At Sophia Gardens, England grabbed a thrilling four-wicket win over India on July 17, squaring the three-match ODI series. Joe Root, veteran batsman,was the hero, finishing unbeaten on 99,steering his team to chase down 234.
England stumbled early, slipping to 8 for 2 after losing Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell. Things looked grim at 125 for 5. But Root stood firm. He faced 133 balls, hit nine fours, and with Will Jacks,who scored 30 off 44, they put on 72 for the sixth wicket, steadying the ship.
As the chase went on, Gus Atkinson chipped in with an unbeaten 23,partnering Root for a 38-run seventh-wicket stand. England reached 235 for 6 in 44.1 overs, sealing victory with 35 balls to spare.
Earlier, India batted first,looking strong at 178 for 3. But then a collapse — losing seven wickets for 55 runs, bowled out for 233 in 44 overs. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer shone with 65 and 66 runs. But the lower order folded under England's disciplined pace attack.
Jofra Archer and Atkinson played key roles dismantling India's lineup,each taking three wickets, while Saqib Mahmood added two . Their timely blows stopped India from reaching likely 280-plus.
England's chase wasn't smooth . Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel kept pressure, making breakthroughs that left England in a tricky spot. Yet,Root's calm and smart play kept the chase on track .
Root's nearly flawless innings saw him use the field cleverly, rotating strike,punishing bad balls. He just missed a century,left on 99 when Atkinson hit the winning boundary.
This win tied series 1-1,stopping India from clinching it in Cardiff. A decisive match awaits at Lord's on Sunday,July 19 .
Brief scores: India 233 all out in 44 overs (Shreyas Iyer 66,Virat Kohli 65; Jofra Archer 3-47, Gus Atkinson 3-50) lost to England 235/6 in 44.1 overs (Joe Root 99, Gus Atkinson 23; Gurnoor Brar 2-67, Jasprit Bumrah 1-45, Axar Patel 1-35).
