Left-arm spin all-rounders Axar Patel and Washington Sundar shared a match-winning, unbroken fifth-wicket stand to guide India to a comprehensive six-wicket victory over England at Edgbaston on Tuesday. The young all-rounders stitched a sensational 102-run stand under heavy pressure to seal a dominant 1-0 lead for the Men in Blue in the three-match ODI series, with a tricky target of 259 to chase down.
It was the final ball of the game that proved to be the defining moment. Washington Sundar required just a few runs to win so he crouched low to spinner Adil Rashid and drove a full ball downtown, over the sight screen for a huge six. The big hit not only raised India’s official victory but also helped Sundar to a brilliant, unbeaten fifty, ending on 52 runs off 63 balls.
The perfect finishing touch. ✨
Washington Sundar brings up a brilliant half-century and finishes the chase in style.
✅ England suffer their first ODI defeat in Birmingham in 12 years.
✅ India register their sixth consecutive ODI win over England.#ENGvIND 2nd ODI 👉 THU,… pic.twitter.com/lJybyl8Bro— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 14, 2026
The Mid-Match WobbleÂ
India’s chase of 258 began on shaky ground. Openers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have been in good form, fell early and cheaply adding to the early pressure on the Indian middle order. But captain Shubman Gill was looking sublime, leading the rescue from the front with a stylish 80 off 75 balls, eleven boundaries and a six.
Gill’s cruel blow when he hobbled off with acute body cramps, retiring injured just when he looked set for a century. But India were soon in trouble at 160-4 losing Shreyas Iyer (35) and KL Rahul (1) in quick succession and the contest opened up.
All-Rounders Revive the Chase
Earlier, Axar Patel had bamboozled England’s batting line-up with spectacular bowling figures of 4 for 62, and now he joined forces with Washington Sundar to step up when India needed them the most. The two counter-attacked cleverly, systematically milking the English pacers to neutralise the threat. While Sundar played the anchor, Axar was the aggressor, racing to a brisk 57* off 52.
The clinical win comes as a huge tactical relief for India head coach Gautam Gambhir after a tough international run earlier in the UK tour. The teams are set to move to London for the second ODI match, where Sundar’s match-winning six is still the talk of cricket fans around the world, with the winning boundary caught vividly on match broadcasts.
