Master blasters Fiery Roy and Archer blow India away
Opening pair of Rashid and Archer reap powerplay reward Roy leads charge in reply to help set up eight-wicket win
Shock and awe: this was the sort of imperious one-day performance that England routinely produced before the 2019 World Cup.
Ahead of this series, Eoin Morgan and Virat Kohli had eagerly proclaimed each other’s sides favourites for October’s Twenty20 World Cup. As England hurtled towards an eight-wicket win, at least Kohli could console himself that his claims had held up rather better.
On a sweltering evening in Ahmedabad, a packed crowd – even if the 67,000 fell some way short of the promised 80,000 – came salivating at the prospect of seeing the world’s two top-ranked sides faceoff. Instead, as England sauntered towards a facile chase of 125 marked by controlled violence, fans were left disoriented.
Victories are seldom so satisfying. It was not merely that England dismantled India in the same conditions that they will meet come the World Cup, but the excellence of England’s two greatest worries ahead of this series.
England had only taken 10 wickets in the powerplay in 11 matches last year; this time, with Adil Rashid thriving in his new role with the new ball and both Jofra Archer and Mark Wood bowling rapidly, they snared three. Then, Jason Roy, who has struggled for rhythm since Covid-19, relocated his bullying, buccaneering best to thrash 49. The two powerplays were the contest in microcosm.
While India mustered 22 for three, England cruised to 50 for nought, gallivanting towards their target in a way that made their Test travails feel as if they belong to a wholly different sport. Which really they do.
With only two of England’s XI from the last Test retaining their places – and one of those, Jonny Bairstow, crashed England to victory with a disdainful cameo – a less treacherous wicket and a different coloured ball, about all that links these contests is they were both fought between cricket teams representing England and India.
Morgan had suggested that England might find new solutions to obtain crucial new-ball wickets. The very first over revealed England’s new gambit: opening with legspinner Rashid for the first time in his T20 international career.
With Archer entrusted with the new ball at the other end, Morgan attacked India with his two best bowlers.
On another day, it could have left England exposed in the middle of the innings. Instead, Archer and Rashid combined to leave India three for two midway through the third over. Bowling with great pace, and locating an awkward length that prevented batsmen going forward, Archer looked every inch the MVP in the most recent Indian Premier League: an inside edge from KL Rahul gave Archer a wicket second ball.
Kohli did not score from his first four deliveries, as Archer targeted him with the short ball. His fifth, to Rashid, was another dot. Needing to inject impetus into the innings, Kohli backed away and picked out Chris Jordan. Wood ensured there would be no middle-overs relief by locating speeds even greater than Archer, who was rightly player of the match for his three for 23. “When the competition’s tough you have to step up, it brings out the best in me,” he said.
With Chris Jordan also excellent at the death, England had the bowling variety and potency that Morgan craves. The decision to omit Moeen Ali and use Rashid as the sole spinner was vindicated by India’s struggles to find fluency against England’s quicks, the admirable Shreyas Iyer apart. Rishabh Pant’s latest act of audacity – a reverse scoop off Archer for six – was an oasis in a desert.
India’s tepid 124 for seven seemed to be a reflection on the slow pitch as much as England’s excellence. But the elan of England’s top four – who all made at least 24, and all hit at least one six – suggested that this analysis did England’s bowlers, and Morgan’s creative captaincy, a disservice. Dawid Malan’s six to seal victory, with all of 27 balls remaining, was in keeping with the unrelenting dominance of England’s performance.
England now have a template for excellence in Indian conditions that will not be easy to best.