Road to South Africa up and running: Washington Sundar, Axar Patel bowl at Edgbaston Bat and Ball Cricket News

Axar Patel (left) and Washington Sundar scored an unbeaten 102 for the fifth wicket in the first ODI against England. (BCCI|X)

TimesofIndia.com in Birmingham: All-rounder Axar Patel and washington sundar successful boot indian team He scored 259 runs in the chase in the first ODI against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Tuesday. The six-match win ended India’s three-week winless run in England, where they lost 0-2 to Ireland and beat England 0-4 in the T20I series. The win also extended India’s unbeaten run against England in ODIs to six consecutive matches and also ended England’s seven-match winning streak at Edgbaston.A 102-run stand for the fifth wicket between Aksa and Washington, under a scorching sun, dispelled the cloud that briefly hung over India on its way to victory. Within about 20 minutes, India captain Shubman Gill succumbed to cramps, Shreyas Iyer was ruled out injured, and KL Rahul dragged a long-range shot to the stumps. As the trio returned to the hut, India’s score rose from 149/2 to 160/4 in an instant. A 101-run partnership between Gill (80 off 75 balls) and Iyer (35 off 53 balls) had England suddenly cheering in front of a crowd of 20,744. “Wonderwall”, “It’s Coming Home” and “Hey Jude” echoed around the pitch as Harry Kane’s side reached the semi-finals, combining with England’s rise at Edgbaston to spark World Cup fever.With 99 runs still required, the challenge is no longer to demand a run-rate of 4.5 plus but how to handle the sudden pressure after losing three quick wickets. Both Axar and Washington have just arrived at the crease and face a tough task. The left-handers were not left in trouble, the first left-handers in the Indian XI after four right-handers, and they handled the situation with aplomb.

India players Axar Patel and Washington Sundar celebrate their partnership during the first ODI against England at Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium on Tuesday. (Arnie photo)

The pair defeated Will Jacks and Sam Curran, scoring just nine points from four rounds. Adil Rashid’s re-entry freed Washington’s arms with a boundary and nine runs. The confidence of the two men increased significantly as Curran and Jacks continued to score 18 points in the next two rounds.Al-Aqsa is the protagonist of this stage. A tough sweep from Jacks and successive boundaries from Jofra Archer meant the runs started to flow comfortably. On the other end, Washington enjoys watching his teammates hit the ball.

“The way he hits the ball is magical and it’s a joy for me to watch from the other end,” he said at the post-match press conference.The next four rounds reflected the same calm approach. As the 50-run partnership came and went, the pair collected nine runs in three overs while completing Archer’s full quota of 10 overs. The next two rounds yielded another 19 points, slowing down Aksa and Washington again over the next three rounds.After chasing perfection, the pair’s confidence and momentum continued to grow, with Washington sealing the game with a brilliant shot in the 45th. A floaty pass from Adil Rashid was too full for the 26-year-old, who sailed the ball over the long-awaited boundary for the match-winning six.

Axar Patel (left) receives a warm welcome from the crowd after turning 50 in the first ODI against England at Edgbaston Stadium (BCCI | X)

“We feel we are a few wickets behind now and we have to build partnerships now. After four or five rounds we’ll think about what we have to do because of the way we started, I think we’re ahead of the game. So we had to build partnerships and finish the game,” explained Man of the Match Axar Patel.Captain Gill’s availability for the Cardiff ODI in two days’ time remains uncertain but he is happy to see India’s batting depth tested and coming through successfully.

When you see your middle-order and lower-middle order running like this and doing the team’s job, you gain a lot of confidence as a captain and top-order batsman

Shubman Gill

“When you see your middle-order and lower-middle order running like this and doing the job of the team, you gain a lot of confidence as a captain and as a top-order batsman,” Gill said in his speech.The first ODI showcased India coach Gautam Gambhir’s desire to have a left-handed bat ahead of KL Rahul. At Edgbaston, this role was filled by Washington. Axar was the first choice higher up the batting order during India’s Champions Trophy win last year. It also helps that Rahul has adapted to the No. 6 position. Since 2025, he has scored 291 points at the position, averaging 36.37 points and shooting 99.31. That’s not to say he didn’t leave his mark on the No. 1 spot. 5. The same goes for Axar, who has also been tested and delivered on the 5th.

Washington Sundar (right) and Axar Patel (left) scored half-centuries against England in the first ODI. (BCCI|X)

This selection dilemma may eventually resolve itself as only one of Aksa or Washington is likely to feature regularly in India’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. If Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana are fully fit, there might be only one spin bowling all-rounder left.So far, both Axar and Washington have put in stellar performances and India’s path to the 2027 ODI World Cup is on the right track.