Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel smashed half-centuries as India defeated England by four wickets in the opening one-day international on Thursday and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series that is a warmup for the Champions Trophy.

Shubman Gill, who scored a match-winning 87, said it was important to not get bogged down early on in the chase when India were reduced to 19/2

In-form mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been included in the Indian ODI squad after his heroics in the just-concluded T20I series against England as the team management wants the KKR mystery spinner to "keep up the momentum".

The three-match ODI series between India and England begins on February 6 in Nagpur. The series will be used as a dress rehearsal for the ICC Champions Trophy as both teams look to nail down their combinations and try out a couple of players.

The three-match series that gets underway in Nagpur on Thursday will be the final ODIs for India as well as England ahead of the Champions Trophy, meaning both teams will be looking to finalise their ideal playing XI and fine-tune their strategies for the mega event over the course of the next one week.

The series will also test the preparedness of veteran pacer Mohammed Shami and wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, both of whom had been laid low by injuries and could be key to India's success in the Champi

Rohit Sharma was asked about the goal for the upcoming Champions Trophy after India's four-wicket win over England in first ODI

India skipper Rohit Sharma on Thursday heaped praise on Shubman Gill and Axar Patel's partnership following the Men in Blue's triumph over England in the first ODI match of the series.Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer's mouthwatering fifties helped India to clinch a four-wicket triumph over England in the first ODI match of the series at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on