England’s Phil Salt (left) shakes fingers with Ravindra Jadeja after India win second ODI by 4 wickets at Barabati Stadium, India on February 9, 2025. — Reuters
CUTTACK: India claimed an unassailable 2-0 lead over England after captain Rohit Sharma’s speedy hundred secured a four-wicket win within the second one-day worldwide on Sunday.
Not even a floodlight failure that stopped play for half an hour throughout India’s innings might have an effect on Rohit, who hit seven sixes and 12 fours in his 119 off 90 balls because the hosts chased down a 305-run goal in 44.3 overs.
Earlier, England’s 304 all out, with one supply left of their innings, appeared a powerful whole and appeared to vindicate their choice to bat first at Barabati Stadium.
Ben Duckett (65) and Joe Root (69) smashed half-centuries and England seemed poised for an enormous whole when cruising at 219-3 within the thirty ninth over.
“It was good and (I) really enjoyed being out there, scoring some runs for the team,” Rohit stated after gathering the player-of-the-match award.
“Obviously it was an important game with the series on the line but I broke it down into pieces about how I wanted to bat.”
England had obtained off to a flying begin after Duckett and Phil Salt (26) mixed in a rollicking 81-run opening stand.
Duckett raced to a 36-ball fifty however Ravindra Jadeja struck in his first over to dismiss the opener.
Harry Brook (31) couldn’t capitalise on the beginning however with Root and skipper Jos Buttler (34) within the center, England seemed primed to launch a late assault.
India, nonetheless, fought again with the ball, eradicating each the set batters and England all of the sudden slumped to 272-7 within the forty eighth over.
Liam Livingstone (41) produced a 32-ball cameo to take England previous the 300-mark earlier than he and Mark Wooden have been run out in successive deliveries.
For India, Jadeja claimed 3-35, took a catch and fired a throw from the deep that led to Adil Rashid being run out.
Candy sound
Rohit, who has been struggling for runs in exams and ODIs, led India’s reply with a barrage of boundaries – the candy sound of bat whacking the ball saying his return to type.
Rohit started with a streaky 4 towards Gus Atkinson earlier than discovering the center of his bat and racing to a 30-ball 50.
On the different finish, Shubman Gill (60) took the aerial route solely as soon as and hit 9 fours in his fluent knock.
Jamie Overton yorked Gill to finish the speedy 136-run opening stand and Rashid dismissed Virat Kohli, caught behind for 5, however Rohit went on a rampage.
Rohit introduced up his thirty second ODI hundred in model by hitting Rashid for a six. Nevertheless, Rashid took an excellent tumbling catch to dismiss Rohit, who skied a full toss from Livingstone.
Shreyas Iyer scored a fluent 44 however his run-out, adopted by the dismissals of KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, meant India couldn’t take something as a right.
Axar Patel, who made 41 not out, dashed any English hopes of a series-levelling victory.
“I thought we did a lot of things well,” Buttler. “We got in some nice positions with the bat. We just needed a few of us to catch fire and get up towards 350. Rohit played a terrific knock.”
England’s Jacob Bethell missed the match with a hamstring harm, which makes the batting all-rounder unsure for the Champions Trophy. England have drafted Tom Banton in as cowl.
The groups transfer to Ahmedabad for the ultimate ODI on Wednesday. India received the previous T20 sequence between the perimeters 4-1.
