Ben Stokes fires England to 350-7 in first India ODI

 Ben Stokes hit a quickfire half-century to help England post their highest-ever one-day international total against India, 350 for seven, in the first match of the series in Pune on Sunday.

Coming in at number six, Stokes hit a 40-ball 62 to pulverise the Indian bowling attack in Virat Kohli's first game as India's limited-overs skipper.

After being put in to bat, England lost Alex Hales early on. But opener Jason Roy (73) and Joe Root (78) added 69 for the second wicket to lay a solid foundation for their team-mates to build on.

Roy was dropped on 66 by Umesh Yadav at third man but failed to capitalise on the error and was stumped off Ravindra Jadeja seven runs later.

Roy's dominating 61-ball knock was laced with 12 boundaries to all parts of the ground. It was his sixth ODI half-century in his 33rd match.

Skipper Eoin Morgan, who hit a 26-ball 28, started his innings in dominating style but was caught behind off fast bowler Hardik Pandya.

Root, who joined the side on Thursday after the birth of his son, continued to pilot the innings and had support from Jos Buttler (31) and then Stokes.

Root's stay was cut short after a slower ball from Jasprit Bumrah had the batsman caught at long on.

Stokes, who hit two fours and five sixes, then took charge to smash his fifty in just 33 balls and push the England scoring in the final overs as boundaries came thick and fast.

England added 150 runs in the last eight overs of the innings. 

Stokes was finally out after mistiming a pull off Bumrah in the 48th over but the damage to the hosts had been done by then.

Seam bowlers Pandya and Bumrah claimed two wickets each.

source: AFP