India rode on brilliant fifties from Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel to thrash England by four wickets in the ODI series opener at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium in Nagpur on January 6. With this India have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Clinical India thrash England in ODI series opener
Bowling first India first folded England for just 248 despite Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethel's fifties. In reply Indian batters responded in style and overhauled the modest target with 4 wickets and 64 runs to spare. Captain Rohit Sharma's return to ODIs didn't go as planned, but India had plenty to be pleased about in the first match of their three-game series against England. Shubman Gill's composed 87, Shreyas Iyer's dynamic 59, and a strong all-around bowling performance spearheaded by Ravindra Jadeja and debutant Harshit Rana were among the highlights for India at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. It was India's first ODI win since December 2023. The World Cup finalists had previously suffered a 2-0 defeat in their only ODI series last year, which was against Sri Lanka. Even without Virat Kohli, who was absent from the series opener due to a knee injury, India's chase of the target was comfortable and largely untroubled.
Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Axar's batting heroics in India's win
Chasing a target below 250, Shubman Gill anchored India's innings after losing Rohit Sharma cheaply, forming crucial partnerships with Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel that proved to be the foundation of their chase. Gill adapted perfectly to the evolving match situation. He played a supporting role to Iyer's aggressive batting when the Mumbai batter was in full flow, and then took on the responsibility of the mainstay, guiding India towards victory.
Iyer, coming in at 19/2, launched a counter-attack, playing a series of exciting shots, including two consecutive sixes. One was a powerful pull shot over deep midwicket off Jofra Archer, and the other a reverse switch-hit four off Adil Rashid. Riding high on a successful domestic season, Iyer batted with confidence, finding the gaps effortlessly and taking the attack to the bowlers, while Gill remained a steady presence at the other end. However, after Iyer was dismissed LBW by Bethell, having been struck on the front pad, Gill seamlessly took over, with Axar Patel, who had been promoted up the batting order, providing valuable support.
Gill continued to bat confidently, hitting 14 fours, while Axar also contributed a memorable fifty. Although England managed to take a few quick wickets, creating some tense moments for the hosts, India ultimately secured a comfortable win with 68 balls to spare.
England modest total not enough for high-flying India batters
Earlier, India rode on Harshit Rana and Ravindra Jadeja's three-fers to bowl out England for a modest 248, despite half-centuries from Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell. England initially started strong, batting with aggressive intent, but India's disciplined bowling and sharp fielding allowed them to regain control of the match. Harshit Rana (3/53), on his ODI debut, and the consistent Ravindra Jadeja (3/26) were the key performers with the ball, each taking three wickets. Mohammed Shami also chipped in with a wicket
England's batting innings was largely propped up by Buttler (52), Bethell (51), and Salt (43). For Rana, his ODI debut was a trial by fire. His very first over was expensive, with the explosive Phil Salt attacking his bowling and scoring 26 runs, including three sixes and two fours. Rohit Sharma quickly reacted to this onslaught by introducing spin, bringing Axar Patel (1/38) into the attack to try and slow down the scoring rate.
Despite the early pressure, England's momentum continued, with Ben Duckett (32) playing a variety of shots, including an impressive reverse sweep, to keep the runs flowing. Just as England appeared to be building towards a big score, India struck back with a sensational piece of fielding. Shreyas Iyer's sharp throw from the outfield resulted in a run-out, dismissing the dangerous Salt after a mix-up with his opening partner and KL Rahul.
Although Harshit Rana's expensive 26-run over had initially given England the advantage, his fourth over proved to be a game-changer. Taking two crucial wickets in quick succession, Rana shifted the momentum of the match and put India firmly in control.
The combination of India's two debutants, Harshit Rana and Yashasvi Jaiswal, led to the dismissal of Ben Duckett. Jaiswal, positioned at midwicket, sprinted 21 meters and then made a spectacular full-length dive to take a stunning catch off Rana's bowling. Rana, now finding his rhythm, struck again just two balls later, inducing an edge from Harry Brook that was caught behind by KL Rahul. England, who had seemed to be cruising, suddenly found themselves in trouble, having lost three wickets and leaving their two most experienced batsmen, Joe Root and Jos Buttler, to rebuild the innings.
However, Ravindra Jadeja quickly ended Root's stay at the crease, trapping him LBW and further damaging England's recovery hopes. Buttler held his ground for a while, scoring a relatively cautious fifty, including four boundaries. He looked to play a captain's innings but top-edged a delivery from Axar Patel straight to Hardik Pandya at short fine leg. With wickets falling consistently, the young Bethell, at just 21 years old, showed resilience, reaching a hard-fought fifty with a six and three fours. But Jadeja returned to trap him LBW later. Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav then quickly sent Adil Rashid and Sadiq Mahmood to pavilion to fold England for just 248.
India and England will now meet each other in the second ODI which is scheduled to be played on February 9 in Odisha.