the best of the conditions. The sun shone after they chose to bat on a firm, true ageas Bowl surface, and the lights shone when they bowled, seemingly adding nip off the pitch.
even so, the new-ball efforts of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, debutant left-armer arshdeep Singh, who began with a maiden, and Hardik Pandya were superb.
India’s six-over powerplay had brought them a solid 66 for two, with captain Rohit Sharma — back from Covid — giving them a flying start with 24 off 14. By contrast, england limped to 32 for three in their powerplay as India swarmed all over them. The first four balls of the chase had produced just a single for Roy off Bhuvneshwar, leaving Buttler on strike for only his second T20 innings since he took the IPL by storm with Rajasthan Royals in april and May.
His first delivery was near unplayable, swinging late and cannoning into the stumps via his pads. you did not need the data geeks to tell you that his departure for a golden duck was not good news for england’s chances of victory.
as Roy scratched around, Dawid Malan connected with a few blows before edging Pandya on to his stumps for 21, and it was 29 for three when Livingstone — moving a long way across to the off side in search of a scoop — provided wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik with a simple catch.
When Roy top- edged Pandya all the way to third man, angrily snapping off a glove as he departed, england were 33 for four and in need of something special. Up in the Sky Sports commentary box, the recently retired eoin Morgan might have been glad he was not in next. That said, he would have approved of Harry Brook’s promising 28, including a powerful flat-batted six off Pandya. and there were some characteristically lovely touches from Moeen
ali during a 20-ball 36. But when legspinner yuzvendra Chahal removed both in the 13th over, england’s chances went from slim to none.
With better fielding from India — Karthik was especially culpable behind the stumps — this would have been an even bigger drubbing. as it was, the margin left little room for doubt.
‘We were outplayed by India,’ said Buttler. ‘Their new-ball spell was fantastic, and it was hard for us to get back in the game after that.
‘I haven’t seen the ball swing that much in a T20 game for a while.’
Things will not get any easier for Buttler’s team, either. For the weekend games at edgbaston and Trent Bridge, India will be able to choose from the players who took part in the recent Test between the two sides.
The tourists had looked destined for at least 220 after reaching 141 for four after 13 overs, with forceful contributions from Deepak Hooda (33 off 17 balls) and Suryakumar yadav (39 off 19).
But axar looked two places too high at no 6, and Reece Topley took the important wicket of Pandya for a 33-ball 51. Between them, Topley and Chris Jordan conceded just nine off the 18th and 19th overs as the tourists had to settle for 198.
at the time, it seemed england had bowled themselves back into contention.
Jordan, now 33, could do with a strong summer to justify his place at the T20 World Cup in australia. He was hit around by new Zealand’s Jimmy neesham during last year’s semi- final defeat in abu Dhabi, and went for more than 10 an over in the Caribbean in January. Some feared he was beginning to lose his edge.
But figures of two for 23 made him the pick of england’s bowlers and took him past adil Rashid, who is on holy pilgrimage to Mecca, as the country’s leading wicket-taker in T20 internationals, with 82.
It was a rare moment of cheer for england on a night when their T20 team could have done with some of the Test side’s stardust.
TUCHEL IS THE BEST THING ABOUT CHELSEA. IF HE DOESN’T WANT RONALDO, LISTEN TO HIM
SIGNING Raheem Sterling is a very good start for Todd Boehly and his new Chelsea regime. He’s a fine player, a good goalscorer and he immediately improves Chelsea’s great weakness last season: the potency.
Cristiano Ronaldo would, too. even in a poor Manchester United team that failed to reach the Champions league, he scored 24 goals in 38 games. He would have been nine clear as Chelsea’s top goalscorer with that record. Indeed, if Romelu lukaku converted at Ronaldo’s rate last season he would have scored approaching 30 goals and Chelsea wouldn’t have a problem.
yet Ronaldo (left) must be Thomas Tuchel’s call. We can all see what appeals to Boehly about him. It’s what attracted Manchester United, too. yet where has it got them? With Ronaldo not joining their pre-season tour, there will be financial penalties linked to his absence.
That’s the issue with buying a player as much for his commercial impact as his footballing prowess. United are not getting value from Ronaldo either way. He couldn’t propel them into the Champions league without the right support, and United may now be hit financially if he doesn’t make the Far east.
Manchester City’s owners were interested in him, too, last summer but backed off when it became clear pep Guardiola had reservations. Guardiola was unsure how Ronaldo would fit into his game plan, and thought his arrival would undermine the message about putting the team before all. If Guardiola asks Kevin De Bruyne to play right back, or come off at halftime, he does what is best for the team. Guardiola felt it would be hard to make that case while indulging a man apart like Ronaldo.
Tuchel’s philosophy is little different. He has played Callum Hudson-Odoi at full back. He expects Timo Werner to be tireless in his pressing. When lukaku let him down, he left him out, regardless of status and reputation.
So it has to be Tuchel’s decision on Ronaldo, too. And if he needs persuading — Guardiola never said an outright no, he just raised numerous issues — then Boehly should back off. Tuchel is the best thing about Chelsea right now. He knows what his team needs. listen to him. That has been United’s mistake for too long.