India put in all-round show to secure 1-0 lead in ODI series against England
Team India returned to winning ways, triumphing over England in the ODI series opener in Birmingham. Not only did they win emphatically, but they also ended England’s 12-year winning streak at Edgbaston.
All-round dominance from the visitors left the hosts stunned, and despite a late resurgence with the bat, it wasn’t enough for the Three Lions to find their way back into the game.
Winning the toss, England opted to bat first. Ben Duckett (43) and Jacob Bethell (14) got off to a decent start, with the duo adding 61 runs for the opening stand before India drew first blood.
It was Gurnoor Brar whose double strike sent the two English openers packing within the space of three balls.
India doubled down on the pressure as Jasprit Bumrah struck to get the better of Harry Brook (1) in the very next over. With three wickets down in the space of six balls, England began to wobble. Prasidh Krishna further complicated matters, removing Jos Buttler (5) soon after. Things got worse for the hosts as India struck twice more, sending Sam Curran (0) and Will Jacks (19) packing.
Stuttering at 107/6, England needed a rescue act to steady the ship. It was Joe Root (76*) and Liam Dawson (68) who combined for the recovery, adding 121 runs for the seventh wicket to keep England alive in the game.
Despite the runs flowing, the scoring rate remained a concern, and India capitalised on it as Axar Patel dismissed Dawson to end the stand. His fall opened the floodgates, and the Indian bowlers didn’t need a second invitation. Root remained rooted to the other end while India chipped away at the rest of the English batting line-up, bundling them out for 258.
Axar Patel was the pick of the Indian bowlers, leading the way with figures of 4/62, while Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar picked up a brace each. India were set a target of 259 to win.
Shubman Gill propelled India to a fine start, but the hosts hit back in quick succession as two of India’s best, Rohit Sharma (11) and Virat Kohli (5), were back in the pavilion before the innings could truly get going.
Just when it looked like a repeat of the T20I series, India found their captain taking over the reins. Shreyas Iyer chimed in with a solid show of resistance, playing anchor to Shubman Gill’s clinical hitting at the other end.
Iyer (35) and Gill added 101 runs for the third wicket before Gill retired hurt, batting on 80 at the time.
England did strike twice in quick succession soon after, removing Iyer and the incoming KL Rahul (1) to leave India wobbling. However, the fifth-wicket stand between Washington Sundar and Axar allayed the sudden fears.
The pair played a controlled knock, tempering England’s hopes of running away with another win. The duo piled up 102 runs for the fifth wicket, with Axar leading the charge on an unbeaten 57 off just 52 balls, while Sundar anchored the innings at the other end with 52 off 63.
Axar and Sundar took India across the finish line with more than four overs to spare and six wickets in hand. Axar Patel won the Player of the Match award for his sensational all-round performance.
