WATCH: Varun Chakravarthy stuns England by removing Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone at the same time | IND vs ENG 2025, 1st T20I

Varun Chakraborty showed a spin-bowling masterclass in the first T20I of the five-match series between India and England in Calcutta. His shocking double-wicket haul disrupted England’s batting line-up, extending India’s grip on the match. complementary Arshdeep SinghVarun’s first breakthrough, Varun’s pinpoint accuracy has cemented India’s dominance in the game.

Varun Chakravarthy’s double strike shakes England

In a game-changing seventh innings, Varun showcased his exceptional skills to deliver a double-hit that stunned England. The first to fall was Harry Brookwho had shown promise with an aggressive 17 off 14 balls, including two fours and a six. Varun fooled Brook with an error’one that drifted in and swung sharply, sneaking through the pad, after taking a fine edge of the bat, to hit the stumps. Brook, playing for a straighter delivery, got away with sharp turn and an unfortunate edge, ending what looked like a potential match-defining innings.

Two balls later, Varun unleashed another gem to dismiss Liam Livingstone for a duck The delivery, angled towards the right, drifted in and skidded with pace. Livingstone, waiting for a turn that never came, played down the wrong line, leaving the stumps trampled. Accuracy and guile in Varun’s bowling dismantled England’s middle order, leaving them reeling at 65/4. These two dismissals highlighted Varun’s ability to get past the batsmen under pressure, turning the tide firmly in India’s favour.

Here is the video:

Wood strikes ✅

A double port ✅

Varun Chakaravarthy takes two! 👏 👏

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— BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2025

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England’s first struggles in Calcutta against India

The first ten overs of England’s innings saw a mix of aggressive batting and tight bowling from India. England lost Phil Salt for a duck in the opening to Arshdeep, who continued his brilliance by eliminating Ben Duckett soon after, leaving the visitors reeling at 17/2 for third. Yes Butler then he took over, showing his aggressive intent with a flurry of boundaries. His unbeaten 48 off 30 deliveries, with six fours and a six, balanced the innings amid early setbacks.

Arshdeep set the tone with his impeccable line and length, finishing his three overs with impressive figures of 2/10 at an economy of just 3.33. Varun complemented him perfectly, taking 2/16 in his three overs, dismantling England’s middle order. Ravi Bishnoi kept the pressure intact, conceding just six runs in his opener. Hardik Pandya i Axar Patel they were expensive but played supporting roles as England struggled to accelerate after the power play. half way, England had reached 77/4with Buttler anchoring the innings. The Indian bowlers will look to capitalize on their momentum in the remaining overs to restrict the visitors to a modest total.

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