London: Rohit Sharma's magnificent 138, also the first ODI hundred by an Indian batter at Lord’s went in vain as clinical England defeated India by 27 runs in a high-scoring thriller on Sunday to clinch the three-match ODI series 2-1.
Chasing a whopping target of 388, India mounted a spirited challenge but ultimately finished at 360/7 as England executed a disciplined death-bowling display to seal a well-earned victory. Apart from Rohit’s 138, laced with 17 fours and five sixes, skipper Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli hit 77 and 74 respectively.
The primary difference between the two sides lay in England’s explosive finish with the bat, where they plundered a decisive 82 runs from the final five overs, with Jos Buttler hitting 41 of those in just 13 balls and a game-changing post-30th-over spell from young Jacob Bethell.
With his part-time left-arm spin, Bethell turned the match on its head by delivering an economical seven-over spell, conceding just 49 runs and claiming the prized scalp of Rohit, as India went from a commanding 260/1 to 329/7. Apart from Bethell, Sam Curran stood out with his clever slower balls to strangle India’s charge and end up with 4-75.
Earlier, England’s batting charge was led by a brilliant Ben Duckett hitting 141 off 135 balls, laced with 18 fours and one six. He was well-supported in a 192-run stand with Jacob Bethell, who hit a 93-ball 91, studded with 11 fours and two sixes. The innings got more momentum with Joe Root smashing an unbeaten 48-ball 71 and Jos Buttler applying finishing touches with 41 not out off just 13 balls, as England posted the highest List A score at the ‘Home of Cricket.’
Brief Scores: England 387/3 in 50 overs (Ben Duckett 141, Jacob Bethell 91; Prasidh Krishna 2-69, Prince Yadav 1-79) beat India 360/7 in 50 overs (Rohit Sharma 138, Shubman Gill 77; Sam Curran 4-75, Jacob Bethell 1-49) by 27 runs. Agencies
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