Cardiff: A stunning chasing masterclass from Joe Root, highlighted by his electrifying unbeaten 99, along with a clinical and disciplined bowling performance, guided England to a comfortable four-wicket victory over India and levelled the three-match ODI series 1-1 in the second ODI on Thursday, July 16, at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
Batting first, India suffered a dramatic batting collapse and eventually bundled out for 233 in 44 overs. In reply, Joe Root stood tall with a magnificent and composed innings, almost single-handedly controlling the chase and guiding England to a comfortable four-wicket victory with 35 balls to spare.
The match began with England winning the toss and electing to field first. India made one change to their playing XI as KL Rahul missed the second ODI due to illness, with Ishan Kishan coming in as his replacement. England also made two changes, bringing in pacers Saqib Mahmood and Gus Atkinson in place of Josh Tongue and Liam Dawson. Shubman Gill looked in good touch early, striking some elegant boundaries before losing his wicket inside the powerplay after scoring a brisk 31 off 30 balls. Virat Kohli came to the crease and built a valuable partnership with Rohit Sharma, with the duo adding 60 crucial runs in 10 overs before Rohit was dismissed for 26 runs, he struggled to find his usual rhythm and timing throughout his innings. After Rohit’s wicket, Ishan Kishan came to the crease but was dismissed quickly by Sam Curran after scoring just one run. However, Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli stitched together a solid and crucial 67-run partnership to rebuild India’s innings. Kohli produced a spectacular half-century, scoring 65 runs off 66 balls, including eight brilliant fours. With this knock, Kohli reached another remarkable milestone. The innings marked his 14th score of 50 or more in ODIs against England, including three centuries. With that, he equalled West Indies legend Viv Richards for the joint second-most 50-plus scores against England in ODI cricket. Only Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara, with 15 such scores, stands ahead of the Indian batter. Virat Kohli also added another milestone to his glittering career during the second ODI against England by moving past Australian great Ricky Ponting to become the fifth-most capped player in the history of international cricket. The match marked Kohli’s 561st international appearance, taking him ahead of Ponting’s tally of 560 matches. Only four players now stand above the former India captain on the all-time list, with Sachin Tendulkar continuing to hold the record. However, Kohli eventually fell to Jofra Archer. Before his dismissal, India was in a strong position at 178 for 3 in 32 overs. But England’s pace attack, led brilliantly by Archer, made a stunning comeback, triggering a sensational middle-order collapse as India lost their remaining seven wickets for just 55 runs. Shreyas Iyer looked in excellent touch and played a fighting knock of 66 off 71 balls, but he was unable to find a reliable partner at the other end as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Jasprit Bumrah provided some late fireworks with a quick 20 off 13 balls, but India was eventually bowled out for 233 with six overs still remaining. Jofra Archer delivered a fiery and impressive spell, finishing with excellent figures of 3 for 47 at an economy rate of 4.70. Saqib Mahmood claimed two wickets for 52 runs, while Gus Atkinson made a valuable contribution by picking up three wickets for 50 runs.
Chasing a modest target of 234, England suffered an early setback as both openers lost their wickets inside the first four overs. Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Ben Duckett for a duck, and with that dismissal, Duckett entered the record books for an unwanted reason, becoming the first England batter ever to be dismissed off the very first ball of an ODI innings against India. Jacob Bethell was then dismissed by Prasidh Krishna, leaving England in early trouble at 8 for 2 after just 3.4 overs. However, Joe Root stood firm while wickets continued to tumble around him. England lost two more crucial wickets, including captain Harry Brook and Sam Curran, but Root remained calm, composed, and in complete control, anchoring the innings with remarkable maturity and class. He found valuable support from Will Jacks, and the pair stitched together a crucial 72-run partnership for the fifth wicket. That partnership shifted the momentum back in England’s favour and laid the foundation for a successful chase. Although Gurnoor Brar provided the breakthrough by dismissing Will Jacks for a valuable 30 off 44 balls, the damage had already been done, with England firmly back in control of the chase. Gus Atkinson then arrived and played a quick and fearless unbeaten knock of 23 off just 16 balls. Root and Atkinson combined brilliantly, adding an unbeaten 38-run partnership from only 25 deliveries to take England comfortably over the line. Root remained unbeaten on 99, narrowly missing out on a well-deserved century, but his exceptional innings was a masterclass in composure, maturity, and control as he anchored England’s chase brilliantly under pressure. With this outstanding innings, Root also achieved another remarkable milestone by surpassing Virat Kohli for the highest batting average in successful ODI run chases (minimum 2,000 runs). Root now leads the list with an impressive average of 91.59, moving ahead of Kohli, who has maintained a remarkable average of 89.07 in successful ODI chases. England comfortably chased down the target, reaching 235 for 6 with 35 balls to spare, making a strong bounce back after their defeat in the opening ODI and levelling the three-match series at 1-1. Joe Root was deservedly awarded the Player of the Match for his outstanding unbeaten innings, as his calm and composed masterclass played a crucial role in guiding England to a well-earned and important victory.
With the series level at 1-1, everything now comes down to the third and final ODI on Sunday, July 19, at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. The decisive clash promises to be a high-pressure and thrilling encounter as both teams fight for series glory.
