India beat England 1st ODI: Scorecard and Match Report
India chase down 232 runs in thrilling fashion to win the ODI series opener against England: England tour of India 2024-25, 1st ODI, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur, February 6, 2025. There were glimpses of tried and trusted veterans, retirement plans still being formulated and future replacements getting their first tastes of international cricket as well as dominant individual performances and madcap team tactics that would all ultimately lead the two sides to the ICC Champions Trophy later this month. Here’s a detailed blog of the match, including ball-by-ball coverage, the key moments and the scorecard.
Match Overview
India lost the toss and England elected to bat but the decision was incorrect as England was dismissed for just 248 runs in 47.4 overs. After a solid opening stand from the English batters, Indian bowlers, spearheaded by Ravindra Jadeja and debutant Harshit Rana, made a comeback to the game with a flurry of wickets. India replied with 68 balls to spare due to fine efforts from Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel.
England’s innings: Collapses galore and resilience
Key Performances
Phil Salt (43 runs, 26 balls): Salt gave an explosive start, hitting three sixes and five fours. His aggressive batting came to define the tone of England but a communication mix-up with Ben Duckett led to his run-out, beginning a downward spiral for England.
Jos Buttler (52 in 67) — The England captain captured the innings, making half a century in a nonchalant style. But his dismissal to a delivery from Axar Patel halted the momentum England had.
Jacob Bethell (51 off 64 balls): Bethell showed a level of maturity that could be a foundation for the future for England, but he will have to string more such innings together if he is to add a huge score.
Bowling Highlights
– Ravindra Jadeja (3/26): Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers, using his variations to skew England’s middle-order. The wicket of Joe Root — his dismissal proved a key moment of the match.
Harshit Rana (3/53) : On debut, he made good effect as he took three wickets including the important ones of Duckett and Harry Brook.
Turning Points
run-out of Phil Salt: Salt’s wicket at 75/1 led to a processional, with three wickets falling in the space of eight balls.
– Buttler Wicket: Buttler’s wicket which came at 170/5 ended any hopes of a late flurry as the England lower order didn’t contribute much to the innings.
A Lesson in Controlled Aggression: India’s Chase
Key Performances
Shubman Gill (87 off 96 balls): Gill stood firm and was the anchor in the chase. He held the innings together nicely, and built crucial partnerships with Iyer and Axar.
Shreyas Iyer (59 from 36 balls): Iyer’s blistering innings of nine fours and two sixes turned the tide in India’s favour after overcoming early hurdles.
Axar Patel (52 off 47 balls): Promoted up the order, Axar played a crucial role with his third ODI fifty in guiding India on track.
Bowling Highlights
Adil Rashid (2/49)—Rashid was England’s best bowler, picking Axar and KL Rahul at key stages.
Saqib Mahmood (2/47): Mahmood gave early breakthroughs by sending back both Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill but couldn’t tip the tide.
Turning Points
Iyer Counterattacks: Having lost both his openers early, Iyer’s aggressive batting negated whatever advantage England had gained in the first session.
108-run stand between Axar and Gill: Even as wickets kept falling towards the end, Axar and Gill’s fabulous effort across the initial stages, amounted to 108 runs and paved the path for an Indian victory.
Scorecard
England Innings (248/10 in 47.4 overs)
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Salt | 43 | 26 | 5 | 3 | run out (Iyer/Rahul) |
| Ben Duckett | 32 | 29 | 6 | 0 | c Jaiswal b Rana |
| Joe Root | 19 | 31 | 1 | 0 | lbw b Jadeja |
| Harry Brook | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | c Rahul b Rana |
| Jos Buttler | 52 | 67 | 4 | 0 | c Pandya b Axar |
| Jacob Bethell | 51 | 64 | 3 | 1 | lbw b Jadeja |
| Liam Livingstone | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0 | c Rahul b Rana |
| Brydon Carse | 10 | 18 | 1 | 0 | b Shami |
| Adil Rashid | 8 | 16 | 0 | 0 | b Jadeja |
| Jofra Archer | 21 | 18 | 3 | 1 | not out |
| Saqib Mahmood | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | st Rahul b Kuldeep |
| Extras | 5 | (b 1, lb 2, w 2) | |||
| Total | 248 | (47.4 overs) |
Bowling Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Shami | 8 | 1 | 38 | 1 | 4.75 |
| Harshit Rana | 7 | 1 | 53 | 3 | 7.57 |
| Axar Patel | 7 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 5.43 |
| Hardik Pandya | 7 | 1 | 37 | 0 | 5.29 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 9.4 | 0 | 53 | 1 | 5.48 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 9 | 1 | 26 | 3 | 2.89 |
India Innings (251/6 in 38.4 overs)
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 15 | 22 | 3 | 0 | c Salt b Archer |
| Rohit Sharma | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | c Livingstone b Mahmood |
| Shubman Gill | 87 | 96 | 14 | 0 | c Buttler b Mahmood |
| Shreyas Iyer | 59 | 36 | 9 | 2 | lbw b Bethell |
| Axar Patel | 52 | 47 | 6 | 1 | b Rashid |
| KL Rahul | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | c & b Rashid |
| Hardik Pandya | 9 | 6 | 0 | 1 | not out |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | not out |
| Extras | 13 | (lb 8, w 4, nb 1) | |||
| Total | 251 | (38.4 overs) |
Bowling Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jofra Archer | 7 | 1 | 39 | 1 | 5.57 |
| Saqib Mahmood | 6.4 | 0 | 47 | 2 | 7.05 |
| Brydon Carse | 5 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 10.40 |
| Adil Rashid | 10 | 1 | 49 | 2 | 4.90 |
| Jacob Bethell | 3 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Liam Livingstone | 5 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 5.60 |
| Joe Root | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5.00 |
Post-Match Reactions
- Shubman Gill (Player of the Match): “I wanted to stay positive and play good cricketing shots. The partnership with Axar was crucial, and I’m happy to contribute to the team’s win”16.
- Rohit Sharma (India Captain): “We knew we had to regroup quickly, and the bowlers did a fantastic job. Axar’s promotion was a masterstroke”110.
- Jos Buttler (England Captain): “We were short by 40-50 runs. Losing wickets in clusters hurt us, and we need to hold onto momentum better”110.
Conclusion
India’s victory in the first ODI was a testament to their depth and resilience. While England showed flashes of brilliance, their inability to capitalize on key moments cost them dearly. The series now moves to Cuttack, where both teams will look to fine-tune their strategies ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy.
