In his first international outing in six months, Shreyas Iyer (59) made a spectacular return with a counter-attacking half-century against England at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium here on Thursday. Iyer was well-supported by vice-captain Shubman Gill, whose composed 87 off 96 balls helped India successfully chase down 249 and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Towards the end, there was a late wobble as the home team lost three wickets in quick succession, but the experienced pair of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja saw them through with 11.2 overs and four wickets to spare.

Iyer’s aggressive approach

Iyer, who came in after India lost both their openers — Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma — early in the chase, unleashed a blistering counterattack in the seventh over. Facing Jofra Archer, Iyer struck two consecutive sixes: a powerful pull over midwicket followed by a stunning uppercut. His aggressive approach saw him reach fifty in just 30 balls, his second-fastest half-century in ODIs. He struck eight boundaries and two towering sixes, maintaining a staggering strike rate of 176.7.