In the first ODI of the three-match series between India and England at Nagpur’s Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana made their ODI debuts. Both players had awaited this opportunity for some time.
During the pre-match huddle, captain Rohit Sharma praised Jaiswal’s promising start in international cricket and encouraged him to continue his success in the ODI format.
He stated, “Jaisu, you’ve had a great start to your international career. This is another format which you’re going to enjoy the most. Trust me when I say that, because you’ve got everything that is required to play at this level and you’ve been successful in your short career. And this is just the start. As we all know, when you start well it’s important to, you know, continue to do that over and over and over again. All the best from all of us. Hope you have a great, great career!”
Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, returning to ODI cricket after a hiatus since November 2023, presented Rana with his cap.
He commended Rana’s dedication and hard work, expressing, “Cap number 257 (Jaiswal) and 258, Harshit Rana. Well done! Congratulations. The amount of hard work you’ve put in to reach at this level is finally getting rewarded today. It’s a big day for you and your family. So I, and the entire team, wish you all the very best. The opportunity to play for the country will be a chance for you to serve you proudly. I hope you continue to serve for a long time and take a lot of wickets. Congrats!”
n the match, Rana faced a challenging start, conceding 26 runs in a single over to Phil Salt, which elevated England’s score from 26 to 52 in the sixth over.
However, he remained resilient and secured his first two wickets in the format upon his return to the attack. Notably, Ben Duckett was dismissed thanks to a remarkable full-length dive by Jaiswal.
England, after opting to bat first, posted a total of 248 runs, with significant contributions from Jos Buttler (52) and Jacob Bethell (51).India’s bowlers, particularly Ravindra Jadeja (3-26) and Harshit Rana (3-53), were instrumental in restricting England’s total.
n response, India chased down the target with 68 balls to spare, thanks to half-centuries from Shubman Gill (87), Shreyas Iyer (59), and Axar Patel (52).his victory gave India a 1-0 lead in the series.
The second ODI is scheduled to take place in Cuttack on Sunday, February 9, 2025.