KOLKATA, Jan 22 - In a stunning display of power-hitting, India secured a comprehensive seven-wicket victory against England in the first T20 International at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The match marked the beginning of a new era for England under coach Brendon McCullum, yet it was marred by familiar issues that have plagued their past performances against spin.

Opener Abhishek Sharma stole the show with a blistering 79 runs off just 34 balls, smashing eight sixes and five fours to lead India to their target of 133 runs in a mere 12.5 overs. Earlier, England's captain Jos Buttler tried to anchor the innings with his 68 runs off 44 balls, but the team was ultimately bowled out for 132, falling short of a competitive total.

India began the chase aggressively, with the left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh making early inroads into the England batting order, dismissing both Phil Salt and Ben Duckett within the first three overs. Buttler's counter-attack against Hardik Pandya temporarily held off the collapse, as he laid into the seamer for two overs that cost India dearly.

The introduction of spinner Varun Chakravarthy proved to be a turning point, as he dismantled the middle order, taking 3 wickets for just 23 runs. England's innings deteriorated after reaching 65-2, with the spinners exploiting the conditions effectively, leading to repeated wickets. England’s scoring stalled, and despite a brief flourish from Buttler, the batting lineup collapsed under pressure.

Chakravarthy's impressive performance included key dismissals of Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone, while Axar Patel and Pandya complemented the spin attack with two wickets each. Jofra Archer displayed promise with the ball for England, taking 2 wickets for 21 runs, but the Indian batsmen kept the scorecard ticking, notably with Abhishek's aggressive hitting.

Despite Archer's efforts, including dismissing Sanju Samson and India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, it was clear that England's total was never going to challenge a T20 world champions side as explosive as India. Abhishek Sharma reached his fifty in just 20 balls, turning the tide of the match effectively.

England's defeat highlighted their ongoing struggles in adapting to spin-friendly conditions, an area that has historically undermined their white-ball campaigns. With the second T20 scheduled for Sunday in Chennai, captain Buttler expressed optimism for improvement, stating, "We wanted to enforce the game we want to play, but we were not quite capable of doing that against good bowlers."

This match not only sets the stage for the remainder of the five-match series but also reflects the need for England to address their vulnerabilities swiftly if they are to pose a serious challenge to India. For full details, visit BBC and Reuters.