Sanjay Manjrekar took to social media to praise Shubman Gill for his match-winning knock in India’s 4-wicket win over England in the first one-day international at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Thursday. He posted: “We had a term in the team ‘Lambi race ka Ghoda’ for certain players. Meaning someone who will be around for a long time in Indian cricket. That’s what Shubman Gill is!”.
Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel smashed half-centuries as India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series that is a warmup for the Champions Trophy. Vice-captain Shubman Gill orchestrated India’s chase with grace, while debutant Harshit Rana dazzled with the ball as the hosts registered a four-wicket win against England in the series opener here on Thursday.
Shubman Gill (87), Shreyas Iyer (59), and Axar Patel (52) rose to the occasion, guiding India to a commanding chase after Rana (3/53 from 7 overs) and the seasoned left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (3/26 from 9) shared six wickets between them, dismantling England for a below-par 248.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : Traditionally, this hasn’t been a high-scoring ground, the reason being the dimensions. 69m and 68m square boundaries, 75m straight boundary. We’re playing on a red-soil pitch and it looks good for batting. It’s rock hard, there’s a bit of grass, but there’s no moisture and it’s dry.
Not a lot in it for the bowlers, but this being a red soil pitch, spin will come into play later on. It’s a good cricket pitch and a high score can be expected. There’s some breeze blowing over and the spinners would like to bowl from that end. Dew could be a factor and the captain winning the toss could ideally look to bowl first, reckon Deep Dasgupta and Graeme Swann, in their pitch report
Toss : England skipper Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to bat with Joe Root back in the ODI colors for England team. Team India skipper Rohit Sharma bowling first had 2 debutants in Harshit Rana and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the playing XI and Virat Kohli missing the match due to swelling.
Debutant Harshit Rana’s and Ravindra Jadeja’s 3-fer restricts England to 248 all out after Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell scored resolute half centuries
Earlier in the day, India handed two debut caps – to Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana, with Virat Kohli having to miss the contest due to soreness in his right knee. Rana was in for some action early on in the contest, his four overs witnessing extremes of good and bad. In the opening over, he was put away for 11 overs but returned to bowl a maiden. In his third, Phil Salt carted him for 26 runs – the most conceded by a bowler on debut – and then returned to snap two wickets in one over.
Earlier, England blazed out of the blocks with electrifying intent after opting to bat, but India’s disciplined bowling and razor-sharp fielding orchestrated a remarkable fightback.
Making his ODI debut, Rana endured a baptism by fire. His first over proved costly, as the explosive Phil Salt (43) feasted on his deliveries, plundering 26 runs in a ruthless display of power-hitting. Three sixes and two fours rained down upon the young pacer, prompting Rohit Sharma to swiftly turn to spin, summoning Axar Patel (1/38) in an attempt to stem the flow of runs.
However, England’s charge remained relentless, with Ben Duckett (32) unfurling an array of strokes, including a beautifully executed reverse sweep, to keep the scoreboard ticking. Just when the visitors seemed poised for an onslaught, India struck back in sensational fashion. Shreyas Iyer produced a moment of brilliance in the field, running out the dangerous Salt with a bullet throw to KL Rahul following a mix-up between the two openers.
While Rana’s 26-run over gave England the momentum, his fourth over which yielded two wickets changed the complexion of the innings, putting India in control.
First, India’s two debutants — Rana and Yashasvi Jaiswal — combined to get rid of Duckett. Jaiswal, stationed at midwicket, ran back 21 meters before executing a breathtaking full-stretch dive to pouch a stunning catch off Rana’s bowling.
Rana, now in rhythm, struck again just two balls later, forcing Harry Brook to edge behind to Rahul as England, once in cruise control, suddenly found themselves reeling, having lost three wickets, leaving their two most experienced batters — Joe Root and Buttler — with the responsibility of rebuilding the innings.
Despite the three dismissals in a space of seven deliveries, Joe Root and Jos Buttler ensured that India didn’t push them on the backfoot. Root especially put his wide array of strokes to good use, disturbing the lengths of the spinners. His promising innings though was cut short on 19 when Ravindra Jadeja trapped him leg before on the backfoot. However, Jadeja cut short Root’s stay at the crease, trapping him leg-before-wicket, further denting England’s hopes of recovery.
Jadeja proved especially difficult to put away on a two-paced surface where he kept varying his pace and angles. He attacked the stumps on a fairly regular basis though. Nonetheless, even as the scoring rate dropped Buttler and Jacob Bethell put on a 59-run stand which proved critical in England reaching 248.
Buttler had adjusted well to the surface and brought up his 27th ODI fifty. However, just when it felt that he was settled to accelerate the innings, he was undone by Axar’s delivery that kept low and got him to top edge a sweep to square leg. His dismissal triggered a collapse. Even as Bethell managed to rotate the strike around and march towards his half-century, wickets kept tumbling from the other end.
Buttler held fort for a while, scoring a rather sedate fifty. The skipper peppered his innings with four boundaries and looked to play a crucial role but top edged one off Axar straight to Hardik at short fine leg. With wickets tumbling regularly, 21-year-old Bethell stuck it out to notch up a resolute fifty which included a lone six and three fours. But Jadeja swung into action to trap him LBW.
Jofra Archer hit some lusty blows, especially taking apart Hardik Pandya for 16 runs in the 44th over. But it proved too little in the end as England were bundled out with 14 balls left to play.
Shubman Gill Anchors India To 4-Wicket Win Over England In First ODI ably supported by Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel’s rapid fifties.
Chasing a below 250 score, Shubman Gill anchored the innings, forging key partnerships with Iyer and Axar that became the backbone of India’s chase. Shubman Gill adapted perfectly to the match situation, playing the perfect foil to Iyer when the Mumbai batter was in full flow, then stepping up as the mainstay, steering India towards victory.
In response, the visitors made a strong start with the ball. Jaiswal, who cut, slashed and drove boundaries early on in his innings was caught fishing outside the offstump to a delivery from Archer that shaped away just a bit. In the next over, Rohit Sharma too departed, continuing his poor run of form. The Indian skipper, looking to flick Saqib Mahmood, went early into the shot, and toe-ended the ball to mid on.
Despite the early blows, Shreyas ensured England couldn’t dominate the contest. He took the attack to the pacers, smoking successive sixes off Archer’s short deliveries in the seventh over. The predictable ploy of bowling short deliveries proved counter-productive early on, and as Brydon Carse attempted to keep him guessing with three full length deliveries, he was hammered past the boundary line on all three occasions.
Iyer, walking in at 19/2, unleashed a counter-attacking knock, filled with sizzling shots, including back-to-back sixes — one a pull shot over deep mid-wicket off Jofra Archer and the other a reverse switch-hit four off Adil Rashid. On the back of a stellar domestic season, Iyer played with confidence, finding gaps effortlessly and taking on the aggressor’s role, with Shubman Gill remaining steady at the other end.
But once Iyer, trapped LBW by Bethell after being struck flush on the front pad, was dismissed, Shubman Gill seamlessly took charge, with an able ally in Axar, who was promoted up the order. By the 14th over, his relentless attack against the pacers alike had allowed Iyer to notch up yet another half-century. Even as he took the aggressive route against Bethell’s spin as well, it was the spinner who eventually had him sent back by trapping him leg before.
Axar, who was promoted to bat at No. 5, got into the act early. He slog swept Adil Rashid for a boundary and then Bethell for a six. Shubman Gill, who had taken his time to settle in, was more collected with the aggression in his shots. Even as he was quick to duly punish the errors in lengths, as also find gaps, he paced along at a more even rate. The pitch by then had flattened out and there wasn’t enough for the bowlers to trouble the duo. Shubman Gill continued to exude confidence, as he smashed 14 fours, while Axar too brought up a memorable fifty.
With attack from both ends flowing, Carse was put away for four boundaries, through four different parts of the ground by Gill and Axar, to take the team past the 200-run mark in the 29th over. Axar, like three other batters before him, departed soon after registering his half-century. However, by then, the fate of the contest was sealed.
England offered a bit of a scare. After Rashid had cleaned up Axar, Rahul offered the spinner a return catch and Shubman Gill’s short-arm jab landed in the hands of the mid on fielder as India slipped from 221 for 3 to 235 for 6 in a space of 17 deliveries. It unsettled India’s smooth momentum till then, but Hardik Pandya and Jadeja took them over the line without any further hiccups. England took a flurry of wickets, causing some nervous moments for the hosts but India managed the win with 68 balls remaining.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Jos Buttler the loosing English skipper said : Disappointed not to win the game. We got off to a fantastic start in the powerplay but we lost wickets. Another 40-50 runs could have been handy with the way the wicket played towards the end. The guys started really well. The game was in the balance at that point, but credit to Shreyas Iyer to build that partnership. We have to play better for longer.
Rohit Sharma the winning Indian skipper said : Pretty happy. We all knew we are playing this format after a long time. I thought right from the beginning we played as per expectation. They did start well but the way we came back was superb. We wanted a leftie in the middle.
It is as simple as that. We know they will spin it back into the left-handers so we wanted a leftie. Gill and Axar batted brilliantly out in the middle. Nothing specific. Overall as a team I just want us as a team to keep doing the right things as much as possible.
Shubman Gill Player of the Match for his 87 runs said : I was just trying to be positive. I thought there was something in it for the pacers with the new ball. It was a good call on his part (to attack). I think the pull I hit when was batting around 70 was my favorite. Pitch was a bit two-paced when the spinners bowled. We tried to score square of the wicket. I just want to take how Rohit bhai is thinking and then give whatever inputs I have. He has asked me not to hesitate in giving inputs.
A complete all-round performance by India, on Thursday (February 6), helped them secure a comfortable win against England in the first One-Day International in Nagpur. Half-centuries by Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel backed up the fine effort by the bowlers and the fielders earlier in the innings as India overhauled England’s total with 68 balls to spare and four wickets in hand.
While India were clinical in all three departments, they were massively aided by the conditions. The pitch which was two-paced in the first half, flattened out for them in the second, making England’s decision to bat first prove counter-productive, although the spinners did find some help later on.
Following a poor run with the bat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), Shubman Gill roared back to form with a brilliant 87 as India defeated England by four wickets in the first ODI to start their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 preparations in the right way in Nagpur on Thursday. India have two more ODIs left before the Champions Trophy starts.
Dropping to no.3 in the absence of Virat Kohli, who missed the game due to a ‘sore right knee’, Shubman Gill played the sheet anchor’s role before being brilliant caught by rival captain Jos Buttler with 13 runs short of a well-deserved hundred. The right-hander came in the middle when India were two down with just 19 runs on board while chasing England 248. While Shreyas Iyer went all guns blazing at one end, Shubman Gill played the patient game at the other end and found the gaps occasionally.
He first staged a 94-run stand with Shreyas Iyer (59) for the third wicket before forging another 108 runs with Axar Patel, who also scored his third ODI half-century. During his 96-ball stay at the crease, Shubman Gill found the boundary 14 times with no over boundaries. By the time Shubman Gill was out, India were in a touching distance of victory. The hosts eventually romped home with 11.2 overs and four wickets to spare. The knock also marked the return of Shubman Gill, who managed just 93 runs in five innings against Australia in BGT.
Earlier, debutant pacer Harshit Rana (3/53) and seasoned left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (3/26) shared six wickets between them as India bowled out England for a modest 248. Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel bagged a wicket apiece. England got off to a flier, reaching 71 for no loss in only eight overs, but India fought back with regular wickets to not allow the visitors run away with momentum. While Phil Salt (43) and Ben Duckett (32) gave England a solid start, skipper Jos Buttler (52) and Jacob Bethell (51) hit fifties.
Good win for India – easy win one has to say. England for some reason felt batting first was the right thing to do when batting was easier under lights. And they completely threw away a great start – Harshit made a mega comeback on debut after being smacked for 26 runs in one over.
Buttler and Bethell tried to revive but they didn’t get enough on the board as Jadeja too chipped in with three. India lost both their openers but Shubman Gill showed how bossy he can be in this format in these conditions and Shreyas came out with a brilliant counterattacking fifty. Made things easier for the rest and eventually India crossed the line with 11.2 overs to go.
So 1-0 and over to Cuttack. England will hope to put up a better fight with the bat. They have not been batting well as a unit on this tour. Will Virat be back and in that case would it be Jaiswal making way for him would be interesting to see.