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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma might have failed to perform in their comeback match, but Axar Patel and Washington Sundar turned up as heroes for the India National Cricket Team in the first ODI against England at Edgbaston on Tuesday (July 14).
Sundar came to bat number five after captain Shubman Gill retired hurt because of the possible hamstring injury and played a remarkable knock to help India register a superb six-wicket win over England to take a 1-0 lead in the ongoing three-match ODI series. Earlier in the match, Axar Patel creates history with career-best spell against England.
Washington Sundar silences critics with match-winning knock against England
Washington Sundar has been under scrutiny over his role in the India National Cricket Team, with many former cricketers slamming Gautam Gambhir and team management for continuously backing the spin all-rounder across the formats.
However, when the Men in Blue needed it the most after Shubman Gill was forced to leave the ground after playing a remarkable knock of 80 runs off 75 balls, Sundar took charge and batted brilliantly under the pressure and finished the match with a stunning six off Adil Rashid at Edgbaston.
Axar Patel, Washington Sundar rescue India with match-winning century stand
After Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul fell cheaply, Axar Patel and Sundar took charge as the duo added an unbeaten 102-run partnership for the seventh wicket to make sure of India’s stunning victory.
While Sundar smashed an unbeaten 52 off 63 balls, Axar played an attacking knock of 57* off 52 balls against England. Amid this, Harry Brook delivers honest verdict after England stumble against India in 1st ODI.
The first ODI completely belonged to Axar Patel, as the all-rounder has not only stepped up and delivered with the bat but was also on fire with the ball. The left-arm spinner delivered a record-breaking spell of 4/62 in 9.5 overs to help the Men in Blue restrict England to 258.
Player of the Match Axar Patel hails India's 'Perfect Start' after T20I setback
After India’s stunning win over England, Axar was named Player of the Match for his all-round efforts in the first ODI at Edgbaston. After receiving the award, the all-rounder said that India got the perfect start to the ODI series after the disappointing T20I series, and he was happy with his performance.
A truly flawless all-round performance 🌟
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 14, 2026
Axar Patel bags the well-deserved POTM award for his 4️⃣-wicket haul and vital half-century 🔥
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/2sg194tpxH #TeamIndia | #ENGvIND | @akshar2026 pic.twitter.com/eSGYHXzXll
Speaking about his bowling plans, the left-arm spinner has explained that his plan was to bowl straight, mix up his pace, and make it difficult for the England batters. Axar also praised Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar for their brilliant batting that kept India in the game.
Axar Patel said at the post-match presentation as quoted by Cricbuzz: “The way the T20 series went, this is the perfect start for us. Very happy with the way I performed today. I had to bowl stump-to-stump and vary my pace. In the batting, we got a very good start.
We just had to rotate the strike. When I went there, Washi was there. We wanted to build a partnership. We were ahead of the game.”
India end England's unbeaten ODI streak at Edgbaston
Notably, India created history with a brilliant win over England in the first ODI at Edgbaston. With this win, India ended England’s seven-match winning streak in the ODIs since 2015 at Edgbaston.
This win also marked India's sixth consecutive ODI win over England, their longest-ever winning streak against the Three Lions in the 50-over format of the game.
