NAGPUR, India — In an exciting opening to the one-day international series, India secured a four-wicket victory over England at VCA Stadium on Thursday. The Indian side was bolstered by debutant Harshit Rana, who claimed three wickets, and a solid performance from vice-captain Shubman Gill, who scored 87 runs off 96 balls.
Rana’s impressive figure of 3-53 in seven overs played a crucial role in routing the English side for 248 runs within 47.4 overs after captain Jos Buttler chose to bat first. Along with Rana, veteran spinner Ravindra Jadeja also shone with the ball, recording 3-26, and pacer Mohammed Shami contributed with 1-38 in his eight overs.
Gill’s steady batting was instrumental in India’s pursuit of the target, particularly following a brisk half-century by Shreyas Iyer, who scored 59 runs off just 31 balls. Iyer’s partnership with Gill, which yielded 94 runs off 64 deliveries, was pivotal to India’s innings. Later, Gill partnered with Axar Patel, who scored an impressive 52 on his debut ODI, further solidifying India’s position by forming a 108-run partnership off 107 balls.
With this win, India takes the lead in the three-match series with a score of 1-0. The teams will face each other again on Sunday in Cuttack for the second ODI.
England began their innings energetically, with openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett contributing to a 73-run partnership off just 53 balls. Salt played aggressively, hitting three sixes and five fours in a rapid 43 from 26 deliveries before a mix-up led to his dismissal.
However, the English batting lineup suffered a quick collapse, losing two wickets in just seven balls. Rana accounted for Duckett, who was dismissed with a spectacular diving catch by fellow debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal, and shortly after, Harry Brook was caught behind without scoring. England quickly found themselves in trouble at 77-3.
Despite a brief resistance from Joe Root (19) and Buttler, Jadeja struck again by trapping Root, which put further pressure on the visitors. Buttler managed to score 52 — his first half-century in India — showcasing a valuable partnership with Jacob Bethell, who contributed 51 runs off 64 balls.
The English innings faltered sharply after Buttler’s dismissal by Axar Patel in the 33rd over, sliding from a reasonable position of 170-4 to 206-7 as Rana and Shami dismissed crucial players. Jadeja capped off the innings with another wicket, leaving England with a below-par score.
In response, India faced early challenges, losing debutant Jaiswal and skipper Rohit Sharma for just 15 and 2 runs respectively. However, Iyer’s explosive innings reignited India’s chase as he struck two sixes and nine fours, providing Gill with the opportunity to play more cautiously.
Though Bethell succeeded in claiming Iyer’s wicket with an lbw in the 16th over, Axar Patel’s promotion in the batting order worked effectively, leading India close to victory. Gill, despite suffering from cramps, was close to a century, ultimately falling for 87 after hitting 14 boundaries, leaving India to comfortably clinch victory with 11.2 overs remaining.
