England's selection decisions backfired as Axar Patel and Washington Sundar shared an unbeaten century partnership to steer India to a six-wicket victory in the first ODI at Edgbaston. Chasing 259, India reached 262-4 with 28 balls to spare, handing England their 13th ODI loss under head coach Brendon McCullum since he took charge of white-ball teams in early 2024.
England's batting collapse and recovery
England were bowled out for 258 in the 48th over after a collapse of six wickets for 46 runs, which captain Harry Brook described as "the difference" between the sides. Joe Root top-scored with an unbeaten 76, while Liam Dawson contributed 68 from 83 balls after coming in at 107-6. Their 121-run partnership revived the innings, but England lost their last four wickets for 30 runs.
India's Gurnoor Brar, a 6ft 5in fast bowler from Punjab, triggered the collapse by dismissing Jacob Bethell for 14 and Ben Duckett for 43. Jasprit Bumrah, playing his first ODI since the 2023 World Cup final, removed Brook for a duck. Prasidh Krishna claimed two wickets, including Jos Buttler for five.
India's chase and match-winning stand
Shubman Gill led India's reply with a fluent 80 before retiring hurt due to cramp. Despite losing Rohit Sharma (11), Virat Kohli (5), Shreyas Iyer (run out for 35), and KL Rahul (1), Patel (57 off 52) and Sundar (52 off 63) guided India home with a composed 108-run stand. Sundar sealed the win by hitting Adil Rashid for a six over long-on.
Brook admitted England's bowling attack lacked depth, having selected five spinners and only three seamers. An extra seamer would have meant dropping Dawson, but the all-rounder's performance proved crucial. Brook said: "The difference was losing six for 46. We got ourselves into a good position but didn't capitalise."
Selection concerns and future outlook
England have now slipped to eighth in the ODI rankings, with just six wins in 19 matches under McCullum. Brook defended the team's approach, saying the next 50-over World Cup in 2027 is "a long way off." However, the result underscores England's struggles in the format, contrasting with their T20 success.
For India, the win avenged their 4-0 T20 series defeat. Gill's brilliant form at Edgbaston continued after he scored 430 runs in a Test at the same venue last year. Patel finished with 4-62, including the wickets of England's tail, while Sundar's all-round contribution proved decisive.
