India may have opened the three-match ODI series with a six-wicket win at Edgbaston, but the decision to leave Kuldeep Yadav out of the playing XI continued to spark controversy after the match. The visitors made a dream start with football Jasprit BumrahPrasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar skippered England. The hosts slumped from 61 not out to 107 for 6, earlier Joe Root and Liam Dawson they put together a 121-run partnership for the seventh wicket to revive the innings and take England to 258. On his recovery, former Indian pacer Varun Aaron questioned the Indian team’s composition, saying that Kuldeep’s absence had hampered the chances of getting wickets in the middle overs. “India has Kuldeep Yadav. Axar Patel and bowling balls and hit all the sliders. You have to play around with your pace and seam area to get something on the wicket,” Aaron commented. He also felt that England’s batsmen will be comfortable against Axar Patel as they don’t expect much of a turn from the left-arm spinner. “The English batsmen are planning to play Axar as an off-spinner. It is obvious that he will not turn the ball beyond the batsmen. How do you get wickets between the overs? Jasprit Bumrah cannot be your answer to all your problems,” added Aaron. Despite England’s battering, India completed the chase with ease to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Captain Shubman Gill he did well again at Edgbaston with a fine 80 before retiring due to cramp, while Axar Patel helped his four-wicket haul with an unbeaten 57. Washington Sundar remained unbeaten on 52 as the pair shared a 102-run stand to seal the chase in 45.2 overs. Earlier, Axar finished with figures of 4/62 after cleaning up England’s slump, but Root’s 76 and Dawson’s match-winning 68 helped the hosts recover after the Indian bowlers won the first innings.
