Parthiv's 95 pushes India to 274 for 7

50 overs India 274 for 7 (Parthiv 95, Kohli 55) v England
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	Parthiv Patel guided India towards a competitive total with a career-best 95 © Getty Images Enlarge
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Parthiv Patel, India's reserve wicketkeeper, fell five runs short of his maiden international century as India posted a competitive 274 for 7 in the first ODI against England at Chester-le-Street. After being asked to bat first under grey skies and on a seam-friendly surface, India overcame the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, who is suffering from an inflamed right toe, and displayed the sort of resolve that had been absent all too often during the recent Test series whitewash.

Alastair Cook's decision at the toss was influenced by the unusually early 10.15am start, but it was Parthiv and his ODI debutant sidekick Ajinkya Rahane who claimed the early initiative, as they reached 33 for 0 after a cautious first nine overs, before accelerating through the bowling Powerplay to post a first-wicket stand of 82 - India's highest in ten innings against England this summer, and their first in excess of 50 since the Lord's Test in July.

Parthiv, whose appearance in Wednesday's Twenty20 at Old Trafford had been his first against England since India's Test tour in 2002, showcased a range of eyecatching strokes including a confident pull to repel England's short-pitched approach, and a cunning ramp over the slips to dent James Anderson's figures after a typically tidy start to this day's work.

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 beyond that he was virtually chanceless until, with a hundred in his sights, he was lured into a wild drive to a wide ball from Anderson, and snicked a simple chance to the keeper, Craig Kieswetter.

Virat Kohli, who was unused in the Tests, backed up Parthiv's efforts with a battling 55 from 73 balls in a third-wicket stand of 103, while Suresh Raina again proved he's a transformed character in colouring clothing, as he racked up 38 from 29, including a brace of sixes off Broad and Jade Dernbach.

It was Dernbach who eventually extracted Raina in the penultimate over of the innings, courtesy of another brilliantly disguised slower ball - this time a bouncer - that took an eternity to reach the batsman and was eventually flapped to short backward square. MS Dhoni, whose form has been unconvincing so far on this tour, never quite got going to the same degree. He had managed 33 from 36 balls before feathering a loose carve off Bresnan, who then yorked R Ashwin first ball to keep India's total below 280 in a superb final over.

Despite their imposing total, India's batsmen did not have things all their own way. Rahul Dravid, in his first ODI appearance for two years, made 2 from six balls before suffering another controversial dismissal, following on from the shoe-lace incident at Edgbaston and the disputed bat-pad catch at The Oval, as umpire Billy Doctrove initially turned down an appeal for caught-behind off Stuart Broad, only for the decision to be reversed on review, despite no clear evidence from Hot Spot.

Broad, who had earlier removed Rahane for 40 from 44 balls via a top-edged pull to fine leg, was also responsible for a potentially significant injury to the hard-hitting Rohit Sharma, who came to the crease after Parthiv's departure, but lasted one delivery before being forced to retire hurt with a suspected dislocated finger. An excellent lifter from Broad rapped Sharma on the gloves, and he was in clear pain as the physio attempted to pull the damaged joint back into position.

With six wins out of six so far on India's tour, England came into the contest brimful of confidence, but without their star spinner, Graeme Swann, who failed to recover from a virus and was replaced by Patel. India, however, were unable to defend a similarly competitive total of 165 in the Twenty20 on Wednesday. With just four frontline bowlers, much will depend on their back-up spinners, on a pitch that did not offer much turn in the first innings.

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.