Parthiv and Rahane set India's platform

Parthiv Patel guides one towards third man, England v India, 1st ODI, Chester-le-Street, September 3, 2011

Ajinkya Rahane and Parthiv Patel produced India's highest opening stand in ten innings against England this summer, and their first in excess of fifty since the first innings of the Lord's Test in July, to build their side a useful platform in the opening ODI at Chester-le-Street. However, two breakthroughs for Stuart Broad, including another controversial dismissal for Rahul Dravid, redressed the balance significantly, as India reached 116 for 2 at the halfway mark of their innings.

Rahane and Patel opened in India's six-wicket defeat in the Twenty20 on Wednesday, and resumed their fledgling alliance today after Sachin Tendulkar was ruled out of the match due to an inflamed big toe on his right foot. His absence was a blow to a team which is now lacking seven first-choice players from the squad that would have expected to start this series, and a disappointment to a Chester-le-Street crowd that had been hoping to watch his latest quest for that elusive 100th hundred. However, his top-order colleagues did their best to gloss over his absence.

India's start was slow but steady, after they had been inserted by Alastair Cook on a seam-friendly surface, and in overcast conditions that had been exacerbated by the 10.15am start. Parthiv had one key let-off, on 7, when the local debutant, Ben Stokes, spilled a low edge in the gully off Tim Bresnan, but England's seamers maintained their discipline to limit India to 33 for 0 in their first nine overs.

The tempo was raised immediately afterwards, however, as Broad entered the attack and was immediately thrust into a game of cat-and-mouse with the composed Rahane. His first over went for 10, including a brace of fours either side of an inside-edged lbw appeal and an under-cut through fine leg. He added two more fours in Broad's next over, and with Parthiv taking up the cudgels against James Anderson, India produced some handy acceleration through the Batting Powerplay, in which they added 35 in five overs.

Broad, however, was on hand to make a vital double breakthrough as soon as the fielding restrictions were lifted. First, he tempted Rahane into one stroke too many, as another short ball whistled down to Samit Patel at fine leg to end an excellent maiden ODI innings of 40 from 44 balls. Then the big scalp of Dravid was extracted in peculiar circumstances, as umpire Billy Doctrove initially turned down a loud appeal for caught-behind, only to reverse his decision after consultation with the third umpire.

Though there was a faint nick as ball passed bat, Hot Spot showed no edge, and in the circumstances, the batsman ought to have been given the benefit of the doubt. Instead he was sent on his way for 2 from six balls, and at 87 for 2 in the 18th over, England had regained a toe-hold in the contest.

Parthiv, however, pushed on with impressive composure. He brought up his half-century from 66 balls with a steer to third man, as Virat Kohli bedded in at the other end. He had reached 11 from 23 balls at the 25-over mark, as India continued to build towards a defendable total.

England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Samit Patel, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 James Anderson, 11 Jade Dernbach

India 1 Parthiv Patel, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 MS Dhoni (capt/wk) 8 R Ashwin, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 R Vinay Kumar, 11 Munaf Patel.