1st ODI: India Defeats England by Four Wickets with Fifties from Gill, Iyer, and Patel
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Synopsis
In the first ODI of the series, India showcased an all-round performance, defeating England by four wickets. Key contributions came from Gill, Iyer, and Patel with the bat, while Rana and Jadeja excelled with the ball, each taking three wickets.
Key Takeaways
- Harshit Rana and Ravindra Jadeja each took three wickets.
- Shubman Gill scored 87 runs, leading India's chase.
- Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel contributed essential fifties.
- India reached 251 runs in 38.4 overs.
- England managed 248 all out in their innings.
Nagpur, Feb 6 (NationPress) Emerging talent Harshit Rana and seasoned campaigner Ravindra Jadeja each took three wickets, while Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Axar Patel all scored fifties, as India delivered an impressive performance to decisively defeat England in the opening ODI of a three-match series at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) stadium on Thursday.
After conceding 26 runs in one over to Phil Salt, Rana showcased resilience by returning to take 3-53 in his debut. Meanwhile, Jadeja excelled with figures of 3-26 as India restricted England to 248, despite half-centuries from Jos Buttler (52) and Joseph Bethell (51).
Chasing a target of 249, India achieved 251/6 in just 38.4 overs, winning by four wickets with 68 balls to spare, even without their star batter, Virat Kohli. Gill contributed a steady 87 (14x4), while Iyer (59) and Patel (52) added crucial runs, guiding India to victory and a 1-0 lead in the series.
Gill and Iyer formed a vital partnership of 94 runs for the third wicket, and later, Gill and Patel combined for a 108-run stand for the fourth wicket, helping India navigate through challenging phases.
India had a shaky start, losing skipper Rohit Sharma (2) and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal early, with just 19 runs on the board. Rohit fell after seven balls, caught in the outfield, while Jaiswal managed 15 runs before edging one to the keeper off Jofra Archer.
Gill and Iyer, however, steadied the innings, with Gill reaching his fifty off 60 balls, showcasing his timing and finesse with seven boundaries. Iyer, who scored 59 off 36 balls, demonstrated aggressive batting before being dismissed after a review failed to overturn the decision.
Patel, elevated to No. 5, played a crucial role, reaching his fifty off 46 balls with six fours and a six, as he and Gill pushed India towards the 200-run mark. Despite losing three quick wickets, India successfully chased down the target.
Earlier, after Buttler opted to bat first, England began strongly with Phil Salt and Ben Duckett before losing momentum mid-innings.
Salt scored 43 off 26 balls, including several boundaries, before a mix-up led to his run-out. Rana then took two wickets in one over, reducing England to 77/3.
Root managed a steady contribution before Jadeja dismissed him. Buttler's fifty off 58 balls was crucial, but India continued to take wickets at regular intervals. England finished at 248 all out in 47.4 overs, setting a manageable target for India.
Brief scores: England 248 all out in 47.4 overs (Jos Buttler 52, Phil Salt 43; Ben Duckett 32, Joseph Bethell 51; Ravindra Jadeja 3-26, Harshit Rana 3-53) lost to India 251/6 in 38.4 overs (Shubman Gill 87, Shreyas Iyer 59, Axar Patel 52; Saqib Mahmood 2-47, Adil Rashid 2-49) by four wickets.
