The second match of the three-match ODI series between India and England was played at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack. Thanks to a century by Indian captain Rohit Sharma, Team India successfully chased the target of 305 runs in 44.3 overs with four wickets remaining.
After winning the toss, England decided to bat first, but the decision did not work in their favor. However, England started well, with openers Ben Duckett and Phil Salt providing a strong foundation. The duo took England past 50 runs in just 6.5 overs and reached 75 runs without losing a wicket in the first 10 overs.
The first breakthrough for India came on the last ball of the 11th over when Phil Salt was caught by Ravindra Jadeja off Varun Chakravarthy’s bowling. Salt was dismissed for 81 runs. The second wicket fell in the 16th over when Harry Brook was caught by Hardik Pandya off Jadeja’s bowling after scoring 31 runs. Joe Root contributed a solid 69 runs, while England captain Jos Buttler added 34 runs. Despite their efforts, England’s innings concluded at 304 runs in 49.5 overs.
India’s Successful Chase
Chasing 305, Team India’s opening pair, captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, provided a strong start. They reached 50 runs in 6.2 overs and 100 runs in 13.3 overs.
Rohit played a magnificent innings of 119 runs off 90 balls, including 12 fours and 7 sixes. However, he fell short of reaching 11,000 ODI runs, needing 132 more runs to reach the milestone. Shubman Gill supported well with a half-century (60 runs), while Shreyas Iyer contributed 41 runs. Axar Patel remained unbeaten on 41, and Ravindra Jadeja finished not out on 11 runs.
Player of the Match
Captain Rohit Sharma was named Player of the Match for his outstanding knock of 119 runs off 90 balls, silencing his critics with a commanding performance.
England’s Innings Recap
England’s innings ended at 304 runs in 49.5 overs. Joe Root (69) and Ben Duckett (65) scored half-centuries, while Liam Livingstone added 41 runs. Captain Jos Buttler scored 34, and Harry Brook made 31 runs. For India, Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets. Mohammed Shami, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, and Hardik Pandya took one wicket each. Additionally, three England players were run out. With this win, India secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
