Nagpur: Debutant Harshit Rana and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja claimed three wickets apiece as India pegged back England in the middle overs to bundle them out for 248 in 47.4 overs in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) stadium here on Thursday.
Hammered for 26 runs in an over by Phil Salt in his debut match, Rana showed great courage to come back strongly and claimed 3-53 while Jadeja was exceptional in bagging 3-26 as India showed their bowling power once again at home to restrict England to what appears to be a manageable chase despite fighting fifties by Jos Buttler (52) and Jacob Bethell (51).
After skipper Buttler elected to bat first, England made a decent start before they were pulled back in the middle overs, falling for a small total. The Indian batters would definitely fancy their chances as dew is expected to set in and make bowling a bit difficult in the second innings on a pitch that had a good pace and bounce.
Earlier, England were off to a decent start and raced to 50 for no loss in 36 balls after Mohammed Shami had started the proceedings with a maiden over.
With Virat Kohli unavailable because of a sore right knee, India had to restrict England to a small total. But Phil Salt had other ideas as he hammered Harshit Rana for 26 runs in his second over, blasting 6,4,6,4 in the first four balls and then another six off the final delivery of the over, top-edging, pulling and sweeping the debutant pacer with aplomb.
But a terrible mix-up with fellow opener Ben Duckett saw Salt getting run out going for a second run while Shreyas Rana ran back and made a sliding stop and then sent in a fine throw for K.L Rahul to do the needful. Phil was out for a 26-ball 43 and England lost their first wicket for 75 in the ninth over.
Rana, showing great courage and sticking to bowling hard length and varying pace, sent down a double-wicket maiden to reduce England to 77/3.
Though Rana did not get his KKR teammate Salt, he did run salt into England’s wounds when he got Duckett, harrying the England opener with a short delivery that rose a bit, forcing Duckett to miscue it to midwicket where Jaiswal ran back and completed a superb diving catch.
Two deliveries later, Rana claimed his second wicket when he sent back Harry Brook for a duck, with a well-directed bouncer angled into the batter, who gloved it to wicketkeeper K.L Rahul while trying to fend it.
Senior batter Joe Root, making a timely return to the ODI format after some terrific batting in Tests in T20s, was the next to go after adding 34 runs for the fourth wicket with skipper Jos Buttler before Ravindra Jadeja trapped him in front with a speedy skidder that beat the bat for pace and thudded into the pad. Root reviewed it but the ball-tracker showed it would have hit the middle stump and the umpire’s call stood.
Buttler continued to prosper as he reached his half-century off 58 balls, raising fifty runs for the fifth wicket partnership with Bethell as England reached 167/4 after the 32nd over. Buttler was tied up by the Indian bowlers but played a patient knock, mostly dealing in singles apart from an occasional two, while hitting Kuldeep Yadav for two fours in the 22nd over and whipping Jadeja through midwicket for another.
India pegged them back again by claiming the wicket of the England skipper as Axar Patel got him to top-edge the final ball of the 37th over which kept low and scuttled Buttler, who attempted a pull shot but handed a simple catch to Hardik Pandya at short fine-leg, Buttler was out for 52 off 67 balls, hitting four boundaries during his stay that rescued England from a 111/4.
Harshit Rana returned to claim his third wicket of the match, accounting for Liam Livingstone for five runs, inducing a feather edge with a short one on the length that rose extra and got the dangerous batter.
Though the the two teams shared the honours in the first power-play with England reaching 77/3, the Indians gained upper hand in the second, claiming four wickets for 129 runs.
England were down to 183/6 in the 36th over and facing the prospect of failing to reach 250 as Mohammed Shami claimed his first wicket of the match, knocking over the Brydon Carse’s timber with a length ball on the off.
Bethell (51, 64 balls, 3×4, 1×6) completed his half-century off 62 balls before being trapped lbw by Jadeja for his second wicket. Jofra Archer blasted Hardik Pandya for two fours and a six in the 44th over, pulling twice two short ones for a four followed by a six and then hammering him straight for another four.
They eventually were all out for 248 in 47.4 overs, leaving India a chase they would have preferred any day.
Brief scores:
England 248 all out in 47.4 overs (Jos Buttler 52, Jacob Bethell 51; Ravindra Jadeja 3-26, Harshit Rana 3-53) against India
(IANS)
