England's batting unit found itself in a spot of bother during the first T20I of their five-match series against India at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, as they suffered a crushing seven-wicket defeat. England, who were put in to bat first, could only muster 132 runs on a challenging surface, with Indian spinners making good use of the conditions.
England vice-captain Harry Brook attributed England's struggle, particularly against spin, to the the thick smog lingering over the ground. Brook only managed to gather 17 off 14 before being claimed by Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy. Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel returned with three and two wickets respectively as they were the force behind England’s demolition.
"I didn't face Bishnoi but Chakravarthy is an exceptionally good bowler. He's tough to pick. I think actually with the smog the other night, it was a lot harder to pick as well. Hopefully, the air is a bit clearer here and we can see the ball a bit easier,” Harry Brook said during the pre-match press conference.
"He's an exceptional bowler and has got a lot of skills with extreme accuracy as well. Their spinners are their key threat, so we will look to put pressure on them, take them down, put as much pressure as we can on them, and hopefully they crumble from there."
With four games remaining, there’s still ample opportunity for England to turn things around. The second T20I is scheduled to be held on Saturday in Chennai.