Brilliant Axar Patel Leads India Past England To Clinch First ODI And Series Advantage

India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series after registering a convincing six-wicket victory against England at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

Axar Patel emerged as the standout performer, excelling with both ball and bat to steer the visitors to a well-earned success.

England looked well placed after Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell stitched together a 61-run opening stand. Their progress, however, was halted by Gurnoor Brar, whose twin strikes sparked a dramatic collapse that saw the hosts slip from 61 without loss to 80 for five.

Veteran batter Joe Root then anchored the innings with a composed unbeaten 76, while Liam Dawson struck his maiden ODI fifty, making 68. Their 121-run partnership revived England’s hopes before Axar Patel dismissed the lower order to finish with outstanding figures of 4 for 62. England finished their innings on 258 in 47.5 overs.

India began their chase of 259 confidently before England dismissed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the opening overs, putting the visitors under early pressure.

Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer responded positively, adding 101 runs for the third wicket to regain control of the contest.

Gill appeared destined for a century before retiring hurt on 80 because of cramps, while Iyer contributed a valuable 35.

England briefly fought back by removing Iyer and KL Rahul in quick succession, but Axar Patel and Washington Sundar extinguished any hopes of a comeback.

The pair shared an unbroken 102-run stand for the fifth wicket, with Axar compiling an unbeaten 57 and Sundar celebrating his maiden ODI half-century with an unbeaten 52.

Sundar fittingly completed the chase by launching the winning runs over the boundary, as India reached 262 for four with 28 deliveries remaining.

Brief Scores

England: 258 all out in 47.5 overs (Joe Root 76*, Liam Dawson 68; Axar Patel 4/62, Prasidh Krishna 2/50)

India: 262/4 in 45.2 overs (Shubman Gill 80 retired hurt, Axar Patel 57*, Washington Sundar 52*; Sam Curran 1/55, Josh Tongue 1/50)

Result: India won by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

Also Read: India Bowl Out England For 258 As Axar Patel Claims Career-Best 4-62