An unbeaten half-century from Alex Hales guided England to a five-wicket win over India in Cardiff with two balls to spare.
After electing to bowl, Eoin Morgan’s men restricted India to 148/5 with a brilliant bowling display, before Hales hit 58 not out from 41 deliveries to settle a close contest.
England got off to a flyer with the ball, David Willey conceding just one from the first over and Jake Ball picking up a wicket on the sixth ball of his debut, Rohit Sharma (6) attempting to pull one that wasn’t quite short enough and Jos Buttler taking a fairly simple high catch.
Willey and Ball continued to probe good areas and restricted India’s first four overs to just 22 runs, the former getting the ball to move around wickedly from ball one. Shikhar Dhawan (10) fell in over five due to unfortunate circumstances. The Indian opener dropped his bat while running through for a single and didn’t ground his feet, crossing the crease while marginally airborne and being run out by Jason Roy.
Read: KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav star for India in resounding win over England
England got their third scalp, KL Rahul, just three balls later, as the centurion from Old Trafford attempted an expansive drive to Liam Plunkett and had his off-peg uprooted. At just 31/3 after six overs, it marked India’s least fruitful Powerplay for two years.
They still had Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli’s wickets intact though, and some dynamic hitting and running between the wickets ensued as India looked to take back the initiative.
Following some wonderful, counter-attacking shots and shortly after bringing up the 50 partnership, Raina (27) fell to the potent leg-spin of Adil Rashid, advancing down the track only to be beaten by turn and Buttler did the rest, whipping off the bails. At 79/4 in the 13th over, England would have been delighted with their bowling performance.
MS Dhoni entered the fray to a rapturous applause from the Indian supporters, whose noise gave the match a home-game feel for the visiting side. Liam Plunkett ended his spell outstandingly with figures of 1/17 from his four overs.
Kohli (47) and Dhoni (32*) ran between the wickets with phenomenal pace but the latter struggled to get going as Chris Jordan (0/34), Willey (1/18) and Rashid (1/29) continued to keep India in check.
Kohli fell in the 18th over three shy of his half-century after a slightly mistimed pull, as Willey dragged one marginally short and Joe Root took an outstanding catch diving forward from fine-leg to leave India struggling on 111/5. Hardik Pandya (12*) hit a huge straight six but didn’t get enough time at the crease to showcase his true flair.
There was a late flurry of 22 from the final over courtesy of the veteran wicket-keeper Dhoni who hit debutant Ball (1/44) to all parts, but India had still stumbled to a moderate score of 148/5.
Jason Roy (15) got off to a great start in reply, dispatching Umesh Yadav for 14 in the first over with two fours and a six on the leg-side. Yadav’s second over was one of different fortunes, however, bursting through Roy’s bat and pad to send back the opener.
Root came in at three, and shortly after Kohli shelled a chance he would have expected to take, dropping Buttler at mid-off on 10 with an uncharacteristic lapse in concentration, before catching him three balls later for 14 with a slightly harder chance. With Buttler gone and the hosts 33/2 after five overs, honours looked to be virtually even.
Spin was immediately effective for India, as Root fell for 9, playing down the wrong line and being bowled sweeping to Yuzvendra Chahal (1/28).
Morgan and Hales batted sensibly but effectively for their partnership of 48, before Pandya (1/28) dug one in short and the England captain was dismissed for 17, caught hooking by an unbelievable catch at deep backward square-leg by Dhawan.
England brought up their team 100 in the 15th over, and required 57 to win from the last five overs, leaving the match evenly poised after some economical, crafty wrist-work from Kuldeep Yadav.
Jonny Barstow averted pressure in supreme fashion, smacking the young spinner for two massive sixes on the leg-side, leaving England requiring 23 from 18. He was dismissed from the first ball of the next over though, Bhuvneshwar Kumar grabbing the wicket as Bairstow steered one into the hands of Kuldeep at deep fine-leg for 28.
Umesh Yadav (2/36) fired in four yorkers in the penultimate over before Hales squeezed one away for four through the covers, leaving England needing 12 from the final over.
Hales brought up his fifty with the first ball, blasting a huge straight six and alleviating some pressure. It was a stunning finish from the England batsman, who dispatched Kumar’s following ball to the boundary, nicked a single and Willey saw England home with two balls to spare.
