India finally have something to smile about. After a miserable T20I tour that ended in a 4-0 whitewash, they hit back in style in the first ODI at Edgbaston, beating England by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The star of the day was Axar Patel, who produced one of the great all-round performances — four wickets with the ball, and then an unbeaten 57 to finish the chase. It is the kind of double that hardly ever happens: Axar became only the sixth Indian man to score a fifty and take a four-wicket haul in the same ODI, and the first since Hardik Pandya managed it against England in Manchester back in 2022.
This was also England's first ODI defeat at Edgbaston since 2014.
Axar's four-for keeps England to 257
England, who had looked unstoppable in the T20Is, could not carry that form into the 50-over format. Their batting never got going, and Axar was the man who kept dragging them back.
The left-arm spinner struck in pairs — three times in the day he took two wickets in an over — and finished with four wickets as England were bowled out for 257.
Joe Root was the one man who stood firm, finishing unbeaten on 76 and doing his best to hold the innings together. With Liam Dawson chipping in useful runs, England reached a total that at least gave them something to bowl at. But on a good Edgbaston surface, 258 was never going to be enough against a full-strength India.
India wobble before Axar and Washington finish it
The chase did not start the way India wanted. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill went along steadily in the first few overs, but Jofra Archer was fired up with the new ball and England struck twice inside the first 10 overs, removing both Rohit and Virat Kohli.
That brought captain Shubman Gill to the front, and he responded superbly. Batting with control on a pitch offering extra bounce, he brought up another fifty and moved smoothly to 80, making a tricky chase look simple alongside Shreyas Iyer.
Then, suddenly, it all went wrong. Gill, who had been struggling with cramps, retired hurt with a problem in his right hamstring. Almost immediately, England pounced — Iyer was run out after a moment of hesitation, and KL Rahul was bowled soon after. India had lost three batters in the space of just 11 runs and were suddenly 160 for 4, with the game hanging in the balance.
That is when Axar Patel and Washington Sundar took over.
They did not panic. They milked ones and twos, refused to take risks, and slowly squeezed the pressure back onto England. The runs came steadily, the required rate never climbed out of reach, and England ran out of ideas.
Both men finished with unbeaten fifties — Axar on 57, Washington on 52 — and their stand of 102 not out sealed the win with plenty to spare.
What this win means for India
For India, this is more than just one win. It is proof that the ODI side is a very different beast from the T20I team that was swept aside.
The senior players brought calm, Gill led from the front with the bat before his injury, and the all-rounders finally delivered in both departments. Axar and Washington have often been questioned for not contributing enough with bat or ball — on Tuesday, they did both, exactly when India needed it.
The one big worry is Gill's hamstring. India will be watching his fitness closely ahead of the second ODI.
For England, the T20I bubble has burst. Their batting let them down badly, and this defeat continues a poor run in 50-over cricket — they came into this series on the back of a 3-0 whitewash away to New Zealand.
ENG vs IND 1st ODI Result
England: 257 all out (Joe Root 76*; Axar Patel 4 wickets)
India: chased down 258 with six wickets in hand (Shubman Gill 80 retired hurt, Axar Patel 57*, Washington Sundar 52*)
Result: India won by 6 wickets and lead the series 1-0 Check Full Scorecard
India will take huge confidence from this. The second ODI is in Cardiff, and after weeks of bad news, the Men in Blue finally have momentum on their side.
Image Credit: BCCI X Account
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