India began their three-match ODI series against England on a winning note with a commanding six-wicket victory at Edgbaston, taking a 1-0 lead. Axar Patel starred with a brilliant all-round performance, claiming four wickets before scoring an unbeaten half-century, while Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar also made valuable contributions in the successful chase of 259. Despite the comprehensive win, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the visitors have a couple of important concerns to address before heading into the second ODI.
Irfan Pathan identifies injury concerns ahead of next ODI
While India’s performance left little room for criticism, Pathan pointed out that the fitness of Gill and Gurnoor Singh Brar will be closely monitored over the coming days. Gill, who looked in sublime touch with a fluent 80 at the top of the order, was forced to retire hurt after suffering cramps during his innings. Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Gurnoor also appeared to pick up an injury during England’s innings, raising doubts over his availability for the remainder of the series. Speaking on JioStar after the match, Pathan admitted that the injuries were his biggest takeaway from India’s otherwise impressive outing.
“For the Indian team, my main concern would be how serious Gurnoor Brar’s injury is and how serious Shubman Gill’s hamstring issue is, considering he retired hurt. Those are the two things I will be watching closely,” Pathan said.
The former India all-rounder added that if both players recover in time, India should avoid making unnecessary changes to a winning combination, despite ongoing discussions about introducing wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav into the playing XI.
“Apart from that, if both of them are fit, I don’t think India need to make many changes, even though there might be discussions around Kuldeep Yadav’s inclusion,” he added.
India’s current combination delivered strongly in the opening ODI, with Axar Patel leading the bowling attack through career-best figures of 4/62 before returning to finish the chase with an unbeaten 57. Washingtons also impressed with an unbeaten half-century, while Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna kept England’s batting in check during crucial phases.
India aim to carry winning momentum into second ODI
With the series now tilted in India’s favour, expectations have naturally grown ahead of the second ODI. Fans will hope the team can build on the confidence gained from the Edgbaston victory and wrap up the series before the final match.
The batting unit showed resilience after early setbacks, while the bowling attack displayed the ability to strike at important moments despite Joe Root and Liam Dawson‘s strong partnership for England. Those performances have given India plenty of positives as they prepare for the next contest.
However, the availability of Gill and Brar could influence the team’s selection plans. Gill’s form at the top of the order has been a major boost, and Brar provided useful breakthroughs with the ball before leaving the field with discomfort.
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