KL Rahul hits classy hundred as India cruise past England

Kuldeep Yadav claimed his first international five-for as Kohli’s men restricted England to 159-8 before KL Rahul’s magnificent 101 not out saw India coast to an eight-wicket victory in the series opener

England 159-8 (20) lost to India 163-2 (18.2) by eight wickets

After Australia’s reserves were dispatched in six straight matches, Virat Kohli’s India have quickly shown they will be a far sterner test for England’s white-ball machine.

Kuldeep Yadav claimed his first international five-for as Kohli’s men restricted England to 159-8 before KL Rahul’s magnificent 101 not out saw India coast to an eight-wicket victory in the series opener.

David Willey got the ball shaping away from the left-hander and struck early to remove Shikhar Dhawan but England found further inroads difficult to come by.

Rahul’s innings was full of class and included 10 fours and five sixes. He scored to all parts with classic cover drives and leg-side clips.It was an exhibition of touch, timing, power and deft glances.

A stately stroke punched through extra cover with the highest of high elbows, followed by a hold of the pose was the figure of a man in complete control.

There was a cleanly-struck six over long-on to bring up India’s 100 off Moeen and onwards KL went, gliding to his second T20I hundred from 53 balls.

^{Kuldeep claimed figures of 4-0-24-5}

Rohit Sharma (32) and Kohli (20*) played bit-part roles alongside Rahul’s lead as England’s resistance melted away. 

Kohli finished the job with a six off Moeen. India have arrived.

The atmosphere felt different to the Australia series from the off. India were vibrant, Old Trafford cacophonous, England were facing a very different animal to the departing marsupials.

This is a side - led by arguably the world’s best cricketer in Kohli - who arrived having won 12 of their last 14 T20Is. A force to be reckoned with.

But England are a force of their own. Kohli won the toss and opted to make the hosts bat first, and bat they did.

Jos Buttler and Jason Roy, all flicks, scoops and wrists, quickly looked to put India’s bowlers on the back foot.

^{Buttler top scored for England with 69}

Roy dispatched Bhuvneshwar Kumar for two fours in the opening over, charged Umesh Yadav’s first ball then dropped the hammer and cracked him down the ground for four second ball.

Buttler settled in by facing a distinctly un-Buttler-like two dot balls before using his third to walk across his stumps and scoop Yadav over his left shoulder for four.

Buttler smacked a flat six with a back-leg flourish over long-on, then thundered a four through cover as Yuzvendra Chahal went for 16 in an over and England reached 44 for no loss after four.

A reverse-sweep for four left Chahal with puff of the cheeks as if to ask ‘what do I do here?’.

England’s flow however was stemmed when a mistimed pull saw Roy bowled by Yadav via an inside edge.

From there the left-arm wrist spin of Kuldeep dismantled their progress.

^{KL Rahul's sublime hundred was his second in T20Is}

Kuldeep recorded 13 dot balls in a spell that saw him remove Alex Hales, Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Buttler to register his first five-for in international cricket.

Hales couldn’t get going and was bowled attempting the sweep and the captain, Morgan, holed out to Kohli in the deep.

Bairstow was bamboozled first ball as was Root, both stumped by Dhoni, to leave Kuldeep on a hat-trick. The spinner could not make it three in three but he would have Buttler - who top scored with 69 - caught by his skipper for his five-wicket haul.

Kuldeep mixed it up, changed his pace, stopped his run-ups, tried anything to knock his opponents off stride and his efforts had the desired effect as England’s potentially-explosive line-up entered a quagmire.

David Willey took a valuable 20 runs from Kumar in the 17th over but the hosts’ total of 159-8 always looked light.

England will look to get back on level terms as the series moves to Cardiff on Friday.