India captain Shubman Gill praised his side’s all-round effort after the Men in Blue defeated England by six wickets with 28 balls remaining in the first ODI at Edgbaston on Tuesday, July 14. The result gave India a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and marked a strong response after a difficult run in recent white-ball cricket. Speaking after the match, Gill highlighted the importance of India’s lower middle order, especially Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, whose unbeaten half-centuries guided the team home after a brief top-order wobble.

He also acknowledged the pressure England created during the game before India fought back strongly to take control in the closing stages. England captain Harry Brook had won the toss and elected to bat first, with both sides announcing their XIs on the eve of the match. India fielded three seamers and two spinners, while Jasprit Bumrah returned to the ODI setup for the first time since the 2023 World Cup final. England began cautiously against Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna before Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell tried to accelerate in the powerplay.

Duckett dominated the early overs, especially against young pacer Gurnoor Brar, but the left-arm quick responded well after the change of ends. Bethell fell for 14, and Duckett was dismissed for 43 in the same over, giving India the breakthrough they needed. England then collapsed in the middle overs, losing five wickets for just 19 runs and slipping under serious pressure.

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However, Joe Root and Liam Dawson steadied the innings with a 121-run stand for the seventh wicket. Dawson made 68 off 83 balls, while Root remained unbeaten on 76 as England were eventually bowled out for 258. Axar Patel was India’s standout bowler, finishing with 4/62 and breaking the crucial partnership at a decisive moment.

India’s reply began on a steady note, with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill looking settled early on. But the chase briefly stumbled when Rohit miscued a big shot and departed for 11, followed soon after by Virat Kohli, who was dismissed for just 5. That left India under pressure despite the target looking gettable.

Gill then combined with Shreyas Iyer for a vital 101-run partnership off 103 balls, rebuilding the innings with composure. The India captain looked in excellent touch before retiring hurt on 80 with a possible hamstring issue, while Iyer was run out for 35 after a sharp direct hit from Harry Brook.

With the game still in the balance, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar took charge. The pair added a match-winning 102 runs for the unfinished fifth wicket, both finishing unbeaten with Axar on 57 and Sundar on 52. Their composed partnership took India over the line and underlined the depth in the batting lineup.

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Gill later praised both players for stepping up under pressure, saying lower-order contributions give the team tremendous confidence. He also pointed to India’s bowling spells in the middle overs and said the team will continue to test combinations as it builds toward future challenges.

“When you see the lower order finish like that, it gives you a lot of confidence. It was more about our combination and wanting to bowl first. We back our batting order to chase. Our bowling in the middle overs was decent. We were put under pressure but bounced back by taking five wickets. We’ll try to see which combination gives the best depth. The conditions here will be similar to South Africa. The ball was kicking off, and if we can test different combinations, it’ll be great for us,” Shubman Gill said.