England’s batting was once the benchmark in one-day cricket. Their aggressive approach transformed the format, powered them to the 2019 World Cup title and inspired teams across the world to rethink how ODI innings should be constructed. That philosophy remains largely unchanged, but over the last three years, another trend has begun to define England’s batting. Whenever they lose momentum in the middle overs, their innings often unravel far quicker than they recover.
The latest example came in the opening ODI against India at Edgbaston. Chasing 259, England appeared comfortably placed at 61 without loss before losing six wickets for just 46 runs. Jamie Overton and Brydon Carse added valuable lower-order runs, but the collapse had already taken the game away from the hosts. More importantly, it followed a pattern that has become increasingly common in England’s ODI cricket.
A problem that stretches beyond one series
The Edgbaston collapse cannot be viewed in isolation because England has repeatedly found themselves in similar situations over the last three years. During the 2023 ODI World Cup, they slipped from 126/2 to 175/8 against India in Ahmedabad. South Africa reduced them from 82/2 to 131/10 in Leeds before another collapse from 99/3 to 129/7 during the 2025 Champions Trophy.
New Zealand exposed the same weakness throughout their ODI series. England lost six wickets for 56 runs at Mount Maunganui, five for 81 in Hamilton and five for 44 in Wellington after making promising starts. Sri Lanka also triggered a collapse from 129/1 to 165/6 in Colombo. India has now added another entry to that growing list.
The opposition, venue and conditions have changed, but England’s inability to recover once wickets begin to fall has remained remarkably consistent.
The middle overs have become England’s biggest challenge
Every batting side experiences periods where wickets fall quickly. England’s concern lies in how often those passages become decisive. Instead of limiting the damage by rebuilding through partnerships, they have repeatedly lost four, five or six wickets in the space of a few overs, allowing opponents to seize complete control of the game.
That is exactly what happened against India. England’s openers had negotiated the new ball comfortably before India’s bowlers tightened their lengths and slowed the scoring rate. As the pressure increased, England’s shot selection became increasingly risky, and what began as a solid platform disappeared within a matter of overs.
The frequency is now becoming a concern
Perhaps the most worrying aspect for England is that these collapses have occurred against different bowling attacks and in vastly different conditions. India, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka have all exposed the same vulnerability. The collapses have happened in Asia, England and New Zealand, suggesting the problem is no longer tied to particular conditions or opposition.
England still possess one of the strongest batting line-ups in ODI cricket, and their ability to dominate bowling attacks has not disappeared. What has become increasingly difficult to ignore, however, is their inability to halt a collapse once momentum shifts. Until they find a way to absorb pressure and rebuild innings more effectively, promising starts will continue to end in familiar disappointment.
