IND vs ENG: India’s victory in the first ODI against England at Nagpur gave them a 1-0 lead in the series, which was a comprehensive win for India, thanks to a strong team effort from the bowlers and batsmen.
The win was achieved after the Indian batting order faced early issues. Indian’s victory came in by 4 wickets with the main support coming from the bat end of Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, and Akshar Patel with key wickets from debutant Harshit Rana and veteran campaigners Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammad Shami.
England’s Strong Start and India’s Fight Back with the Ball
England, winning the toss and opting to bat first, looked to capitalize on the conditions, which initially appeared favorable for batting. The opening partnership of Ben Duckett and Phil Salt gave England a quick start, and by the end of the first powerplay, they had crossed the 70-run mark. Salt and Duckett seemed in control, but a critical blunder by Salt, who struck a shot to the third boundary, led to his dismissal, which kick-started India’s comeback.
Harshit Rana, who made his ODI debut, took the spotlight with two successive dismissals in the same over of Duckett and Harry Brook. Duckett was dismissed, marking Rana’s first-ever ODI wicket, when Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was also on his debut, took a breathtaking catch. The breakthrough helped India to get back into the match and then took over from there.
Buttler and Bethell Save the Day for England in IND vs ENG 1st ODI
Despite the early wickets, England’s captain Jos Buttler, and debutant Jacob Bethell kept the scoreboard ticking and rebuilt England’s innings. Buttler played a vital role, guiding England past 100 and nearing his half-century. However, after completing his 50, Buttler’s dismissal, courtesy of an outstanding delivery from Akshar Patel, shifted the balance in India’s favor.
Bethell had earlier been playing for Buttler, but that did not go in vain because he continued with his half-century for England before India’s bowling took over at the right moment. Harshit Rana broke the back of Liam Livingstone, while Mohammed Shami separated Brydon Carse, again pushing England well on the backfoot.
Jadeja Shines as India Strikes in the Middle Overs
Ravindra Jadeja, always reliable with the ball, sealed the deal for India when he dismissed Bethell LBW for 51 runs. Jadeja’s controlled and disciplined bowling was a match-winner for India as he broke the resistance of England’s middle order. A late flurry of shots by Adil Rashid could not save England, which was bowled out for 249 runs in 47.4 overs, as the Indian bowlers put up a clinical display. Jadeja’s three wickets for 26 runs, along with Rana’s breakthroughs, were the turning points in India’s victory.
India’s Top-Order Woes and the Iyer-Gill Partnership
India’s chase was far from smooth. Virat Kohli was out of the game due to a knee injury, and Yashasvi Jaiswal got his ODI debut as an opener with Rohit Sharma. Unfortunately for India, both openers could not give a good start.
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Early promise shown by Jaiswal was caught behind by wicketkeeper Phil Salt off Jofra Archer’s bowling. Rohit Sharma failed to find his form and got out for 2 runs cheaply, which came off a leading edge trying to play a big shot on the leg side. The innings were at 19 for 2, and Shreyas Iyer needed to stabilize it.
Iyer, with his attacking mindset, took full control of the situation right away. England countered him by putting a short leg in an effort to short ball him, but Iyer again put pressure on England by smashing two consecutive sixes off Archer. Iyer continued to make 59 off 36 deliveries at a tremendous pace before he was dismissed leg-before while attempting a sweep shot off Jacob Bethell’s full delivery.
Gill and Axar’s Key Contributions to India’s Chase
The pressure was mounting for India, as they were 146 for 3. Shubman Gill, however, was in great form, and the chase was still very much on. Axar Patel was well-supported and promoted the order to provide stability. Dew was on the field, making batting conditions easy. Gill and Axar made the most of it, but after Iyer’s departure, the duo made a solid partnership.
Gill, who had compiled a vital half-century, got a lifeline when a leg-before decision was overturned by the review. He continued to play an excellent innings thereafter and kept pushing India towards victory. Axar also completed his half-century and seemed destined to carry India over the line. But when India needed 28 runs for victory, a misjudgment of a turning delivery from Adil Rashish saw Axar being dismissed for 52 runs and an end to the partnership.
A Nail-Biting Finish: India Inches Closer to Victory
With 18 runs to win and Gill just 17 runs short of a well-deserved century, the game became tense. Gill, looking to score quickly, hit a four off Saqib Mahmood, but the very next ball saw him play a massive shot over mid-on, which was caught and resulted in his dismissal for 87 runs. Although Gill got nowhere close to a century, his innings were invaluable in bringing India closer to the winning post.
This is when the responsibility was handed over to Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, who calmly guided India across the line. Hardik remained unbeaten on 9, while Jadeja was not out on 12. India completed the chase in 39 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
India’s Dominant Performance Sets the Tone for the Series
Despite early batting setbacks, India’s all-round performance – from bowlers Harshit Rana and Ravindra Jadeja to the batting contributions of Iyer, Gill, and Akshar – led them to a comfortable victory.
England’s top-order firepower was dampened by India’s disciplined bowling attack, and despite a valiant effort from Buttler and Bethell, England could not post a challenging total.
India chased the game successfully, led by Gill and Akshar, and it was a testament to the team’s resilience and intent, setting a strong tone for the remainder of the ODI series.
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