NAGPUR, India (Reuters) - Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel smashed half-centuries as India defeated England by four wickets in the opening one-day international on Thursday and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series that is a warmup for the Champions Trophy.
Chasing 249 for victory after Jos Buttler had scored 52 and Jacob Bethell contributed 51 to boost England's total following a wobble midway through the innings, India reached their target with 68 balls to spare.
Gill overcame cramp to make 87 and take India close to the finish line on a two-paced, turning wicket at Nagpur's Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium after Patel scored 52 in a 108-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Yashasvi Jaiswal came into the eleven after Virat Kohli was ruled out due to a sore right knee but was out for 15 following a probing early spell by Jofra Archer while out-of-form captain Rohit Sharma fell for two to Saqib Mahmood.
Iyer blasted two consecutive sixes off Archer in the seventh over en route to an entertaining fifty and after he departed for 59, Gill played a controlled knock with exquisite shots on both sides but holed out to Mahmood while looking to accelerate.
Ravindra Jadeja (12 not out) and Hardik Pandya (nine not out) then took the hosts home.
"We're pretty happy because we knew we were coming back after a long time to this format," Rohit said of his team's first match in 50-over cricket since August.
"We wanted to quickly regroup and understand what is to be done. We didn't start 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."
England elected to bat after winning the toss and went into attack mode early when Phil Salt plundered 26 runs in the sixth over bowled by Harshit Rana, before the tourists cruised to 71 for no loss after eight overs.
India struck against the run of play when a mix-up led to Salt being run out for 43 while opening partner Ben Duckett was out for 32 after Jaiswal produced a brilliant running catch to hand fellow ODI debutant Rana his first wicket.
Rana then dismissed Harry Brook for a duck three balls later before Joe Root, who returned to the ODI fold for the first time since England's ill-fated World Cup title defence in 2023, was trapped lbw by Jadeja for 19.
Skipper Buttler and Bethell revived England's innings with battling half-centuries but the hosts kept taking timely wickets to ensure their opponents were bowled out for 248, with Jadeja picking up 3-26 and Rana finishing on 3-53.
"Obviously disappointed not to win," Buttler said.
"We got off to a fantastic start, the two guys (Salt and Duckett) were very aggressive in the powerplay. Losing four wickets so close together put us back.
"When you see the way the wicket played, another 40 or 50 runs could have been crucial."
The second ODI takes place in Cuttack on Sunday before the finale in Ahmedabad on February 12. It will be followed by the eight-team Champions Trophy beginning February 19 in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
