Axar Patel starred with both bat and ball in the first ODI against England.
Axar Patel starred with both bat and ball as India outclassed England by six wickets in the first game of the three-ODI series at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Tuesday (July 14).
The spin all-rounder registered a four-wicket haul (4/62) to help India bundle out the Three Lions for 258 in 47.5 overs after their skipper Harry Brook won the toss and opted to bat first.
During the chase, the visitors found themselves in a bit of trouble at 160/4 after skipper Shubman Gill (retired hurt with cramps) set up the chase with an elegant 80 off 75 balls.
However, any hopes of an England comeback were decisively shut down by Axar (57*) and Washington Sundar (52). The duo weathered a hostile fast-bowling spell from Jofra Archer before taking apart England's spinners in an unbroken 102-run partnership to take the tourists over the line with 28 balls remaining.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Axar expressed satisfaction over his performance following a 4-0 debacle in the T20I series.
“Obviously the way T20 series went, I think this is the perfect start for us. And very happy the way I performed today,” quoted Axar after receiving the Player-of-the-Match award.
Reflecting on his spell with the ball, Axar said he focused on tactical discipline, specifically varying his pace and bowling tight lines rather than relying purely on pitch turn.
“I think I bowled under a particular area. I thought I have to bowl, you know, vary my pace and bowl stump to stump. And I did exactly what I wanted to do. And I'm lucky that I got the four wickets,” he added.
Axar Patel emphasized match awareness during the run chase, noting that India's strong start allowed him and Sundar to focus on strike rotation and partnership building rather than risky big shots.
“In the batting, I think we got a very good start, and then we have to just know that we are ahead of the game. So we have to just rotate the strike and we have to finish the game well,” Axar remarked.
“When I went there, I think Washington was there. We were thinking about that we are down a couple of wickets just now, we have to build a partnership right now. And after four, five overs, we'll think about what we have to do because the way we got the start, I think we are ahead of the game. So we have to just build the partnership and just finish the game,” he concluded.
The second ODI between India and England scheduled to take place at Cardiff on Thursday (July 16).