IND vs ENG 1st ODI: India wins as Rana, Gill shine in Nagpur
India won the first match of the three-game One Day International (ODI) series against England, at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.
England's solid start
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, England got off to a flying start, aggressive batting by Phil Salt and Duckett. The duo scored 75 runs in just 8.5 overs, keeping the Indian bowlers under pressure first powerplay. Salt scored a quickfire 43 off 26 balls, while Duckett contributed 32 off 29 balls.
Finally, India bounced back by picking top-order wickets. England struggled at 111/4 in 18.3 overs. Then, Jos Buttler played a standard innings alongside Jacob Bethell, adding 59 runs for the fifth wicket. Bethell fought hard, scoring a well-made 51 off 64 balls, while Buttler played a captain’s knock of 52 off 67 balls.
The middle order struggled, and England were all out for 248 in 47.4 overs. For India, debutant Harshit Rana made the best debutant by picking three wickets, while Ravindra Jadeja also took three wickets. Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Mohammed Shami chipped in with a wicket each.
India’s Chase: Shubman Gill Anchors the Innings
India needed 249 runs to win, both openers struggled to start, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal were dismissed early at 19/2 in 5.2 overs. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer build an excellent 94-run partnership for the third wicket. Iyer scored a quickfire 59 off just 36 balls, with nine boundaries and two sixes.
After Iyer’s dismissal, Axar Patel joined with Gill, and the duo scored another 108 runs, bringing India closer to the target. Gill also scored 87 off 95 balls with 14 boundaries. Axar scored half century with 6 fours and one six. Then, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja finished the match easily in 38.4 overs. With this win, India leads the series 1-0.
For his impressive 8⃣7⃣-run knock in the chase, vice-captain Shubman Gill bags the Player of the Match award! 👍 👍
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 6, 2025
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