3 big positives for Team India from the 1st T20I against England ft. the spin demons

Team India have their concerns in red-ball cricket, but they've been a total juggernaut in T20Is over the last two years. The Men in Blue hammered England by seven wickets in the first T20I of the five-match series at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday, January 22.

The Champions Trophy is the big event on the immediate cricketing calendar, but the next edition of the T20 World Cup, which will be held in the subcontinent, isn't too far away. India, as the defending champions, have been on top of their game since winning the coveted crown in the West Indies.

Even in the series opener against England, there were plenty of encouraging signs. The hosts were close to their best against one of the best white-ball sides in the world.

On that note, here are three big positives for India from their win in the first T20I against England.

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#3 England will be fighting the spin demons for the rest of the series

India v England - 1st T20I - Source: Getty

By picking Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel in their playing XI, India gave themselves a few points of difference in the bowling attack. That paid off, with Chakaravarthy finishing as the Player of the Match and the other two spinners bowling penetrative spells to support him.

That was important not only for the outcome of the game but the progression of the series as well. England's questionable ability against spin has been the talk of the town over the last year or so, and they will now be even more concerned about their prospects going forward in the rubber.

The series will also move to more spin-friendly venues, and England will be racking their brains trying to come up with ways to counter India's slower bowlers. Even if the opposition spinners don't haunt the visitors, their internal demons certainly could.

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#2 Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir aren't afraid to make bold calls

England Tour Of India : India Practice Session Ahead Of First T20 Match In Kolkata. - Source: Getty

Surprisingly, India went in with just one specialist fast bowler in their playing XI for the first T20I. They could've been majorly caught out if they had to bowl second, but the coin falling in their favor meant that things worked out well.

Nevertheless, irrespective of the outcome, it was encouraging to see Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav make unorthodox decisions early in a bilateral series. By picking two specialist spinners, India beefed up their bowling and put themselves in a position to exploit the opposition's weaknesses. At the same time, the Men in Blue ensured that they didn't compromise on batting depth, which is a vital ingredient for success in the shortest format.

Gambhir is under serious pressure as a coach, but he still has his wits about him in his favorite format. Suryakumar, meanwhile, wasn't shy of playing around with a bowling combination that is rarely seen at the top level. This kind of boldness is a major positive for Team India.

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#1 Abhishek Sharma confronted what was expected to be a big challenge head-on

India v England - 1st T20I - Source: Getty

Abhishek Sharma is one of the most exciting batters in the world, but he isn't a finished product just yet. In the previous series against South Africa, he was troubled by hard lengths at times, especially in the first half of the assignment.

England named four high-pace bowlers in their XI for the first T20I, and Abhishek was expected to be confronted with a real challenge. In a massive boost for the hosts, the young opener got his series off to a great start and didn't appear to be in any discomfort.

At the other end, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma were uneasy against Jofra Archer and Co. Abhishek, however, was in his element and freely played strokes on both sides of the wicket. The left-hander hammered a sensational 79 to well and truly bury the chase.