Virat Kohli smashes record-equalling century as India chase 350 in 1st ODI

Pune: Indian skipper Virat Kohli smashed his 27th One Day International (ODI) century, equalling Sachin Tendulkar's record of 17 hundreds in run chases, as India attempted to chase a tough 351-run target set by England in the first ODI at Pune on Sunday.

No 6 batsman Kedar Jadhav also scored a 65-ball hundred to set India's run chase back on track after the English bowlers had reduced the home side to 63 for 4 in the 12th over.

Earlier, England batsmen feasted on a listless Indian bowling piling up their highest score of 350 for 7 against India.

One-down Joe Root and opener Jason Roy struck form early before Ben Stokes too blitzed his way to a half century en route a record score for the rejuvenated visiting team.

Put in to bat by Virat Kohli, starting a new chapter as the one-day skipper, England paced their innings well with Roy being the early aggressor with a 61-ball 73, inclusive of 12 fours, that was built upon by Root, who stroked his way to 78 in 95 balls.

Captain Eoin Morgan (28) and Jos Buttler (31) got the starts without converting them into a bigger score at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje.

Later, the left-handed Stokes used his bat like a sledgehammer to smack five sixes and two fours on his way to 62 off just 40 balls after reaching 50 in 33 balls, as England set up a new high total against the hosts in India.

The score bettered the 338 for eight made by England in the tied encounter of the 2011 World Cup against India at Bengaluru.

The last 10 overs of the innings brought England 115 runs, including 65 in the final five to leave India to score at an asking rate of 7.02 to win the game and go 1-0 up in the three-match rubber.

For India, Hardik Pandya (2 for 46) and Jasprit Bumrah, who was taken for 79 runs - finished with two wickets each.

The most impressive bowler was left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who not only applied the skids on England early on but also emerged with economic figures of 1 for 50.

Jadeja's Test spin twin Ravichandran Ashwin was unimpressive and gave away 63 runs in eight overs without a wicket to his name.

Speedster Umesh Yadav was slammed for 63 runs runs in seven overs for a lone wicket late in the innings.

England began on a brisk note against the Indian medium pace attack with openers Roy and Alex Hales looking comfortable.

Decision Review System (DRS), being used in a 50-over bilateral series in India, was called upon as early as the third over of the game when Roy was given out caught behind off Yadav and got a reprieve through technology.

The in-form aggressive opener thrived on the early escape as he drove the medium pacers when they overpitched.

Just when it seemed that he and Hales would complete yet another half century stand a direct hit from Bumrah in the deep to the non-striker's end caught the latter out of the crease while responding to Roy's call for a couple of runs to arrest the stand at 39 in over No 7.

Root, who did not play the tourists' two warm-up games prior to the start of the series, joined Roy. At the end of the 10-over power play England had advanced to 67, by which time Roy had raced to his fifty in just 36 balls, laced with ten fours.

With the pacemen proving ineffective, skipper Kohli turned to spin and brought on Jadeja who immediately slowed down the run-flow.

After the 13th over Ashwin was brought on from the other end and should have had Roy, on 71, dropped off a top-edged reverse-sweep by Yadav at third man.

Luckily for India the drop did not prove too expensive as Jadeja got the batsman stumped by Dhoni in the next over to snap the second-wicket stand after the addition of 69 runs at 108.

Captain Eoin Morgan joined Root and stared off well with a slog-swept six off Ashwin, but was beaten by DRS after being declared not out by the on-field umpire to an appeal for a catch at the wicket off Pandya.

On the umpire giving the batsman not out, Dhoni indicated that the DRS call should be taken and it proved to be a correct call as the decision was overturned and the visitors' skipper sent back for 28.

But the overall ineffectiveness of the Indian attack became evident on a perfect batting strip as England, 157 for 3 after the 27th over, went along merrily with Root and Jos Buttler batting without any trouble.

Jadeja, who was the best bowler on view after a first spell of 5 overs for 19 runs and the wicket of Roy, could not break the fourth wicket stand and Root completed his 50 in 73 balls.

Both batsmen helped themselves to a six each off Jadeja and after 30 overs England were comfortably placed at 171 for 3. Pandya got the breakthrough with a string of short-pitched balls one of which was driven straight and high to mid-off fielder Shikhar Dhawan by Buttler to leave England on 220 for 4 after the 38th over.

When the slog overs began, the score had advanced to 235 for four with Root well-entrenched on 76 and poised for a final assault on the bowlers. But his hopes were dashed by Bumrah who deceived him with a slower ball and had him caught at long-on by Pandya.

It left Stokes to give the final push to the innings with a succession of boundary hits, one of his huge sixes over long on off Bumrah helping him complete his half century in just 33 balls, the fastest ever by an Englishman against India.

India were lucky to see the back of him in the first ball of the 48th over when he was caught at deep mid-wicket while going for another big hit off Bumrah with England on 317.

But Moeen Ali, who made 28 in 17 balls, Chris Woakes and David Willey ensured that the score reached 350.