India made a winning start to the three-match ODI series against England with a comfortable six-wicket victory at Edgbaston on Tuesday, July 14. Chasing 259, the visitors overcame early setbacks thanks to crucial contributions from Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel after the bowlers had earlier combined to bundle England out for 258 in 47.5 overs.
Opting to bat first, England endured a shaky start as Jasprit Bumrah made an immediate impact on his return to ODI cricket, dismissing captain Harry Brook for just one. Gurnoor Brar also impressed by removing Ben Duckett (43) and Jacob Bethell (14), while Prasidh Krishna struck twice in quick succession to send Jos Buttler and Sam Curran back cheaply.
Reduced to 88/6, England found a saviour in Joe Root, who once again showcased his class with a composed 76*. The experienced batter stitched together a vital partnership with Liam Dawson, who played a fighting knock of 68, to take the hosts past the 250-run mark.
Just when England looked set for an even bigger total, Axar Patel turned the game in India’s favour. The left-arm spinner cleaned up the lower order, claiming four wickets, including Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, and Josh Tongue, as England were bowled out for 258.
India’s chase began on a disappointing note as Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 11 by Sam Curran, while Virat Kohli’s landmark 300th ODI innings ended on just five after he was trapped LBW by Jofra Archer.
With the visitors under early pressure, captain Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings with a crucial partnership. Gill looked fluent throughout his stay, striking 80 off 75 deliveries before retiring hurt after experiencing discomfort in his right leg.
The injury forced India to reshuffle their batting order, and England briefly sensed an opening when Iyer (35) was run out before KL Rahul departed for just one.
Axar and Washington finish the job
With India still needing over 100 runs, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel came together to produce a match-winning stand. The duo batted with maturity, rotated the strike well, and punished loose deliveries to take the game away from England.
Washington remained unbeaten on 52, while Axar capped off a brilliant all-round outing with an unbeaten 57 off 52 balls. Their unbeaten 102-run partnership guided India to 262/4 in 45.2 overs, sealing a convincing six-wicket victory and giving the visitors a 1-0 lead in the series.
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