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It took 19 days. Three weeks of heartbreak, humbling defeats, and searching questions. But finally, in the heart of Birmingham, Team India found their first victory on UK soil. And what a way to announce their arrival. Chasing a modest 259 at Edgbaston, India cruised to 262 for 4 with 4.4 overs to spare, handing England a six-wicket defeat in the first ODI. Captain Shubman Gill led from the front with a sublime 80 off 75 balls, while Axar Patel produced an all-round masterclass: 4 for 62 with the ball and an unbeaten 57 off 49 balls with the bat.

Washington Sundar, promoted up the order, chipped in with a composed 52* to seal the chase alongside Axar in a 102-run unbroken partnership. The victory was India's first in any format since landing in Belfast 19 days ago. They had lost the T20I series 4-0 to England and suffered a 2-0 defeat to Ireland. But with the return of senior pros Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah, this was a different Indian team: experienced, composed, and hungry. England's innings was a tale of two halves. Reduced to a disastrous 107 for 6, they looked headed for total embarrassment. But Joe Root, ever the fighter, played a magnificent knock of 76 not out, finding an unlikely partner in Liam Dawson, who scored a career-best 68.

The duo stitched a 121-run partnership for the seventh wicket, dragging England to a total of 258. Even then, they were lucky; Root should have been dismissed for 7. India's chase began with intent. Gill smashed two boundaries off his first two balls, setting the tone. Rohit Sharma fell early for 11, and Kohli managed just 5 before Jofra Archer's pace got the better of him. At 48 for 2, India wobbled. But Gill and Shreyas Iyer (35) added 101 runs for the third wicket, steadying the ship. Then came the twist: Gill retired hurt due to cramps, limping off with India still needing 109 runs.

England sensed a turnaround. Shreyas was run out by a direct hit from Harry Brook, and KL Rahul followed soon after, playing on to debutant Josh Tongue. Suddenly, India had lost three wickets in 15 balls. But Axar and Washington had other plans. They calmly rotated strike against the spinners, and when Archer returned, Axar smashed him for two fours off his first two balls. A slog-sweep off Adil Rashid into the stands brought up Axar's fifty, and Washington finished the match in style, launching Rashid into the sight screen for his maiden ODI fifty. For England, this was their 13th defeat in 19 ODIs since the start of 2025, a worrying trend for Brendon McCullum, who has now been removed from the red-ball role and must focus solely on fixing England's white-ball woes ahead of next year's World Cup. For India, this victory was more than just a win. It was a statement. A declaration that they are back, and they mean business. Gill, despite his cramps, is expected to be fit for the second ODI on Thursday. And if this performance is anything to go by, England should be very, very worried.