In the first ODI between India and England at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, the visitors struggled with the bat and were bowled out for a modest total of 248. Given the nature of the pitch, which appeared to be double-paced, stroke-making was not easy. However, India’s chase got off to a rocky start as they lost two quick wickets, putting immediate pressure on the middle order.
With the team reeling at 19/2, Shreyas Iyer walked in to steady the innings. Known for his vulnerability against short-pitched bowling, England’s Jofra Archer wasted no time in testing him with a barrage of bouncers. But this time, Iyer was prepared. He countered the short-ball tactic in style, smashing Archer for consecutive sixes in the seventh over, a moment that ignited the Nagpur crowd.
On the fifth delivery of the over, Archer dug in a short ball, but Iyer confidently pulled it over deep square leg, sending the ball several rows into the stands. Sensing an opportunity to rattle him further, Archer went short again on the very next ball.
WATCH – Rohit Sharma Faces Trolls After Another Failure In 1st ODI Against England
This time, Iyer played a textbook upper-cut, reminiscent of the great Virender Sehwag, dispatching the ball over third man for another maximum. His fearless stroke play not only lifted India’s spirits but also put the pressure back on England’s bowlers.
Picked 🆙
..and DISPATCHED Twice 💥💥
Shreyas Iyer gets going in the chase in some style 👌👌
Follow The Match ▶️ https://t.co/lWBc7oPRcd#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @ShreyasIyer15 pic.twitter.com/eGsvGSZVSN
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 6, 2025
As the innings progressed, Iyer continued to dominate, racing to his half-century in just 30 balls—making it the second-fastest fifty by an Indian batter in an ODI run chase. The only Indian ahead of him on this list is Kedar Jadhav. At the time of writing, Iyer remained unbeaten on 59 off 34 balls, with India recovering well at 113/2, well on track in their chase.
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India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami
England (Playing XI): Ben Duckett, Philip Salt(w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood
