Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer came good for Team India on Thursday (Feb 6) as the hosts beat England by four wickets in the opening ODI contest of the three-match series. Playing at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, Gill’s 87-run knock coupled with Iyer’s 59 runs helped India take a 1-0 lead in the series. The win means India can now clinch the series when the two sides meet on Sunday at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.

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India take 1-0 lead

Asked to chase 249 runs to win, the Indian team did not have the best start to their innings as they lost skipper Rohit Sharma (2) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (15) in the opening six overs. However, the Indian team then came good with the bat as Gill and Iyer started India’s recovery. The pair put together 84 runs for the third wicket before Iyer was scalped by Jacob Bethell on 59 in the 16th over. 

Gill was then joined by Axar Patel and they stitched a partnership of 108 runs as India established an iron grip over the contest. Patel departed for a well-made 52 before England tried to mount a mini comeback with the wickets of Gill and KL Rahul (2). However, Ravindra Jadeja (12) and Hardik Pandya (9) helped India get over the line and win the match.

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England bowled out for 248

Earlier, England's decision to bat first proved to be right as Philip Salt (43 off 26) and Ben Duckett (32 off 29) stitched a partnership of 75 runs for the opening wicket. However, it was a runout that opened the doors for India’s comeback as Salt was dismissed on the fifth ball of the ninth over. The dismissal was followed by the wickets of Duckett and Harry Brook (0) as England went from 75/0 to 77/3.

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Root and skipper Jos Buttler (52 off 67) then stitched a partnership of 34 runs before the former England skipper was dismissed by Jadeja. Batting on 19 Root was dismissed leg before by the veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as he put a spanner in the work. Jacob Bethell was the only other batter to play a significant innings with 51 before the visitors were bundled out for 248.