England captain Jos Buttler expressed disappointment following his team’s four-wicket loss to India in the first ODI at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Despite a strong start, England failed to capitalize on key moments, allowing India to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
England had a promising beginning after winning the toss and opting to bat first. Openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett provided a flying start with a 75-run partnership. Salt was particularly aggressive, smashing 43 runs off 26 balls with five fours and three sixes, while Duckett contributed 32 off 29 balls, hitting six boundaries. However, India bounced back strongly, picking up quick wickets, including the dismissal of experienced batter Joe Root for 19, leaving England at 111/4.
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Buttler and Jacob Bethell tried to rebuild the innings with a 59-run stand. Buttler played a captain’s knock, scoring 52 off 67 balls with four boundaries before falling to Axar Patel. Bethell continued to fight and notched up his half-century, scoring 51 off 64 balls with three fours and a six. A late cameo from Jofra Archer, who remained unbeaten on 21 off 18 balls, pushed England’s total to 248 before they were bowled out in 47.4 overs. Ravindra Jadeja was India’s standout bowler, claiming 3/26, while debutant Harshit Rana also impressed with 3/53. Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, and Kuldeep Yadav picked up one wicket each.
Reflecting on England’s performance, Buttler acknowledged that the team got off to a fantastic start in the powerplay but lost momentum by losing four wickets in quick succession. He admitted that an additional 40-50 runs would have made a big difference. He also praised the performances of Gill and Shreyas Iyer, crediting their partnership for taking the game away from England.
Chasing 249, India’s innings began shakily as Yashasvi Jaiswal (15 off 22) and Rohit Sharma (2 off 7) departed early. Jofra Archer removed Jaiswal in the 4.3 overs, while Saqib Mahmood dismissed Rohit in the 5.2 overs. However, Shubman Gill and Iyer turned the tide with a match-defining 94-run partnership. Iyer was in an attacking mood, blasting 59 off 36 balls with nine fours and two sixes before being dismissed by Jacob Bethell in the 15.6 over.
Gill continued his impressive innings and found another solid partner in Axar Patel, with the duo putting together a crucial 108-run stand. Gill reached his half-century in the 25th over and looked set for a century before falling short by 13 runs when Mahmood dismissed him for 87 in the 36.2 overs. Axar Patel contributed a well-made 52 off 47 balls before Adil Rashid removed him in the 33.4 overs. Rashid also picked up the wicket of KL Rahul in the 35.4 overs, briefly slowing down India’s progress.
Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja then guided India to victory, with Jadeja finishing the match in style with a boundary. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 12, while Hardik finished with nine runs, including a six. Mahmood and Rashid were the standout bowlers for England, taking two wickets each.
With the win, India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second ODI between the two teams will take place on Sunday in Cuttack.
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