India's T20 team showed it was unaffected by the ailments afflicting the longer-format sides as the reigning world champions completed a comprehensive seven-wicket win in the first T20 against England in Kolkata on Wednesday.
India had a superb 2024, lifting the T20 world title and winning 22 out of 26 matches. They carried that form into the new year, dismissing England for just 132 before chasing down the runs in 12.5 overs.
Opener Sanju Samson (26) got the chase up and running by taking 22 runs from the second over bowled by Gus Atkinson.
And even though Jofra Archer picked up two wickets in over, the chase was never going to challenge India in the evening as heavy dew had set in, making bowling all the more challenging.
Abhishek Sharma (79 from 34 balls) ended the chase in double quick time after he was dropped by Adil Rashid off his own bowling when on 29. The left-handed batsman smashed five fours and a staggering eight sixes, making the most of a chance to cement his spot as an opener in an increasingly cramped top order brimming with world-class hitting talent.
The home team's batsmen made the chase look easy on a surface that was far from flat.
India's bowlers exploited the surprisingly helpful conditions well. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh (2-17) got the ball rolling for India, removing both openers early, including the dangerous Phil Salt for a duck.
Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy (3-23) then broke the back of England's batting by hitting the timber of Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone in one over to knock England down.
It was only captain Jos Buttler who took on the Indian bowlers, smashing a fine 68 from just 44 balls. But the rest of the batsmen could not come to terms with a tacky surface that offered grip and purchase to pacers and spinners.
Phil Salt fell for a duck on the third ball of the match, with a leading edge off his bat sending the ball high and into the gloves of wicketkeeper Samson.
Arshdeep dismissed Ben Duckett for four in the third over, with Rinku Singh taking a good catch running backwards from covers.
Buttler then hit back with four boundaries off Hardik Pandya as he attempted to rebuild in a 48-run third-wicket partnership with his new deputy Brook, who scored 17.
But spin proved to be England's undoing as Chakravarthy bowled Brook with a googly and sent back Livingstone for a duck in similar fashion.
Buttler reached his fifty in 34 balls but wickets kept falling at the other end. In an attempt to push the scoring, the skipper finally fell to Chakravarthy right after hitting the bowler for six.
Arshdeep, Axar Patel and Pandya took two wickets each and a run out from the last ball saw England all out in 20 overs.
England would have expected better performances from their batsmen who should have been accustomed to subcontinent conditions as most of them are regulars in the T20 circuit.
India surprisingly left out Mohammad Shami after the fast bowler returned to the squad following a heel injury that kept him away from competitive cricket for over a year.
The two teams will play four more T20s before taking part in a three-match ODI series which will serve as preparation for next month's Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE.
