🏏England tour of India 2025: 1st ODI: 6/2/2025 at 1:30 PM IST🏏 - Page 29

Axar Patel has been speaking to the host broadcaster: "I knew from before [about batting at No. 5] to keep left-right combo going. Fast bowlers' balls were coming on to the bat, so we switched to spin. But even spinners were being hit, so credit to them for starting well. [On the three spinners] We knew if we can stick to our lines and lengths, we could make a comeback given they attack the bowlers. Our plan was to make them err as they go for their shots. When we were bowling, the ball was stopping a bit. Their spinners varied the pace well, if our spinners had done the same, we would have got more turn. [On partnership with Gill] Talk was about play as it comes and not think much. As we played on, we targeted the bowlers and spoke about taking it long because it was not easy for a new batter."

So India go 1-0 up in the series with a four-wicket win. You would have thought the margin between the sides was a lot bigger at various points in the game, but England did at least keep fighting. A total of 248 looked well under par and India demonsrated that by chasing it down with more than 11 overs to spare. There were some jitters along the way, but a swashbuckling fifty from Shreyas Iyer put them back on track, before Shubman Gill and Axar Patel broke the chase with a stand of 108 at a run a ball

Shubman Gill is Player of the Match: "[Thoughts at 19 for 2] Trying to be positive. There was a little in it for fast bowlers. Idea was to not to go too much on the back foot, play good cricketing shots. When a player [Iyer] comes like that, the opposition also goes on the back foot. Good decision on his part, also helped me. [Favourote shot] The pull I hit through midwicket when I was batting on 70. [Sticky wicket?] I thought it was a bit double-paced. Spinners varied their pace well, when they bowled slow, it was turning. Had it in mind to look to square of the wicket and not try to hit down the ground. [On vice-captaincy] In batting not much has changed, but on the field I want to know what the thinking is and what Rohit bhai thinks and give my inputs. He tells me if you want to tell me anything in the match, do not hesitate."

Rohit Sharma, India captain: "Pretty happy because we knew we were coming after a long time to this format. We wanted to quickly regroup and understand what is to be done. Didn't start off well with their openers putting pressure on us, but the way we came back was superb. This is a slightly longer format where you have time to come back. When things start to go away from you, it doesn't mean it will keep going away. Credit to the bowlers, everyone chipped in. It was important for us to keep us going, we took wickets at crucial time, the energy on the field was brilliant as well. [Axar at No. 5] We want a lefty in the middle, it is simple. We know they have a couple of spinners who are going to bowl into the left-handers and we wanted one out there. Axar is an improved batter in the last couple of years, we got to see that today. We needed a partnership and Gill and Axar batted really well [Goal ahead of the Champions Trophy] Nothing specific, overall as a team I want to make sure we keep on doing the right things. Try and tick every boxes there is to be ticked in bowling and batting. Did that pretty much though I felt we shouldn't have lost the wickets at the end."

Good win for India - easy win one has to say. England for some reason felt batting first was the right thing to do when batting was easier under lights. And they completely threw away a great start - Harshit made a mega comeback on debut after being smacked for 26 runs in one over. Buttler and Bethell tried to revive but they didn't get enough on the board as Jadeja too chipped in with three. India lost both their openers but Gill showed how bossy he can be in this format in these conditions and Shreyas came out with a brilliant counterattacking fifty. Made things easier for the rest and eventually India crossed the line with 11.2 overs to go.

Stat: England have now lost seven of the eight ODIs they batted first post WC 2023.

Congratulations to India for winning the match.

Congratulations to Shubman Gill for winning the PoTM award.

Cheers..

Originally posted by: SoniRita

Shreyas ko nikalenge obviously. Poor him. But he played so well in this match and proved his worth

Yeah it will be so unfair with Shreyas. Because of 2 VIP quotas, other players have to compete to get place in 9 instead of 11

Originally posted by: Redflag

How is your daughter now ?

Hope she is doing well