IND v ENG, 1st T20I performance: Indian playing XI's report card
The theme of the first T20I between India and England was the home side trying so hard to bluff the opposition that they hurt themselves. The outcome of a string of strange decisions was a shellacking at the hands of England, fresh after the high of a commanding Test series victory.
Rohit Sharma, by far the best-performing Indian batsman in the Test series, was rested. The Indian team certainly seemed to underestimate the significance of the five-match T20I series.
Strangely enough, the buzz around Suryakumar Yadav's possible debut was rendered meaningless as the Mumbai batsman was edged out by compatriot Shreyas Iyer.
It meant India entered the contest with a rusty opening pair, a woefully out-of-form captain and an under-fire middle order. And though Iyer shone, the rest couldn't quite pull the team forward.
Here is the report card for the Indian playing XI for the first T20I against England.
IND v ENG, 1st T20I: India Player Ratings
Shikhar Dhawan: 1/10
Announced to be behind Rohit and KL Rahul in the pecking order, Shikhar Dhawan entered the contest low on confidence and struggled to get going. Eventually, a laboured 4 off 12 came to an end when he lost his patience and tried unsuccessfully to hit a quick one from Mark Wood into the stands.
KL Rahul: 1/10
With the return of Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul is no longer the gloveman for the team. Although he is rated extremely highly, Rahul must be conscious about the increased uncertainty regarding his place in the side, and a rusty 1 off 4 will add to that anxiety.
Virat Kohli: 0.5/10
Another innings, another duck for Virat Kohli, as he seems to have no respite from the rut of bad form. After facing four balls without scoring, the Indian captain tried to clear the infield off Adil Rashid, only to be caught at mid off.
Rishabh Pant: 5.5/10
A nightmare start was improved upon by Rishabh Pant's brave strokeplay. Despite looking uncomfortable against Jofra Archer's pace, he unfurled two stunning shots to get ten runs off the quick bowler. However, his innings stalled to some extent after that, and he was dismissed with a strike rate under 100.
Shreyas Iyer: 8/10
By some distance the best Indian batsman on display, Shreyas Iyer slammed his critics in style with a clinical half-century to show his value to the side. His dismissal led to the unravelling of the team once again.
Hardik Pandya: 6/10
Contributive but not explosive with either bat or ball, Hardik Pandya had a quiet game following on from a very good series against Australia. He couldn't quite provide the strong finish that India were after, and went wicketless with the ball.
Washington Sundar: 6/10
Although Washington didn't quite do much with the bat, facing three balls for three runs, it was with the ball that he delayed the inevitable with the scalp of Jason Roy just short of a fifty. He bowled economically, but strangely did not bowl much early on.
Shardul Thakur: 3/10
A first-ball duck followed by two unremarkable overs for 16 runs meant Thakur endured a low after consistent highs in his appearances on the tour of Australia. He went wicketless, and could not dent the opposition batting.
Axar Patel: 4/10
A shadow of his maraudering self in the Test matches, Axar Patel started well conceding just three in the opening over, but was feasted upon later. With the bat, he got a lucky boundary, but didn't seem in control.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 3/10
Returning to the fold after a long absence, Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn't quite have the comeback game many anticipated. Just like most Indian bowlers, Bhuvneshwar had an ordinary time and went wicketless, although he didn't concede too many either.
Yuzvendra Chahal: 2.5/10
Although he was hideously expensive in his four overs given that India were defending a sub-par total, Yuzvendra Chahal picked up a key wicket to break the opening partnership. However, given the competition in the side, it remains to be seen whether he will be persisted with.