In the second ODI of the three-match series, India beat England by four wickets at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
England won the toss and asked the home team to field first. The decision appeared sound in the searing heat, and a few Englishmen scored runs in the first half of the inning. However, in the second half, the Indian bowlers tightened up and continued to take wickets until the end. With the strong start from the batters, the team looked promising to reach around 350, but ultimately, 304 all out still appeared competitive.
In the chase, skipper Rohit Sharma (119) scored his 32nd ODI century in spectacular style. The skipper got off to a quick start, lighting up the powerplay with fireworks, making it feel like a storm had hit Cuttack. In his knock, the Hitman hit 12 fours and seven huge sixes, and it appeared that if he had batted the entire chase, the match would have been over with at least 10 overs to spare. Rohit’s brilliant innings surely silenced his naysayers. Along with him, Shubman Gill (60) delivered an excellent knock. The openers put together a good 136-run partnership for the first wicket, making the chase much simpler for the middle order. Shreyas Iyer (44) also continued his form, while Axar Patel (41*) batted till the end and secured the series.
For England with the bat, Ben Duckett (65) started well for the visitors, while Joe Root (69) also showcased his talent. Duckett got to his fifty but then decided to take Jadeja on and failed. Root and Brook patched a 50-run stand to advance their team’s cause even further. Root and Jos Buttler (34) added another 50-run partnership to put England in a strong position. Such handy knocks helped England reach a strong total of 304/10.
Ravindra Jadeja was the top man with the ball for India as he scalped three wickets. One wicket each was also taken by Mohammad Shami, Harshit Rana, Hardik Pandya, and Varun Chakaravarthy.
For England with the ball, Jamie Overton took two wickets, while Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, and Liam Livingstone grabbed one wicket each.
Skipper Sharma was adjudged Player of the Match. With this victory, the Men in Blue clinched the series by 2-0, with one game remaining.
Scorecard:
England: 304/10, Overs 49.5, Joe Root 69, Ravindra Jadeja 3/35
India: 308/6, Overs 44.3, Rohit Sharma 119, Jamie Overton 2/27