ENGLAND’S new era in white-ball cricket under Brendon McCullum began with a crushing defeat by world champions India as familiar frailties against spin resurfaced in the first T20 in Kolkata.

After seamer Arshdeep Singh dismissed Phil Salt for a three-ball duck and Ben Duckett in his first two overs, the middle order fell in a sorry heap against India’s spinners and England were bowled out for 132.

Captain Jos Buttler played a lone hand with 68 from 44 balls but Harry Brook was the next highest scorer with 17.
Brook was bowled in the eighth over by the superb Varun Chakravarthy, who then dismissed Liam Livingstone for a duck two balls later as England’s scoring stalled and wickets tumbled.

Jacob Bethell struggled for seven from 14 balls, Jamie Overton managed only two at number seven and Gus Atkinson fell to England’s old foe, Axar Patel, for a painful two from 12 balls.

Chakravarthy returned to dismiss Buttler in the 17th over – ending England’s hope of a big finish as he claimed figures of 3-23.
Jofra Archer impressed with 2-21 in India’s chase but the hosts still romped to a seven-wicket victory with 43 balls to spare – England’s heaviest T20 defeat in terms of deliveries remaining.

Atkinson conceded 23 in the second over and Abhishek Sharma cracked 79 from 34 balls with the pressure released.
The second T20 in the five-match series is on Saturday in Chennai at 13:30 GMT.(BBC Sport)