India’s batting might crushes England in Orange City

Gill plays a shot during the first ODI against England.
| Photo Credit: K.R. DEEPAK

Shubman Gill (87, 96b, 14×4) and Shreyas Iyer (59, 36b, 9×4, 2×6) ensured India kickstarted its ICC Champions Trophy preparation on the right note, guiding the side to a comfortable four-wicket win over England in the first one-day international at the VCA Stadium here on Thursday.

In front of a packed house, the duo put on a stellar display of free-flowing strokeplay, sending the English bowlers on a leather hunt. Their 94-run alliance off 64 balls for the third wicket ensured the host chased down a target of 249 in the 39th over.

Earlier, a disciplined bowling performance led by debutant pacer Harshit Rana (three for 53) and Ravindra Jadeja (three for 26) – playing his first ODI since November 2023 – helped the home team bundle England out for 248.

In reply, India started poorly when Yashasvi Jaiswal, making his debut and skipper Rohit Sharma, fell cheaply.

However, Shreyas came out guns blazing and took on the English pacers who attempted to pepper him with short-pitched deliveries. After flicking Saqib Mahmood to get going, the Mumbai batter pulled and ramped Jofra Archer for consecutive maximums to signal his intentions in the seventh over.

The 30-year-old then carved Brydon Carse for three boundaries, two through square on the off-side, followed by an exquisite cover drive to help his side race to 71 for two in 10 overs.

At the other end, Gill was not to be left behind and punished the English pacers’ unidimensional plan of trying to bang it in short by deploying his trademark short-arm jab pulls without any risk.

Shreyas brought up his half-century in style by sweeping left-arm spinner Jacob Bethell to the fence off just 30 balls. Later, Axar Patel ensured the momentum was not lost and took on the spinners from the get-go. The left-hander swept, cut and went inside-out en route his rapid half-century. In the 29th over, when Axar and Gill each collected a brace of boundaries off Carse to take India past 200, the match was pretty much done and dusted.

Earlier, England elected to bat and got off to a flyer in the PowerPlay when Phil Salt went after Harshit. He welcomed the 23-year-old by hitting him for two boundaries in his first over and then smashed the youngster for three sixes and two fours in a 26-run sixth over.

But against the run of play, Salt was run out, giving an opening for Rohit’s men. Harshit came back strongly, backing his strength of bowling into the pitch and troubled the batters with his bounce to pick two wickets in the 10th over.

He first had Duckett top-edging a pull to Jaiswal and then dismissed Harry Brook caught down the leg-side, trying to fend a well-directed, short-pitched delivery into the body.

Skipper Jos Buttler (52) played within himself without trying anything extravagant to keep the innings on track. Once he was dismissed, England’s innings fell apart as Harshit, Jadeja, and Shami ran through the lower-order.

Though India stuttered towards the finish line, the Men in Blue would be pleased with a clinical performance.