Thu Feb 06 17:00:54 UTC 2025: ## India Edges Past England in Thrilling ODI Opener
**Nagpur, India:** India secured a thrilling four-wicket victory over England in the first One Day International (ODI) in Nagpur, chasing down a 249-run target despite some late-innings jitters. The win gives India a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
England got off to a strong start, but their batting faltered, leaving them 40-50 runs short of a competitive total, according to captain Jos Buttler. He lamented the loss of wickets after a promising powerplay. Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen was even more critical, stating England lacked both batting application and effective bowling tactics.
India’s chase began shakily, losing both openers Rohit Sharma (2) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (15) cheaply. However, Shreyas Iyer’s quickfire 59 steadied the ship. Subman Gill and Axar Patel then formed a crucial partnership, with both players scoring fifties. Gill, though, fell just 13 runs short of a century while attempting a six. India lost three quick wickets after Gill’s dismissal but Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja guided the team to victory, Jadeja hitting the winning run.
India’s strategic promotion of Axar Patel to number five, creating a left-right batting combination to counter England’s spin, proved pivotal. Axar explained the move was pre-planned to exploit the spinners, while Rohit Sharma praised the middle-order’s performance in successfully navigating the chase. Axar himself contributed a vital 52 runs, his third ODI fifty and first in India.
Despite a late surge of wickets, India ultimately overcame their challenges to clinch a hard-fought win in a match described by Rohit Sharma as meeting their expectations, and proving they could recover in a 50-over game despite a shaky start. The series now moves to Cuttack for the second ODI.
First Piper 