IND vs ENG: Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, Axar Patel fifties guide India to 4-wicket win, go 1-0 up in 3-match ODI series

Shubman Gill narrowly missed out on a century, but his strong performance, along with contributions from Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer, propelled India to a convincing win over England in the first ODI in Nagpur. Even after losing three quick wickets towards the end of the chase, India successfully chased down the target of 249 with more than 11 overs to spare.

Gill was out for 87 off 96 balls, putting a stop to his pursuit of a century. Axar Patel quickly notched up his third ODI half-century before being surprisingly dismissed by Adil Rashid. Patel's innings concluded at 52 off 47, and he and Gill formed a solid partnership of 108 runs off 107 balls. Gill reached his 14th ODI half-century in just 60 balls, while Axar Patel kept the momentum going after Shreyas Iyer scored 59 off 36 balls. 

The partnership of 94 runs off 64 balls between Iyer and Gill for the second wicket effectively countered any advantage England might have had after the early dismissals of openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first six overs.

Earlier, despite impressive half-centuries from Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell, pacer Harshit Rana made a spectacular debut in ODIs, helping India bowl out England for a modest total of 248 runs. After choosing to bat first, England got off to a solid start, but India's excellent fielding and precise bowling caused a stunning comeback.

Rana, with figures of 3/53, and the dependable Ravindra Jadeja, who took 3/26, teamed up to secure six vital wickets in a strong bowling display.