Nagpur: Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer's impressive fifties propelled India to a four-wicket victory over England in the first ODI of the series at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on Thursday.
With this significant win in Nagpur, the Men in Blue secured a 1-0 lead against the Three Lions in the ODI series.
Chasing a target of 249 runs in the second innings, Yashasvi Jaiswal (15 runs off 22 balls, 3 fours) and captain Rohit Sharma (2 runs off 7 balls) opened for India but struggled to establish a strong partnership, managing only 19 runs before Jofra Archer struck first, dismissing Jaiswal in the 4.3 overs.
Shubman Gill took Jaiswal's place at the crease, looking to build a partnership with Rohit. Unfortunately, the captain's performance was short-lived as he was out in 5.2 overs, bowled by Saqib Mahmood.
Shreyas Iyer (59 runs off 36 balls, 9 fours and 2 sixes) entered the game next and formed a remarkable 94-run partnership with Gill, providing a much-needed boost for the Men in Blue.
Iyer showcased an aggressive batting style with a strike rate of 163.89, reaching his half-century in the 14th over with a well-placed four.
His innings concluded in the 15.6 over when Jacob Bethell claimed his wicket, but the hosts remained unfazed as Axar Patel (52 runs off 47 balls, 6 fours and 1 six) joined Gill to forge a solid 108-run partnership.
Gill delivered an impressive performance in Nagpur, reaching his half-century by the 25th over.
The partnership between Gill and Axar brought India closer to victory on Thursday. Just as the match seemed to favor the hosts, Adil Rashid claimed a consolation wicket for England, dismissing Axar in the 33.4 overs.
Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul took Axar's place at the crease, looking to contribute to the final runs needed for victory.
However, Rashid had other plans for Rahul, sending the 32-year-old back to the pavilion in the 35.4 overs.
Hardik Pandya came in to bat next. Shortly after his arrival, the all-rounder hit a spectacular boundary over the top.
Saqib Mahmood prevented Gill from reaching a century, dismissing him for 87 runs in the 36.2 overs.
Ravindra Jadeja stepped in to replace Gill and quickly secured the win for India with a four hit behind the stumps.
Jadeja finished with 12 runs off 10 balls, including two fours, while Hardik contributed 9 runs off 6 balls with one six, remaining unbeaten.
Saqib Mahmood and Adil Rashid were the standout bowlers for England, each taking two wickets during their spells.
The Indian team will face England again in the second match of the ODI series on Sunday in Cuttack.
England chose to bat first after winning the toss. Openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett provided a strong start for the team. Salt particularly excelled against debutant Harshit Rana, hitting two boundaries in his first over and then scoring an impressive 26 runs in the sixth over, which included three sixes and two fours.
Duckett also contributed, scoring runs off Axar Patel's spin with three boundaries when he came into the attack. However, their 75-run partnership was broken by a remarkable run-out executed by Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, dismissing Salt for 43 runs off 28 balls, which included five fours and three sixes.
Shortly after, Duckett became Harshit's first ODI wicket, as he top-edged a delivery that was caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made a spectacular diving catch while running in from midwicket. At this point, England was at 77/2, with Duckett scoring 32 runs off 29 balls, featuring six fours.
India concluded the first 10 overs on a positive note, as a delivery from Harshit produced extra bounce, resulting in Harry Brook's glove deflecting the ball into Rahul's hands. England's score stood at 77/3 after 10 overs.
The experienced duo of captains Jos Buttler and Joe Root aimed to build a partnership, which caused the run rate to slow down. Root's struggles in ODIs continued as he was dismissed leg-before-wicket by Ravindra Jadeja for just 19 runs, leaving England at 111/4 in 18.3 overs, with Jadeja breaking a 34-run partnership.
Captain Buttler received valuable support from young Jacob Bethell, who struck some aggressive boundaries against the spinners while Buttler anchored the innings from the other end.
The partnership of 59 runs between Buttler and Bethell was broken by Axar Patel, as the England captain lobbed a delivery into the hands of Hardik Pandya positioned at short fine leg. Buttler departed after scoring 52 runs off 67 balls, which included four boundaries, leaving England at 170/5 after 33 overs.
Harshit then claimed the wicket of Liam Livingstone for a mere five runs, with the batsman edging the ball to Rahul behind the stumps. England's score stood at 183/6 in 35.4 overs.
Brydon Carse and Bethell contributed to England's total, helping them surpass the 200-run mark in 39.1 overs. However, the partnership was broken when a delivery from Mohammed Shami struck Carse's middle stump, dismissing him for 10 runs off 18 balls, which included one four. England's aggressive strategy was not yielding positive results, as they fell to 206/7 in 39.5 overs.
Bethell's resilient innings came to an end when Jadeja trapped him leg-before-wicket for 51 runs off 64 balls, featuring three fours and a six. England's score was now 220/8 in 42.4 overs.
Jadeja concluded Rashid's innings with a dismissal for eight runs off 16 balls, knocking over his stumps. England's total was 241/9 in 46.4 overs. Saqib Mahmood was stumped by Rahul off a Kuldeep delivery, bringing England's innings to a close at 248 in 47.4 overs.
Jadeja (3/26) and Harshit (3/53) were the standout bowlers for India, despite Harshit conceding some runs. Kuldeep, Axar, and Shami each took one wicket.
Brief Scores: England: 248 (Jos Buttler 52, Jacob Bethell 51, Phil Salt 43; Ravindra Jadeja 3/26) vs India 251/6 (Shubman Gill 87, Shreyas Iyer 59, Axar Patel 52; Saqib Mahmood 2/47).
