Selfless template gone, India return to old-fashioned grind ahead of 2027 World Cup

India did not blow England away in Birmingham on Tuesday. There was no batting carnage at the top, no relentless attack from ball one and certainly none of the chaos that defined their ODI cricket three years ago.

Instead, India crushed England. 1st ODI: Highlights | Scorecard

After being thrashed 0-4 in the T20I series and enduring a miserable white-ball tour of the UK, India responded with something completely different in the opening ODI. They absorbed the pressure, trusted their bowlers, waited for mistakes and then slowly squeezed the life out of England before chasing 259 with six wickets in hand.

It wasn’t spectacular. It counted. And perhaps it was a glimpse of what India wants to become ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.

SPIRIT OF 2023

To understand where this Indian team is headed, we need to remember where they came from. In 2023, Rohit Sharma fundamentally rewrote the manual on how India approached the 50-over format. The mandate was simple, uncompromising and loud: attack, attack and attack.

Rohit took advantage of the power play and selflessly threw his wicket on the line to give India a quick start. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami operated with similar lethal aggression with the ball, dismantling opposition batting lines before they could even draw breath. The coach and team were in full swing – this hyper-aggressive plan was the only way to stay on top. It was a breathtaking brand of cricket that captivated the world until it fell agonizingly short against Australia in the World Cup final on a slow pitch in Ahmedabad.

Fast forward to 2026 and the landscape has completely changed.

India now operate under a different captain and a different coaching staff, who look at the 50-plus-year-old cricket canvas through a completely different lens. An era of high-octane chaos has made way for the return of chess grandmasters. After a bit of a jittery start to his tenure as ODI captain, Shubman Gill has landed firmly on his feet. Leading the side after a demoralizing T20I slump, Gill produced an impressive comeback win in Birmingham.

It was a master class in the good old grind.

EXPRESSING LIFE

Jasprit Bumrah set the tone for India on a pitch with plenty of grass (Photo Reuters)

The grit was evident in the way India pounced on a power-packed England batting line-up. Jasprit Bumrah set the tone with a sensational, probing opening spell, repeatedly hitting the bat. England’s openers were lucky to survive a barrage that deserved wickets but produced none.

The first real test of India’s patience came when Gill introduced Gurnoor Brar as the first change bowler. England smelled blood as they bowled out 26 runs off the youngster’s first two overs in the over. Suddenly India was chained back. According to the old template, this could have triggered a panic attack. According to the new, they trusted the process.

Returning to the attack in the 13th over, the valiant Gurnoor backed up his efforts. Two sharp short balls led to two wickets and just like that India opened the door. Gill sensed the moment and immediately returned his ace. Bumrah struck on the very first ball of his second spell to remove England captain Harry Brook. A brutal collapse followed: from a comfortable 51/0, England collapsed to 80/5.

For Gill, this tactical resilience was the defining marker of the match.

“We bowled brilliantly in the first six or seven overs,” reflected Gill after the match. “Then towards the end of the power play they went away a bit and we got under pressure. But I think the way we bounced back and got those five goals was very important.”

Joe Root and Liam Dawson later put up a fightback – a massive partnership of over 100 runs – forced India back into the trenches. Instead of a desperate search for wickets, the Indian spinners dried up the boundaries. By the 44th day, the reward came. Axar Patel broke the stubborn stand and with the wheel of pressure turned to the absolute maximum, England was losing its lower order in clumps. Axar departed with four wickets and England were restricted to 259.

ANCHORS ABOVE

Shubman Gill reached 80 before retiring injured (Photo Reuters)

This shift back to an attrition style of cricket is not happening by accident; it’s completely intentional. Look no further than the captain himself.

Shubman Gill’s last four ODI scores were a stunning 126, 84*, 154 and a masterful 80* at Birmingham before he was forced to retire due to severe cramps. Gill spoke about his batting philosophy. Wanting to bat deep – well into the 40th or 45th over – he believes having an elite death batsman is the biggest advantage in overseas conditions.

Interestingly, Rohit Sharma has also been revived by this philosophy. Knowing that a string of low scores under a high-risk template would put his place under the microscope, the veteran opener reverted to the style that made him a white-ball monster in 2018-19. It’s a classic Rohit manual: respect the new ball, absorb trial spells and build a massive foundation.

DESTINATION: SOUTH AFRICA 2027

What looks like a return to old-fashioned ODI cricket may actually be India’s best chance in South Africa.

In 2023, India could afford to deploy a breathtaking boundary-smashing template as they played on familiar, genuine subcontinental tracks. But the ODI World Cup in 2027 will be hosted by South Africa. On the bouncy, fast and often unforgiving pitches of the Highveld, trying to hit lines from one ball is a recipe for disaster.

Gill explicitly linked the rough performance in Birmingham to a long-term plan for the World Cup.

“I think the wicket we played on and the conditions were a bit similar to what we can expect in South Africa,” explained Gill. “It wasn’t easy for the batsmen with the new ball. The ball was doing a bit and kicking off the surface so it wasn’t easy to score early on… If we can try different combinations on these kinds of wickets, it would be great for us.”

Birmingham may have only been a one-off ODI, but it felt like something more significant. Three years ago, India tried to win matches in the first 15 overs. They won one on Tuesday by staying patient for nearly 100.

Whether this template proves more successful than Rohit Sharma’s all-out aggression will be answered in South Africa next year. But after a fortnight of frustration in the UK, India finally looked like a side that knew exactly what it wanted to become.

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

15 Jul 2026 11:32 IST