(Image source from: x.com/BCCI)

The match was characterized by chaos and determination. India efficiently surpassed their target of 249 runs, achieving it with 68 balls remaining in Nagpur. Their victory by only four wickets reflects an unnecessarily chaotic conclusion to the match, indicating more of their own disarray than any significant counter by the English side. After suffering a 4-1 defeat in the T20I series, Brendon McCullum's inaugural ODI as head coach resulted in a similarly overwhelming loss. This game showcased a blend of experienced and newer players, giving the light blue team a 1-0 advantage in the three-match series. Ravindra Jadeja’s impressive bowling performance, claiming 3 wickets for 26 runs, was complemented by Harshit Rana, who also made an impact with 3 for 53 in his first ODI, helping to dismiss England for 248 with 14 balls to spare. Jos Buttler contributed 52 runs and Jacob Bethell added 51, though these scores were overshadowed by Phil Salt's aggressive 43 runs off just 26 balls, which ultimately went unrewarded.

With Virat Kohli sidelined due to a right knee injury obtained the previous evening, Shubman Gill rose to the occasion to secure the chase with a solid 87 runs, supported initially by Shreyas Iyer's 59 and an exceptional 52 from Axar Patel, with partnerships of 94 and 108 runs formed along the way. The sequence was crucial as Jofra Archer dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal on his ODI debut and Saqib Mahmood, replacing the rested Mark Wood, caught Indian captain Rohit Sharma at mid-on within a span of just six balls. After a shaky start at 19 for 2, India regained their footing. Iyer’s brilliant half-century came off just 30 balls, asserting dominance against all short deliveries and hitting Archer for back-to-back sixes at the end of the seventh over. He effectively targeted Brydon Carse, hitting four of his nine boundaries off the bowler, who opted to bowl length balls wide of off-stump once realizing Iyer was eager to attack on the leg side.

Promoting Axar up the batting order proved to be a strategic success, allowing him the freedom to play his shots, which enabled Gill to methodically accumulate runs. Gill faced a moment of concern when he was initially given out lbw on a score of 38 against Liam Livingstone, but DRS quickly overturned the decision by revealing a clear inside edge. This half-century marked the vice-captain's 14th overall and his first against England. The duo excelled in the 29th over when they faced Carse, scoring 17 runs, including two boundaries each, one of which was particularly impressive as Axar ramped the ball over the wicketkeeper. At this point, the chase became increasingly straightforward, with just 48 runs needed from the final 21 overs. Axar celebrated his first fifty on home turf, bringing it up with a stylish drive off Carse, his 46th ball, slipping past the mid-off fielder.

His inability to complete his innings – dismissed by a slow leg spinner from Adil Rashid – left Gill, who was at the non-striker's end, feeling disappointed. At that moment, he had scored 81 runs and there were still 28 runs needed, which led to his thoughts drifting towards achieving a century. This internal conflict perhaps contributed to a lapse in focus, first evident when KL Rahul was dismissed after a simple catch was taken off Rashid’s bowling, followed by Gill's own failure to hit Mahmood over the head of Buttler positioned at mid-on.

The anxiety produced by a needless collapse of three wickets for just four runs was encapsulated in Jadeja's edge off Mahmood, which raced past the wicketkeeper Salt to secure the victory. This incident also underscored England's batting issues, triggered by their own downfall of three wickets within a mere eight deliveries earlier in the game. Opening pair Salt and Ben Duckett had initially built a substantial partnership of 75 runs, leaving India scrambling in the field. Salt's aggressive batting, which followed a cautious start, was highlighted by Rana’s third over that conceded 26 runs, including three sixes from a top edge, a slog sweep off a slower delivery, and a heave over midwicket to conclude the over. However, a miscommunication on a third run resulted in his wicket, signaling the beginning of the end as England went from 75 runs without loss to 77 for three. Iyer's chase of a cut to deep point ended with a throw to the striker’s end, catching Salt short of his ground after Duckett had sent him back.

Rana made a swift comeback, claiming two wickets in the next over. Duckett misplayed a pull shot, leading to an extraordinary catch by Jaiswal, who sprinted from midwicket to complete a commendable dive. Shortly after, Harry Brook fell to a catch down the leg side from Rahul, who had taken over the wicketkeeping duties from Rishabh Pant. Joe Root made his entrance, marking his first ODI innings since the 2023 World Cup. Despite his absence from 50-over matches, he was seen as the right player to stabilize the innings. However, any hope of recovery was short-lived when Root was dismissed leg before wicket by Jadeja after facing 51 balls. This marked the fourth occasion on which the left-arm spinner had dismissed him in this format. At that point, England found themselves at 111 for 4 in the 20th over, not unlike India, who were 111 for 3 at the end of the 16th over, when Bethell successfully trapped Iyer in front.

Bethell's collaboration with Buttler for the fifth wicket seemed on track for a significant recovery, reminiscent of Gill and Axar's earlier performance. However, their partnership was ultimately limited to 59 runs when, after scoring his 38th fifty in just 58 balls, Buttler managed to edge a delivery from Axar to Hardik Pandya stationed at short fine leg. In contrast to the resilience of India’s middle order, England's began to unravel, despite Bethell maintaining his composure and reaching a second ODI fifty off 62 balls. His ability to understand the match situation served as a valuable lesson to the more seasoned players around him. Those batting lower in the order needed to provide support, but the introduction of pace led to the dismissals of Liam Livingstone, who was caught behind for Rana’s third wicket, and Carse, who was bowled by Mohammed Shami for his first wicket. After Bethell was given out following a review when Jadeja struck him on the back pad while sweeping, only Archer’s quick-fire 21 not out helped England set what appeared to be a respectable score at the halfway mark. India, however, treated it with complete disregard.