India 100/3 in 10.3 Overs | IND vs ENG | India vs. England Live Score, 1st T20I: Abhishek Sharma runs wild, scores 20-ball half-century

India vs England Live Score: England and India will begin their five-match T20I series at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, with the opening match scheduled to start at 10:00 PM IST (5:30 PM local time). While the hosts go into the match with a balanced and experienced squad, India are under pressure after suffering a disappointing 2-0 series defeat to Ireland in Shreyas Iyer’s first stint as T20I captain.

India’s biggest concern heading into the series is the batting unit. The top order failed to cope with the seam-friendly conditions in Ireland, with Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and skipper Shreyas Iyer enduring a difficult outing. Although Abhishek Sharma showed flashes of his explosive ability with 50 in the series, India will need much more consistency from their senior batsmen against England’s quality attack.

There is also considerable excitement around 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has indicated that the youngster is unlikely to be forced into the playing XI and that he will continue in international cricket.

England, meanwhile, boast one of the strongest T20 teams in world cricket. Harry Brook leads a side full of proven match winners including Jose Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Sam Curran and Adil Rashid. Their pace attack could prove decisive in home conditions. Jofra Archer, Luke Wood, Saqib Mahmood and Sam Curran are all expected to take advantage of the movement on offer with the new ball, making India’s fragile top order their primary target.

Pitch Report
The Riverside Ground traditionally provides an even match between bat and ball, but fast bowlers often have the upper hand, especially during evening matches when the swing under lights is available.

The venue has produced an average first innings score of around 138 in T20Is, suggesting that batsmen will have to spend time at the crease before playing their shots. Teams that win the power battle are likely to gain a significant advantage.

India hold the overall lead in T20Is between the two sides, winning 18 out of 30 matches, while England have registered 12 victories.
In England, however, the rivalry is much more even, with India only holding a 6-5 advantage, underlining how competitive the contests have been on English soil.

platoons:

England squad: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler(w), Harry Brook(c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood, Jordan Cox, James Coles, Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker

India squad: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Washington Sundar, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Bishno Varthy, Rasidh Krishna.