England's ODI slump deepens with series-opening loss to India
India defeated England by six wickets at Edgbaston, extending the host nation's poor one-day international record and raising further questions about the team's direction.
India secured a six-wicket victory over England in the first one-day international at Edgbaston, chasing down a target of 259 with 4.4 overs to spare. The result marks a sharp turnaround for India following a 4-0 T20I series whitewash, while compounding England's ongoing struggles in the 50-over format.
England's innings unravelled during a disastrous four-over stretch that saw the side collapse from 61-0 to 80-5. Openers Ben Duckett (43) and Jacob Bethell (14) had provided a solid foundation, recording England's highest ODI opening partnership in 10 matches, before Gurnoor Brar dismissed both in three balls.
Captain Harry Brook fell for a single run to Jasprit Bumrah, and Jos Buttler—making his 200th ODI appearance—was dismissed for five. A rescue effort followed as Liam Dawson scored a maiden ODI half-century (68) alongside Joe Root, who top-scored with an unbeaten 76. Their 121-run partnership steered England to 258 all out from 47.5 overs.
India's response was anchored by captain Shubman Gill, who scored 80 off 75 balls before retiring with a hamstring injury. The loss of Rohit Sharma (11) and Virat Kohli (5) to England's seamers briefly gave the hosts hope. However, a composed 102-run unbroken partnership between Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, who both scored fifties, secured the win. Axar, who had earlier cleaned up the England tail to finish with figures of 4-62, scored an unbeaten 57 off 41 balls.
For English cricket, this defeat represents the seventh loss in the team's last 10 ODIs. This dismal run undermines the competitive standing of the national side in a format that remains a cornerstone of the international schedule and a major draw for broadcast partners.
Brook acknowledged the damage done during the middle overs. "I think we lost 5-20 in that middle period, which is always going to put us on the back foot," he said, noting the pitch slowed down and allowed India to cruise at a low run rate. Gill praised his lower-middle order, stating their ability to finish the job gave him confidence as a captain leading a relatively young bowling attack.
England will hope the return of seamer Brydon Carse to the squad can bolster their attack for the second ODI in Cardiff on Thursday. The series concludes at Lord's on Sunday. For India, the result provides a crucial shift in momentum following their T20I struggles.
