WATCH - IND VS ENG 2025: Ballistic Salt smashes 26 off Harshit Rana over

England opener Phil Salt took India's debutant Harshit Rana to the cleaners in the first ODI of the three-match series in Nagpur on February 6. Opting to bat first upon winning the toss, England started off in positive fashion with Salt and Ben Duckett taking the attack to the Indian bowlers. The red soil pitch at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium looked good for batting, and the visitors made the most of their opportunity.

Debutant Rana bore the brunt of Salt's assault as he conceded 26 in his third over. The first delivery of the sixth over flew over the wicketkeeper, with the top-edge taking the ball all the way over the boundary rope. After being driven on the up to the fence on the second delivery, the right-arm quick's slower delivery was picked up early by his KKR teammate, who swivelled across to send the ball flying towards deep backward square-leg for another maximum.

The next three deliveries produced a four, a dot, and a maximum as the team's score zoomed from 26 to 52. England were looking all set to accumulate a lot more boundaries in the remainder of the batting powerplay.  

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Harshit stages remarkable comeback; scalps Duckett, Brook

However, Harshit did not stay on the receiving end for too long as he came back in style in the very next over to claim Duckett as his maiden ODI wicket. The left-handed opener had to return to the pavilion courtesy a brilliant grab from another 50-over debutant, Yashasvi Jaiswal. 

Just two deliveries later, Harry Brook got done with a bumper by Harshit as the middle-order gloved the ball on the leg-side. Wicketkeeper KL Rahul did the rest behind the stumps as India found themselves back in the fold after taking a beating in the first few overs of the game.