Axar Patel credited patience, self-belief, and reading the conditions as the pillars of his match-winning all-round display in the first ODI against England at Edgbaston on 15 July, where his 4-62 and an unbeaten 57 helped India secure a six-wicket victory and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Axar's Match-Winning Knock

After his four-wicket bowling effort restricted England to 258, Axar walked in during a precarious chase and forged an unbeaten 102-run fifth-wicket partnership with Washington Sundar to guide India home. He acknowledged that the innings carried added weight given a difficult run in the preceding T20I series.

'It was very important for me to deliver this kind of performance. As for my mindset, I needed to keep at it. I had to stay focused rather than thinking it would just happen on its own. I had to have self-belief and execute my plans,' Axar said in an interview with JioStar.

Reading the Edgbaston Conditions

Axar explained that the Edgbaston surface demanded respect early in an innings, with the ball swinging, seaming, and offering bounce — conditions that punished batters who looked to force the pace from ball one.

'I feel like I was trying to hit the ball too hard during the T20Is. When you go in to bat in the death overs, you don't have any other option but to go for big shots, but I was losing my shape a little,' he admitted. 'So, when I went in to bat in this game… I just wanted to build a partnership. I wasn't trying to hit the ball too hard because I knew I had time and could afford to take a few balls as well. I was focusing on my timing. On this kind of wicket, it is very important to trust the bounce.'

He pointed to the pattern visible in both innings — noting that even England's Joe Root and Liam Dawson found scoring easier only after their partnership was well established. 'On such wickets, you cannot come in and play shots on the rise immediately because there was bounce, and it was swinging and seaming as well. You have to give yourself that little bit of time, and after that, you could play your shots,' he added.

How the Chase Unfolded

India's pursuit of 259 was disrupted early when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fell in quick succession. Shubman Gill had anchored the innings with 80 before retiring hurt, leaving Axar and Sundar to complete the job. Their unbeaten stand effectively ended England's hopes of a comeback.

England had earlier slipped dramatically from 61 without loss to 80 for five after opting to bat, before Root and Dawson steadied the innings with a 121-run partnership. Axar then dismantled the lower order to return figures of 4-62 and bowl England out for 258.

Team Unity and Dressing Room Confidence

Axar also reflected on the cohesion within the current Indian squad, attributing the team's settled approach to familiarity and clearly defined roles among experienced campaigners.

'Over time, you form a strong comradery, and that brings a sense of confidence because we have won a lot of matches together, and we've lost a few as well. But that confidence is there because everyone knows their roles and what they need to do. There is unity, the team gels well together,' he said.

India head into the second ODI with a 1-0 series lead, buoyed by an all-round performance that underlined Axar's growing importance as a match-winner across formats.