England V India T20 Live: England Off To Flier After Early Wicket

Here we begin with the English innings, and the two nervous men out there. Alex Hales on debut and Craig Kieswetter, having missed one stumping and nearly making a mess out of the second.

A straight-drive from Hales almost beats mid-off but off the second, he plays all over it and is declared out lbw. First blood to India, a good wicket given that the spinners will play a part later.

Kevin Pietersen walks out to bat and does the same to Praveen Kumar – walks towards him and tries to smash him to the leg-side. Hits the pad.

A couple of leg-byes and a single to round off the over.

England: 3/1 after 1 over

Many would have expected the ‘mentally tough’ R Ashwin, but it is Vinay Kumar who opens the attack from the other end. And as expected, Pietersen walks into the shot twice to get a couple of runs apiece.

Have been reliably informed by Nasser Hussain in the comm. box that KP averages 55 in this format in the last couple of years. If that is true, and he was definitely awesome in the World T20 2010, then the English side has a very, very good chance of going past the Indians here.

Good opening over by Vinay Kumar in the end, seven runs off it.

England: 10/1 after 2 overs

The third over starts with a four but not anywhere close to how Rahane had hit. An inside-edge from KP off the bowling of Praveen goes to the boundary, with the wicket-keeper Dhoni up to the stumps. The two, batsman and bowler, continue with their chatter. Inane stuff most of the time one would guess.

After that initial Chinese cut to the fence, only three more runs in the over. Good stuff from the best bowler India had in the Tests as well. As they say, class is permanent, irrespective of the format.

England: 17/1 after 3 overs

Again, the first ball of the fourth over, this time it is the outside edge and the ball goes to the third-man. Patel muffs up a difficult chance and Pietersen lives to fight another day. Munaf Patel is the bowler by the way, replacing Vinay Kumar after his six-ball spell.

Another top-edge, this time from Kieswetter and the ball goes over the fence, past the hapless Parthiv Patel. At around five feet of height, Patel isn’t tall enough to catch that one.

England double their score in this over, with 17 coming from Munaf’s opening over. Could well have been much lesser with a wicket to his name as well; blame it on the format I tell you.

England: 34/1 after 4 overs

The rotation of bowling is on predictable lines, with Vinay Kumar coming back for another six-ball spell. A single off the first two balls, before Kieswetter slices it to the extra-cover for a boundary before another one through the sweeper fence. The runs continue to flow for the English and the crowd in on their feet.

Surprising that the Indians haven’t got in a spinner.

England: 43/1 after 5 overs