Rohit hits century as India defeats England to win ODI series with game to spare
India established a commanding 2-0 advantage over England following a swift century from captain Rohit Sharma, which propelled them to a four-wicket victory in the second one-day international held in Cuttack on Sunday.
A floodlight failure that interrupted play for thirty minutes did not hinder Rohit, who struck seven sixes and twelve fours in his impressive 119 runs off 90 balls, as the hosts successfully chased down a target of 305 runs in just 44.3 overs.
Earlier, England's total of 304 all out, achieved with one ball remaining in their innings, seemed formidable and justified their decision to bat first at Barabati Stadium.
Ben Duckett (65) and Joe Root (69) both contributed half-centuries, and England appeared set for a substantial score while comfortably positioned at 219-3 in the 39th over.
The innings began with a vigorous 81-run opening partnership between Duckett and Phil Salt (26).
Duckett reached his fifty in just 36 balls, but Ravindra Jadeja made an impact in his first over by dismissing the opener.
Harry Brook (31) was unable to build on his start, but with Root and captain Jos Buttler (34) at the crease, England seemed ready to mount a late surge.
However, India made a strong comeback with the ball, removing both established batsmen, leading to a sudden decline as England found themselves at 272-7 in the 48th over.
Liam Livingstone (41) provided a quick-fire 32-ball innings to push England past the 300-run mark before he and Mark Wood were run out in consecutive deliveries.
For India, Jadeja recorded figures of 3-35, took a catch, and made a crucial throw from the deep that resulted in Adil Rashid's run out.
Rohit, who had been experiencing a lean patch in both Tests and ODIs, spearheaded India's response with an array of boundaries, signaling his return to form with the unmistakable sound of bat striking ball.
He commenced his innings with a fortunate four off Gus Atkinson before finding his rhythm and racing to a fifty in just 30 balls.
At the other end, Shubman Gill (60) opted for aerial shots sparingly, hitting nine fours in his fluent innings.
Jamie Overton dismissed Gill with a yorker, ending the brisk 136-run opening partnership, and Rashid caught Virat Kohli behind for five, but Rohit continued his aggressive onslaught.
Rohit, who has faced challenges in scoring runs in both Tests and ODIs, spearheaded India's innings with an impressive display of boundaries, signaling his return to form with the unmistakable sound of bat striking ball.
He commenced his innings with a fortunate four off Gus Atkinson before settling in and swiftly reaching a half-century in just 30 balls.
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill contributed significantly with a score of 60, opting for the aerial approach only once while striking nine fours during his elegant innings.
Jamie Overton's yorker ended Gill's innings, concluding a brisk 136-run opening partnership, and Rashid Khan dismissed Virat Kohli, who managed only five runs, caught behind. Nevertheless, Rohit continued his aggressive batting.
Rohit celebrated his 32nd ODI century in style by hitting Rashid for a six. However, Rashid later executed a remarkable tumbling catch to remove Rohit, who misplayed a full toss from Livingstone.
Shreyas Iyer added a composed 44 runs, but his run-out, along with the dismissals of KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, left India in a precarious position.
Axar Patel, remaining unbeaten on 41, thwarted any hopes England had of leveling the series.
England's Jacob Bethell was sidelined due to a hamstring injury, raising doubts about his availability for the Champions Trophy, prompting the inclusion of Tom Banton as a replacement.
The teams will now head to Ahmedabad for the final ODI on Wednesday, with India having previously secured a 4-1 victory in the T20 series against England.
SportsLigue