 "Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer during the second ODI against England. Image: Reuters")
India defeated England by four wickets with 33 balls to spare in the second ODI, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front with a scintillating 119 off 90 balls, setting the stage for a successful chase of 305 at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
India’s victory marked their seventh consecutive ODI series win against England at home in the last 20 years, extending their dominance in familiar conditions.
Chasing a competitive target of 305, India got off to a flying start as Rohit and Shubman Gill put on a commanding 136-run opening stand. The duo attacked England’s pacers early, with Gill and Rohit both playing the aggressor. Gill was dismissed by Jamie Overton, who smashed his stumps in the 17th over.
Virat Kohli walked in at No 3 but couldn’t make an impact, edging Adil Rashid behind for 5. However, Rohit continued his dominance, playing his signature pull shots and lofted drives to keep the required rate in check. He reached his 32nd ODI century in just 84 balls, bringing it up in style with a massive six off Rashid.
Rohit eventually departed after producing a mishit while trying to smash a full toss from Liam Livingstone down the ground, with Adil Rashid completing a fine catch near long on. The wicket gave England a glimmer of hope. Shreyas Iyer (44 off 47) played a steady hand before an unfortunate run-out after a mix-up with Axar Patel. Soon after, KL Rahul (10) and Hardik Pandya (10) fell cheaply, giving England a chance to claw back.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHowever, Axar Patel (41 not out off 43) and Ravindra Jadeja (11 not out off 7) held their nerve, ensuring India crossed the finish line with 33 balls to spare.
England put on a competitive total but in vain
Earlier, England put up a competitive total of 304 in 49.5 overs against India in the second ODI at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Despite losing wickets at crucial intervals, they managed to cross the 300-run mark, thanks to valuable contributions from Joe Root (69 off 72), Ben Duckett (65 off 56) and Liam Livingstone (41 off 32).
After opting to bat first, England got off to a solid start with Phil Salt (26) and Duckett adding 81 runs for the opening wicket. However, Jadeja (3/35) turned the game around, dismissing Duckett and Root while keeping the run flow in check.
Harry Brook (31 off 52) and skipper Jos Buttler (34 off 35) steadied the innings in the middle overs before Pandya and Harshit Rana struck to send them back. Livingstone’s quickfire knock gave England the late push, but a flurry of wickets towards the end restricted them just as they looked set for a bigger total.
Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers with his economical three-wicket haul, while Varun Chakravarthy (1/54), Mohammed Shami (1/66), and Rana (1/62) chipped in with a wicket each. Axar went wicketless but maintained an economy of 5.33.