Talking Points: A Grand Comeback for India and Axar
India needed this win badly.
After a difficult few weeks on tour, the ODI format gave India a reset button — and they pressed it at the right time. The fast bowlers first put England under serious pressure, reducing them to 80/5, before Axar Patel and Washington Sundar handled a tense chase with maturity.
Change in Format, Change in Fortune
India came into the ODI series under pressure after a winless run in recent matches. The shift to 50-over cricket also brought back some senior names and gave the team a different rhythm.
Jasprit Bumrah’s return to ODI cricket was one of the biggest positives. Playing his first 50-over game for India in almost three years, he immediately looked sharp and helped set the tone with the new ball.
England’s Bethell Experiment Starts Slowly
England tried a new opening combination, pushing Jacob Bethell up the order with Ben Duckett. But the move did not click in the first attempt.
Bethell struggled against early movement, took 13 balls to get off the mark, and eventually fell after finding the fielder in the deep. It was not the start England wanted from their newest top-order experiment.
Dawson Strengthens His Case
Liam Dawson gave England one of their biggest positives. With the top order collapsing, Dawson showed calm under pressure and built an important partnership with Joe Root.
At 36, and with limited ODI appearances behind him, Dawson made a strong case for a longer run in England’s 50-over plans. His maiden ODI fifty also made him the second-oldest English cricketer to reach that milestone.
Root Remains England’s Mr. Dependable
Joe Root once again showed why he remains England’s most reliable ODI batter. After arriving with wickets falling around him, he stabilised the innings and brought up his fourth consecutive fifty-plus score in the format.
Root could have pushed England closer to a stronger total, but he ran out of support at the death as the lower order fell while trying to attack Axar.
India’s Senior Trio Miss Out
India won, but not everything went perfectly.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul all failed with the bat, combining for only 17 runs. Rohit struggled for timing, Kohli lost his battle against Jofra Archer, and Rahul chopped on early when India needed calm after Gill was forced off with an injury.
That made the Axar-Washington partnership even more important.
Axar’s Grand Comeback
This was Axar Patel’s day.
Axar’s last ODI before this match had come in Sydney last year, and he had since been fighting for a place among India’s finger-spinning allrounders. In Birmingham, he gave the selectors a loud reminder of his value.
With the ball, he broke England’s century partnership and then cleaned up the tail. With the bat, he absorbed pressure during the chase and led a crucial partnership with Washington Sundar that guided India home. A four-wicket haul, an unbeaten fifty and the Player of the Match award made it a complete all-round performance.
Interesting Angle for Sportish
The most interesting part of this win is that it came without India’s biggest batting names doing the job.
Rohit, Kohli and Rahul all missed out, yet India still chased successfully because Axar and Washington stepped up in a pressure phase. That makes this win bigger than just a series opener. It shows India have all-round depth in ODI cricket — and Axar may have just moved ahead in the spin-allrounder race.
Key Takeaway
India’s ODI campaign began with relief and revival. Axar Patel’s all-round show gave them a much-needed win, Bumrah’s return added new-ball bite, and Washington Sundar’s calm support proved crucial. For England, Root and Dawson offered resistance, but their top-order collapse left too much to repair.
Axar Patel owned Birmingham.
Four wickets, an unbeaten fifty and a Player of the Match award — India finally ended their winless run on tour with a much-needed ODI comeback against England.
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