BENGALURU: Ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah ripped through England’s batting line-up as India routed the hosts by 10 wickets in the first ODI at The Oval. The right-arm pacer chalked up six wickets for just 19 and dismissed England for 110 – their lowest ODI score against India.
In response, Indian captain Rohit Sharma went on the rampage and cracked an unbeaten 76 off 58 balls as the visitors chased down the target in 18.4 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. This is the first time India have notched up a 10-wicket victory against England in the ODIs.
Rohit’s whirlwind innings was embellished with six boundaries and five sixes. In the process, he also became the first Indian to smack 250 ODI sixes. Only Shahid Afridi, Chris Gayle and Sanath Jayasuriya have walloped more sixes than him in this format.
His opening partner Shikhar Dhawan maturely played second fiddle and remained unbeaten for 31.
Earlier, Bumrah cleaned up England’s opener Jason Roy for a duck in the second over after Rohit opted to bowl. Roy chased a wide ball and chopped it onto his stumps. After two balls, Joe Root was also snared by a Bumrah’s delivery which bounced disconcertingly and took the outside edge of his bat. Rishabh Pant took a simple catch behind the wickets.
In the next over, Mohammed Shami nipped out Ben Stokes with a prodigious in-cutter to leave England tottering at 7-3. The hosts could not recover from early jolts and the wickets kept tumbling. Bumrah continued to wreak havoc as he hustled out in-form Jonny Bairstow for 7 and then castled Liam Livingstone with a booming inswinger.
On a pitch where the ball was jagging around, Bumrah and Shami exploited the conditions to the hilt and bowled with unmistakable zip.
England captain Jos Buttler was the only one who reeled off some attractive shots but he was eventually prised out for 30 by Shami in the 15th over as he tried to pull him for a six. With his scalp, Shami reached the milestone of 150 ODI wickets in only 80 matches and became the fastest Indian to accomplish this feat in this format. In his next over, the right-arm seamer also bowled Craig Overton as England slumped to 68-8.
David Willey cracked a few boundaries to take his team past 100 but Bumrah returned in his second spell and snaffled the two remaining wickets to bundle England out for 110 in 25.2 overs.