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Gill, Axar, and Iyer's fifty helped India comfortably win against England.
India takes an early lead in the ODI series
Debutant Harshit Rana and Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets each to restrict England to 248.
A spectacular performance by the Indian Team on Thursday, February 6, made them win against England in their first ODI International in Nagpur. Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel gave the half centuries which also backed up the bowler’s efforts and the fielders in the early part of the game as India chased down England's score with 68 balls remaining and four wickets left.
Although in all three departments, India has the precision, they get the real help from the conditions as in the first half pitch was two-paced which flattened in the second half making England’s decision to bat first quite unfavourable, although later on spinners get some help.
Earlier today, India introduced two new players, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana, since Virat Kohli couldn't play due to a sore knee. Harshit Rana had an eventful time. In his first over, he gave away 11 runs. But he made a comeback with a scoreless over. In his third over, Phil Salt scored 26 runs off him, setting a record for most runs given by a bowler on debut. However, Rana managed to take two wickets in one over later on.
Nevertheless in the 10th over before Rana could do something to bowl out Ben Duckett and Harry Brook, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul's perfect catch broke the momentum between those two because there was a miscommunication issue between Salt and Duckett. Salt was trying for a third run but Duckett sent him back halfway, ending their 75-run partnership during the first Powerplay.
Even though three wickets fell in seven deliveries, Joe Root and Jos Buttler kept India from taking control. Root used a variety of shots to unsettle the spinners. Unfortunately, his promising innings ended at 19 when Ravindra Jadeja trapped him leg-before wicket.
Jadeja was particularly challenging for the batsmen due to his varying pace and angles on the two-paced pitch. He consistently targeted the stumps. Despite the slowing scoring rate, Buttler and Jacob Bethell managed a crucial 59-run partnership, helping England reach a total of 248 runs.
Buttler adapted well to the pitch, reaching his 27th ODI fifty. But just as he seemed ready to accelerate, Axar's low delivery caused him to top-edge a sweep to square leg, leading to his dismissal. This triggered a collapse. While Bethell tried to keep the scoreboard ticking and moved toward his half-century, wickets kept falling from the other end.
Jofra Archer hit some powerful shots, particularly taking 16 runs off Hardik Pandya in the 44th over. However, it wasn't enough as England was all out with 14 balls remaining.
In response, the visitors started well with the ball. Jaiswal, who hit several boundaries early in his innings, was caught out by an Archer delivery that moved away slightly. In the next over, Rohit Sharma was also dismissed, continuing his poor run of form. The Indian captain tried to flick Saqib Mahmood but ended up hitting the ball to mid-on.
Despite these early setbacks, Shreyas Iyer ensured that England didn't take control of the match. He attacked the pacers, hitting two consecutive sixes off Archer's short deliveries in the seventh over. The strategy of bowling short deliveries backfired, and when Brydon Carse tried to surprise him with full-length deliveries, Shreyas hit all three past the boundary.
By the 14th over, Shreyas's aggressive batting had helped him score yet another half-century. He also attacked Bethell's spin, but the spinner eventually got him out leg-before-wicket.
Axar Patel promoted to bat at No. 5, started strong by hitting a boundary off Adil Rashid and a six off Bethell. Gill, who took his time to settle in, showed controlled aggression. He punished loose deliveries and found gaps in the field, maintaining a steady pace. By this time, the pitch had flattened out, making it easier for the batsmen.
With both Axar and Gill in good form, Carse was hit for four boundaries in one over, taking the team past the 200-run mark in the 29th over. Axar, like three other batsmen before him, got out soon after reaching his half-century. However, by then, the outcome of the match was already clear.
England did give a brief scare. After Rashid dismissed Axar, Rahul was caught and bowled by the spinner, and Gill's shot landed in the hands of the mid-onfielder, causing India to slip from 221 for 3 to 235 for 6 in just 17 deliveries. This disrupted India's smooth momentum, but Hardik Pandya and Jadeja steadied the innings and guided India to victory without any further problems.
Brief Scores: England 248 in 47.4 overs (Jos Buttler 52, Jacob 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; Saqib Mahmood 2-47, Adil Rashid 2-49) by 4 wickets.
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