England endured another disappointing defeat in Brendon McCullum’s first one-day international as head coach, with India securing a four-wicket victory in Nagpur to take the series opener.
Following a 4-1 loss in the preceding T20 series, Jos Buttler’s England squandered a strong start with the bat, collapsing to 248 all out.
Opener Phil Salt blazed 43 off 26 balls, including 26 runs in a single over from Harshit Rana, but his careless run-out triggered a dramatic collapse—three wickets for two runs in just eight deliveries from 71-0.
Captain Buttler attempted to steady the innings but fell for 52, leaving Jacob Bethell to anchor the lower order. The 21-year-old left-hander took time to settle before reaching 51, only to be trapped lbw just as he looked to accelerate. England were bowled out in 47.4 overs.
India stumbled early in their chase at 19-2, but Shubman Gill’s composed 87 off 96 balls guided them to the brink of victory. A late wobble—three wickets for 14 runs with fewer than 30 needed—briefly raised English hopes, but India comfortably sealed the win with 68 balls to spare.
The second ODI in the three-match series takes place on Sunday.
Mix-up Triggers England’s Downfall
England’s struggles began with a costly mix-up in the ninth over, handing India their breakthrough.
After Phil Salt cut behind point, Ben Duckett casually ran two before hesitating on a third, leaving Salt stranded mid-pitch. Shreyas Iyer’s sharp throw from the deep ensured Salt had no chance of recovery.
Four balls later, Duckett fell to a brilliant running catch from Yashasvi Jaiswal at square leg off Harshit Rana. Harshit then dismissed Harry Brook for a three-ball duck, forcing him to fend a short delivery down the leg side.
Unlike their downfall against spin in the T20 series, this was more of a tame collapse. Joe Root fell lbw to a quicker delivery from Ravindra Jadeja, leaving Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell to rebuild with a 59-run stand.
Buttler played cautiously, managing just four boundaries in his half-century. His innings ended in frustration as he toe-ended a short, harmless delivery from Axar Patel straight to short fine leg.
The biggest positive for England was Bethell, who battled through a slow start to reach his second ODI fifty in 62 balls. However, hopes of a late surge faded quickly—Liam Livingstone edged behind, and Brydon Carse was bowled swinging across the line.
‘We’re Trying to Put the Opposition Under Pressure’ – Reactions
England captain Jos Buttler:
“Disappointed not to get the win. We started brilliantly, with the openers showing great intent, but losing four quick wickets set us back. On this wicket, an extra 40 runs could have been crucial.
“This isn’t how we aim to play—we want to keep the pressure on the opposition and maintain momentum for as long as possible.”
India captain Rohit Sharma:
“We knew we were coming into this series after a long break from this format. The start wasn’t ideal, with England’s openers putting us under pressure, but our comeback was outstanding.
“In this format, you have time to fight back. Just because things go against you early on doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way.”