England 258 lost to India 262-4 by six wickets

All-rounders combine for a century partnership to secure the win

England’s recent rise to No 1 in the men’s T20 international rankings has partly safeguarded Brendon McCullum’s position as head coach, yet the one-day format continues to expose frailties within his side.

A six-wicket loss to India in the opening ODI at Edgbaston marked England’s 13th defeat in the format since McCullum took charge of the white-ball setup early last year. Only six wins have come in that period – half of them against a struggling West Indies – leaving England languishing in eighth place in the global standings.

For India, this result offered redemption following their 4-0 T20 series defeat. Shubman Gill played a graceful knock of 80 to guide his side to a target of 259 with 28 deliveries remaining, having earlier captained his bowlers with assurance. After scoring 430 runs at this venue during last year’s Test, his remarkable record in Birmingham continues.

McCullum and Harry Brook appeared to misjudge a dry pitch that produced inconsistent bounce for the seamers, leading to repeated blows on the hands throughout the match.

Brook’s selection of five spinners and just three pace bowlers left England short of genuine wicket-taking options, forcing him to use the majority of Jofra Archer’s overs early in the innings.

An additional seamer would likely have meant omitting Liam Dawson, yet the all-rounder proved invaluable. Coming to the crease at 107 for six in the 22nd over, Dawson’s 68 off 83 balls, combined with an unbeaten 76 from Joe Root, at least gave England a total to defend.

England briefly sensed a comeback when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were dismissed for 11 and five respectively. However, Gill looked in imperious touch, punishing Josh Tongue early before retiring hurt due to cramp after making significant inroads into the target.

A brief stutter followed as Shreyas Iyer was run out for 35 by a direct hit from Brook, and Tongue bowled KL Rahul for just one, leaving India 160 for four after 28 overs. But any hope of a collapse faded as Axar Patel (57 from 52 balls) and Washington Sundar (52 from 63) guided India home with unbeaten half-centuries.

For England, the defining moment came in their first collapse – losing six wickets for 46 runs after an opening stand of 61 – which Brook later admitted was “the difference”.

The slide began with Gurnoor Brar, the tall fast bowler from Punjab, who dismissed Jacob Bethell for 14 and had Ben Duckett caught in the deep for 43.

The key breakthrough, however, came from a familiar source. Jasprit Bumrah, returning for his first ODI since the 2023 World Cup final, found Brook’s edge with his third delivery. Despite having dropped out of the official rankings due to inactivity, his class remains unquestioned.

Gill’s shrewd management of his pace attack paid dividends as Prasidh Krishna claimed two wickets, removing Jos Buttler (five), Sam Curran (nought) and Will Jacks (20).

England’s total might have been far lower had Shivam Dube held a return catch off Root on seven – a chance that allowed the 121-run partnership with Dawson to flourish. The full day’s play, in turn, ensured maximum fundraising for the prostate cancer charity established in Bob Willis’s memory.

Root was left frustrated at the end, watching the final four wickets tumble for just 30 runs as England were bowled out for 258 inside 48 overs. Though not the most explosive hitter, Root might have added crucial runs with greater support beyond Dawson.

Patel cleaned up England’s tail with four for 62, operating in the closing overs after Brar succumbed to cramp. His greater influence, however, came during the chase, where his composed yet assertive batting maintained India’s momentum.

With an extra seamer and a few more runs to defend, Brook’s side might have produced a different outcome. As it stood, he could do little to halt the decisive partnership before Sundar sealed victory – and his own half-century – by lofting Adil Rashid back over his head for six.

England may currently be thriving in T20 cricket, but this contrasts sharply with their 50-over form ahead of the next World Cup in late 2027. Brook stressed afterwards that it was still “a long way off”, though McCullum, now overseeing only half his previous remit, urgently needs to reverse the trend in results.