Nagpur: Deprived of One Day Internationals for six years and having participated in only three international matches across various formats during that period, the 44,900 attendees at this match were eager to celebrate an Indian victory.

For Rohit Sharma’s team, however, each of the three encounters in this series against England serves a dual purpose: to explore new strategies, test different combinations, and solidify plans ahead of the Champions Trophy commencing in two weeks. With a four-wicket victory achieved in just 39 overs on Thursday, India received positive affirmations regarding their strategic approach.

Nonetheless, Rohit’s performance remains a significant concern. His batting has traditionally been aesthetically pleasing, yet recently he has struggled to find form, with his dismissals becoming increasingly disappointing. Rohit took to the crease in pursuit of 249 runs under the lights, partnered with Yashasvi Jaiswal, as Virat Kohli was sidelined due to a sore right knee.

Rohit faced only seven deliveries, appearing hesitant, and departed before he could accelerate his innings. He was late in shifting his weight to an inswinger from Saqib Mahmood, resulting in a catch to mid-on.

Shreyas Iyer, often overshadowed by more prominent names in the lineup, has proven to be as formidable as any Indian batsman in ODIs. However, some of Iyer’s technical deficiencies in other formats can diminish his overall effectiveness.

For instance, his approach to short-pitched deliveries has been a concern. Iyer addressed this issue early on Thursday. With India in a precarious position after the early dismissal of their openers in the fifth over, Iyer anticipated that the English bowlers would resort to short balls on a pitch that offered ample bounce. Utilizing a backfoot trigger, he generated elevation with his high bat swing, sending Jofra Archer’s delivery 83 meters over midwicket. The subsequent ball, also short and outside off, was met with Iyer’s readiness as he ramped it over third for another six. In just two deliveries, Iyer had significantly undermined England’s strategy to dismiss him with short balls.

Iyer maintained a positive approach throughout his innings, and alongside Gill, he alleviated the pressure with a partnership of 93 runs off 64 balls, featuring reverse sweeps and elegantly timed drives.

India elevated Axar Patel, one of their limited left-handed batting alternatives. The strategy proved to be highly effective. Just as Gill had been willing to allow Iyer to shine, he was pleased to see Axar confront Adil Rashid and the other part-time spinners. Gill was adept at capitalizing on poor deliveries while also ensuring the scoreboard progressed with singles and twos. Although he could not finish the innings in the manner of Kohli, Gill's innings of 87 runs off 96 balls, including 14 fours, demonstrated the batting control required during the middle overs of the format.

England commenced their innings aggressively. Prior to the introduction of spin, openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett had forged a rapid 75-run partnership by the ninth over. However, they were soon set back by Harshit Rana’s two quick wickets.

Ravindra Jadeja then stepped up, extracting some turn from the pitch and effectively slowing the scoring rate. By varying his pace, Jadeja was able to trouble Joe Root (19), ultimately dismissing him leg-before with an arm ball. At 111 for 4 in the 19th over, England found themselves in a precarious position.

It was at this juncture that Jos Buttler and young Jacob Bethell managed to construct a 59-run partnership. In retrospect, Rohit may have preferred to utilize Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav more extensively. Nevertheless, it is possible that India aimed to explore other options.

England's lack of intensity was evident when Buttler (52) offered Axar a wicket with a loose shot, allowing India to seize control. When Jadeja returned to bowl in the death overs, he quickly dismissed Bethell, who appeared visibly unsettled and struggled to read Jadeja’s spin during the middle overs. Ultimately, Bethell (51) fell victim to a sweep attempt, being trapped in front of the wicket.

Jadeja (9-1-26-3) was the standout among the spinners, while Axar (7-0-38-1) did not appear as threatening. Should India decide to take Varun Chakravarthy to Dubai, it is likely to be at the expense of either Axar or Washington Sundar.

Additionally, India was monitoring Mohammed Shami’s performance. In his first ODI appearance in 15 months, Shami (8-1-38-1) displayed good rhythm, particularly with the new ball.

Read Also: Shubman Gill Lauded as a Long-Term Asset for Indian Cricket After Match-Winning Performance

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