India beat England in 1st ODI by 6 wickets and 28 balls to spare from the innings. India responded in impressive fashion by defeating England in the opening ODI at Edgbaston. After enduring a disappointing T20I series, the visitors delivered a disciplined all-round performance to begin the 50-over series with a convincing victory.
Strong contributions from both the bowlers and batters helped India chase down the target with confidence and take a 1-0 lead.
England chose to bat first but found scoring difficult against a disciplined Indian attack.
Openers Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell negotiated the new ball well and added 61 runs for the first wicket. However, both batters departed in the same over, triggering a dramatic collapse.
The hosts slipped to 80 for 5 and suddenly found themselves under serious pressure.
Joe Root then steadied the innings after surviving an early chance. He partnered Liam Dawson in a valuable 121-run stand that revived England’s hopes.
Both players registered well-compiled half-centuries, with Dawson recording the highest ODI score of his career. Root remained unbeaten on 76 and guided England to a competitive total.
India’s bowlers shared the workload effectively. Axar Patel produced the standout performance with four wickets, while Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna claimed two each. Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube also chipped in with a wicket apiece.
India started the chase positively in 1st ODI against England before losing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in quick succession.
Despite those setbacks, Shubman Gill remained calm and played with confidence.
The opener built an excellent 101-run partnership with captain Shreyas Iyer, shifting the momentum firmly in India’s favour.
Gill looked set for a century but was forced to retire hurt on 80 after struggling with cramps.
Soon after, India suffered another setback when Iyer was run out following a mix-up. KL Rahul also departed shortly afterwards, giving England a brief opportunity to fight back.
With the match still requiring a composed finish, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar stepped up.
The pair avoided unnecessary risks, rotated the strike regularly, and punished loose deliveries whenever the opportunity arose.
Axar completed an outstanding all-round performance by following his four-wicket haul with a well-made half-century.
Sundar also reached a deserved fifty as the unbeaten partnership removed any remaining doubt about the result.
Their unbroken stand of 102 runs guided India home with nearly five overs remaining.
England had moments in 1st ODI where they could have changed the course of the match against India.
Jofra Archer and Sam Curran struck early to put India under pressure, while Harry Brook produced a sharp run-out to briefly revive the contest.
However, the hosts failed to build sustained pressure after those breakthroughs.
The bowlers also struggled to make full use of helpful seam-friendly conditions, while the spin attack failed to make the expected impact.
Looking back, England may also question some tactical decisions, particularly their bowling combination on a pitch that continued to assist the fast bowlers.
The victory gives India an ideal beginning to the ODI series after their difficult T20I campaign.
The visitors combined disciplined bowling, responsible batting, and calm finishing under pressure to outplay England.
The result also extends India’s impressive record against England in One-Day Internationals, marking a sixth consecutive ODI victory over their rivals while ending England’s long unbeaten run at Edgbaston.
With confidence restored, India will now look to build on this momentum in the remaining matches, while England will aim to respond quickly and level the series.