India have defeated England by six wickets in the first ODI of the three-match series at Edgbaston. Axar Patelโs match-winning all-round performance and Shubman Gillโs composed half-century propelled India to return to winning ways after six consecutive T20I defeats and it will now give them plenty of confidence ahead of the remaining two ODIs.ย
Notably, chasing 259 runs, India endured early setbacks as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fell cheaply in successive overs inside the powerplay. Rohit was dismissed for 11 after mistiming an attempted attack against Sam Curran, while Jofra Archer trapped Kohli lbw for five, leaving India under early pressure.
Gill then took charge of the chase with a determined 80 off 75 balls. The opener anchored the innings after the early blows and combined with Shreyas Iyer for a crucial 101-run partnership that shifted momentum back in India’s favour. However, his innings was cut short when he walked off after appearing to suffer discomfort in his right leg.
After Gill, India suffered for a while, as Shreyas and KL Rahul failed to live up to their potential. The T20I skipper departed, adding 35 runs, while Rahul made only one. As the visitors were reduced to 160/4, they were under plenty of pressure, as another defeat was on the cards.ย
Axar Patel proved decisive in both innings
India were in dire need of some stability and thatโs when Axar stood up. His batting was under heavy scrutiny in white-ball cricket, but the southpaw played an important knock to bail India out of trouble. He made unbeaten 57 runs off 52 balls, guiding the chase alongside Washington Sundar, who was equally effective with the bat. The Chennai-born added unbeaten 52 runs as India got the job done with 28 balls remaining.ย
Meanwhile, Axarโs contribution was vital not only with the bat but also earlier in the match, when his four-wicket haul helped restrict England to 258 runs. The hosts were put in a troublesome situation in the first innings as the Indian bowlers produced a dominant show, but the pair of Joe Root and Liam Dawson proved to be tough cookies. Their partnership of 121 runs was proving to bring England back into the contest, but thatโs when Axar removed Dawson for 68 runs.ย Root, on the other hand, made unbeaten 76 runs.ย
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With the win, India now lead the series 1-0. The second ODI will be played on Thursday, July 16, in Cardiff.
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