India kicked off their preparation for the forthcoming Champions Trophy with a comfortable four wickets win in the first of the three ODI Match against England that was played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur on Thursday night.

Contrasting half centuries by Indian vice-captain Shubman Gill, top order batter Shreyas Iyer and all-rounder Axar Patel saw the host overhaul a under par score of 248 set by the visitors in the 39th over itself.

Following the dismissal of debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal (15) to Jofra Archer in the fifth over, Gill who came at no.3, in the absence of Virat Kohli rested due to knee injury, witnessed his skipper Rohit Sharma (2) being dismissed  by Saqib Mahmood in the very next over. He took up the responsibility of the run chase with a valuable 87 off 96 balls.  His efforts were complemented by Shreyas Iyer's counter attacking 36-ball 59 that allowed him to settle down and later by all-rounder Axar Patel's aggressive knock of 52 from 47 balls. In the process he forged partnership of 94 and 108 runs for the third and fourth wicket respectively.

Gill who was well in reach of the three figure mark was however dismissed by Mahmood in an attempt to clear the infield not before he completed his 14th ODI fifty and first against England. His wicket on 235 in the 36th over, allowed England a glimmer of hope as India had lost three wickets for 14 runs including that of Patel, KL Rahul to leg spinner Adil Rashid with victory well in reach.

Ravindra Jadeja (12*) in the company of Hardik Pandya (9*) ensured no further hiccups as the former completed the formalities with an four of Mahmood that saw India take a 1-0 lead.

Earlier  England were off to a flyer after electing to bat, with openers Phil Salt (43) and Ben Duckett (32) leading the charge in an entertaining 77 runs first wicket stand in less than nine overs in the first power play. India's disciplined bowling and electrifying fielding triggered by a run-out of Salt by Iyer from the deep, orchestrated a remarkable fight back as the visitors lost three wickets for no further addition of runs.  

Debutant pacer Harshit Rana who had faced the ire of Salt earlier on and leaked 34 runs (four boundaries and three sixes) in his first three overs which included a maiden, accounted for Duckett  due to the fine efforts of Jaiswal whose full-stretch dive  to pouch a stunning catch running back 21 meters from mid-wicket and Harry Brook for no score in space of four balls in the next over, ensured India’s comeback.

The spin attack led by Ravindra Jadeja (3/26) kept the England batters in check as they tried to rebuild the innings. The left arm spinner saw the back of India’s nemesis over  the years Joe Root (19) by trapping him in front of the wicket (fourth time in ODIs). Skipper Jos Buttler (52) and Jacob Bethell (51) scored fifties en-route before being dismissed by Patel and Jadeja respectively. England in the end failed to bat through their allotted overs and were dismissed for 248 in 47.4 overs in the end. Rana (3/53) who became the first bowler to take three wickets in all the three formats of the game on debut was well supported by Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with a wicket each.

Shubman Gill,  Player Of The Match post the match said his intent was to anchor the innings and was helped by the efforts of Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel. “Having a player like Shreyas come in and take the game puts the opposition under pressure, which helped me as well. It was a great decision, and he played brilliantly. My favourite shot was the pull towards mid-wicket when I was in the 70s. The spinners were getting some turns, and for pacers, some deliveries were sticking while others came on nicely, ”  said Shubman Gill.

Jos Buttler, England Captain expressed his disappointment following the loss after a good start. “We started well but lost four quick wickets, which hurt us. Another 40-50 runs could have made a big difference, considering how the pitch played later. This isn't the brand of cricket we want to play—we aim to sustain pressure and momentum, which we haven’t managed consistently, both in the T20s and today. That said, we began well with the ball, reducing them to 30/2, but credit to Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer for their partnership. Going forward, we need to sustain our good phases for longer. When we have momentum, we must capitalize on it”.

Rohit Sharma, India Captain was pretty happy with the win in a format that was played after a long time. “Coming back to this format after a long time, it was crucial to regroup quickly and understand our roles. I thought we executed well from the start. Their openers got off to a strong start, but we made a solid comeback. In ODIs, there's always a chance to bounce back. Momentum will shift, but having the skillset to regain control is key. Credit to our bowlers for pulling things back brilliantly, and we were sharp in the field as well. We wanted a left-hander in the middle order to take on their spinners, and Axar has consistently delivered with the bat. His partnership with Shreyas was crucial, and I’m really happy with his performance. We executed well today, though ideally, we shouldn't have lost so many wickets at the backend. But the intent to put pressure on the opposition was there, and that’s important," said Rohit Sharma.

The two sides square off once again at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack on 9 February

Brief Scores (Ist ODI): England - 248 all out in 47.4 overs (Jos Buttler 52 (67b: 4x4s), Jacob Bethell 51 (64b: 3x4s, 1x6), Phil Salt 43 (26b: 5x4s, 3x6s), Ben Duckett 32 (29b: 6x4s, 1x6); Ravindra Jadeja 3/26, Harshit Rana 3/53, Axar Patel 1/38, Mohammed Shami 1/38, Kuldeep Yadav 1/53) lost to India – 251 for 6 in 38.4 Overs (Shubman Gill 87 (96b: 14x4s), Shreyas Iyer 59 (36b: 9x4s, 2x6s), Axar Patel 52 (47b: 6x4s, 1x6); Saqib Mahmood 2/47, Adil Rashid 2/49, Jacob Bethell 1/18, Jofra Archer 1/49) by 4 wickets and 11.2 overs to spare. Player of the Match: Shubman Gill (India)

Photo Cover: Ravindra Jadeja joined an elite club of all-rounder who have claimed 600th international wicket and scored 6000 international runs

Photo Above: Player of the Match Shubman Gill (Left)  and all-rounder Axar Patel forged a century partnership (Photos courtesy BCCI)