England beat India 2-1 in ODI series; McCullum praises team's composure

England has won only three of its last nine bilateral ODI series, and two of those have come this year

Published: July 21, 2026 08:46 pm IST – London By: N. Sudarshan

England's 27-run victory over India at Lord's on Sunday secured a 2-1 series win — the host's second consecutive ODI series triumph, following a 2-1 win over Sri Lanka earlier this year.

The last time England won back-to-back ODI series was nearly three years ago.

"In the last two series we have played in this format, we've found ourselves one nil down, and that's a real test of your belief as a group and camaraderie," said England coach Brendon McCullum, after a run-fest that saw nearly 750 runs scored.

"When the pressure ramps up a little bit, to still be able to stay on the task, and try and play the style of cricket you want. It's a good achievement."

England has won only three of its last nine bilateral ODI series. The fact that two of those have come this year — on the long road towards the World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia next October — bodes well.

Beating Sri Lanka away is never easy, as India discovered in August 2024 when it tied one game and lost two in a three-match series. A triumph over India, the world's No. 1 ranked ODI side, is another feather in England's cap.

"We made a bit of a pivot before Sri Lanka where we decided we needed more variation across our squad," McCullum said. "Now, we've got left-handers, right-handers, touch players, power-hitters, seam-bowling all-rounders, left-armers, leg-spinners, off-spinners…

"Harry [Brook], as a captain, has been brave enough to utilise these variations, and when you go to South Africa, you can get very different surfaces. We want to make sure we've got options.

"At the same time, we also know that it's vital that you get results in the short term and that's why it feels good because we were able to get across the line against an outstanding Indian side by getting the job done under quite a bit of pressure."

With McCullum having recently lost his Test job and now in charge of only England's white-ball teams, he can potentially narrow and sharpen his focus. However, with England fielding a number of all-format players — including Brook, Jofra Archer and Jacob Bethell — he cannot entirely ring-fence himself.

"Collaboratively, I think," McCullum said when asked how resources would be shared. "Once the new [Test] coach is put in place, we'll have a good conversation around everything. Ultimately, as long as everyone wants what's right for English cricket, there'll be some give and take. I look forward to those conversations when the time comes."

McCullum believes England has got plenty of variations in its squad. | Photo Credit: AFP