IND vs ENG: The Indian cricket team got off to a fantastic start to the ODI series as they won the first match of the series against England by 4 wickets in the first match of the series at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. This was India’s first win since 413 days and the last time they won an ODI was in 2024.
Dominant all-around cricket saw India chase down the total of 249 set by England from the opposition in just 39 overs. The 50-over format seemed to have returned in all its glory with this win.
England’s Early Attack: Salt and Duckett Set the Tone
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England got off to a blistering start with the top-order batsmen, mainly Phil Salt and Ben Duckett, who anchored the attack with two consecutive overs. Salt was quite aggressive in his approach, hitting two fours off Indian debutant Harshit Rana in the very first over.
The explosive partnership continued as Salt smashed Rana for 26 runs in the sixth over with three sixes and two fours, which laid a good foundation for England. That momentum, however, was short-lived as a mix-up between Salt and Duckett ended the hopes of England.
Salt was run out in a perfect throw from Shreyas Iyer down the leg side for wicketkeeper KL Rahul, scoring 43 runs off just 26 balls. Duckett (32) followed soon after, caught brilliantly by Yashasvi Jaiswal running 21 meters back from midwicket off Rana’s bowling. Rana struck again by dismissing Harry Brook for a duck (0) just two balls later, leaving England reeling at 45 for 3.
England’s Middle Order Falters
Ravindra Jadeja, who has been sublime, dealt a massive blow to England by dismissing Joe Root (19). Despite these setbacks, England’s Jos Buttler formed a solid 59-run partnership with debutant Bethell.
Buttler, who had earlier been dropped, scored a half-century and looked to accelerate the innings, but his aggressive stroke off Akshar Patel’s bowling was caught by Hardik Pandya. Buttler’s innings ended at 52 runs from 67 balls, with four fours.
Bethell, the 21-year-old, batted his way into his half-century, scoring 51 runs off 64 balls, with three fours and a six. However, Jadeja soon trapped him LBW to leave England at 174 for 6, and their hopes of a good total were vanishing.
Eventually, England was bowled out for 249 in 47.4 overs, with Jadeja taking 3 wickets for 26 runs and Harshit Rana contributing with 53 runs.
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India’s Chase: Iyer, Gill, and Axar Lead the Way to Victory
India’s chase got off to an early shock. Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who were expected to raise the anchor for the Indian innings, failed to do so. Jaiswal fell to Archer for 15 runs off 22 deliveries and Rohit Sharma continued his poor patch as he could score only 2 runs before being dismissed by Saqib Mahmood. At six overs when Rohit fell, India was struggling at 19 for 2.
But Shreyas Iyer turned it for India. The right-handed batsman was aggressive right from the beginning and, within no time, took India to 71 at the end of the powerplay. Iyer was in an excellent touch and brought up his 19th ODI half-century in just 30 balls. He kept on attacking and put India in control before getting dismissed for 59 runs off 36 balls, caught by Bethell.
Partnerships Power India to the Win
After Iyer left, Shubman Gill walked in and, along with Iyer, made a crucial 94-run partnership. From the start, Gill had looked fluent and continued to anchor the chase. India’s team management pushed Akshar Patel to No. 5, and this move worked out well.
Axar batted well along with Gill and both reached their half-centuries, taking India past 200 runs. Axar made 52 runs off 47 balls before Rashid got rid of him.
When India was well-placed to win, England tried a late comeback. KL Rahul, who had been in good form lately, went for a cheap 2 runs. Gill, who had played an excellent knock, was out for 87 runs, not quite getting to the century he deserved. Those wickets didn’t matter as the target of 250 was still within reach, and India reached the required total on the fourth ball of the 39th over.
India’s All-Round Performance Seals the Win
Hardik Pandya remained not out on 9, and Ravindra Jadeja, who had made a useful contribution with the ball earlier, remained not out too on 12. India achieved this phenomenal chase in just 39 overs for a comprehensive win by 4 wickets.
The triumph after a wait of 413 days was the best possible opening for India’s ODI series. It saw solid performances from bat and ball alike. This included key partnerships by Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, and Axar Patel; the bowlers in Jadeja and Rana, who demonstrated a great sense of discipline in bowling. India is ready to mark its territory in the 50-over format this year.
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