India skipper returns to form with blazing 119 off just 90 balls as hosts comfortably chase 305-run target, beating England by four wickets to seal three-match ODI series 2-0
Rohit Sharma during his 119 against England in Cuttack yesterday. Pic/AFP
Under pressure with questions over form and mounting retirement speculations, skipper Rohit Sharma silenced it all with a vintage 32nd century, firing India to a dominant four-wicket series-clinching victory over England in the second ODI here on Sunday.
Jadeja claims 3-35
Opting to bat on a belter, England were bowled out for 304 in 49.5 overs with left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (3-35) continuing his stranglehold over the visitors. The 37-year-old Indian skipper made the chase a lopsided affair, returning to his World Cup 2023 best with impeccable timing and effortless strokeplay en route to his 90-ball 119 — his century No 32 in ODIs that came just in time ahead of the Champions Trophy in less than two weeks.
His 90-ball masterclass, studded with seven sixes and 12 fours, set the tone as India cruised to the target in 44.3 overs to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead going into the final ODI in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Shubman Gill also made a fluent 60 off 52 balls (9x4, 1x6), but it felt overshadowed in comparison to Rohit in their solid opening partnership of 136 runs — their sixth century-plus stand together.
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Kohli goes early
Back after missing out the Nagpur ODI because of a swollen knee, star batter Virat Kohli (5) fell cheaply edging a Adil Rashid leg-break. Rohit then had a fruitful 70-run stand with Shreyas Iyer (44) before he was dismissed off a full toss with Rashid taking a fine backward running catch. Iyer soon departed following a run-out, while KL Rahul (10) and Hardik Pandya (10) also fell cheaply.
But there was hardly any run-rate pressure and Axar Patel (41 not out) held his ground as he along with Ravindra Jadeja (11 not out) completed the formalities with 33 balls to spare. Rohit’s knock also saw him surpass (10,987) Rahul Dravid’s 10,889 runs to enter the Top-10 ODI run-scorers’ list. Earlier, on a belter, Jadeja’s crucial breakthroughs came against the run of play as he dismissed an aggressive Ben Duckett (65 off 56 balls) and a well-set Joe Root (69 off 72 balls), preventing England from building on their strong start.
Banton called up as cover for Bethell
England on Sunday called up batter Tom Banton as a cover for injured all-rounder Jacob Bethell for third ODI against India at Ahmedabad. Bethell, who scored a half-century and took a wicket in England’s four-wicket defeat in the first ODI at Nagpur, had sustained a left hamstring injury.
Brief scores
England 304 all out in 49.5 overs (J Root 69, B Duckett 65, L Livingstone 41, J Buttler 34, H Brook 31; R Jadeja 3-35) lost to India 308-6 in 44.3 overs (R Sharma 119, S Gill 60, S Iyer 44, A Patel 41*; J Overton 2-27) by four wickets
50
No. of ODIs Rohit Sharma has led India in. He guided the team to victory on 36 occasions, lost 12, while one match each ended in a tie and a no result
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