LONDON, JUL 19 (IANS): India’s spirited chase fell short at Lord’s as England clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1 with a 27-run victory over India on Sunday, July 19. Despite Rohit Sharma’s magnificent 138—the first ODI century by an Indian batter at Lord’s—England’s clinical death bowling and explosive late batting sealed the contest in their favour.
Chasing a daunting target of 388, India finished at 360/7. Rohit’s innings, decorated with 17 fours and five sixes, was the highlight of the chase. He shared a 147-run opening stand with Shubman Gill, who contributed 77, while Virat Kohli added 74. Yet, England’s decisive surge in the final overs and disciplined bowling tilted the balance.
England’s batting was marked by a blistering finish, plundering 82 runs in the last five overs. Jos Buttler’s 41 off just 13 balls and young Jacob Bethell’s impactful spell after the 30th over proved game-changing. Bethell’s left-arm spin not only checked India’s momentum but also dismissed Rohit, triggering a collapse from 260/1 to 329/7. Sam Curran further strangled India’s chase with clever slower balls, finishing with figures of 4-75.
India’s innings began with Gill and Rohit weathering early pressure from Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson. Gill, despite an early blow to his arm, recovered to play fluent strokes, including a sublime cover drive against Archer. Rohit, initially cautious, broke free with boundaries off Atkinson and unleashed an aggressive assault on Josh Tongue. Together, they brought up India’s century opening stand in the 19th over, marking a rare feat at Lord’s where both teams recorded century partnerships.
Gill’s elegant strokeplay, highlighted by boundaries against Adil Rashid and Will Jacks, was cut short when he was trapped lbw by Rashid for 77. Kohli then joined Rohit, adding stability and flair. Rohit, meanwhile, accelerated, smashing consecutive sixes off Tongue and reaching his 34th ODI century in just 85 balls. His knock silenced critics questioning his form and became the highest individual ODI score by an Indian in England.
The turning point came in the 39th over when Rohit, after a towering six, was bowled by Bethell for 138. His dismissal drew a standing ovation from the Lord’s crowd. Kohli continued steadily, reaching his fifty with calculated aggression, but Curran’s double strike—removing Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer—shifted momentum decisively. Kohli’s eventual dismissal to Curran sealed India’s fate.
England’s disciplined bowling in the death overs ensured India’s chase lost steam. Curran’s variations, Bethell’s control, and Archer’s pace combined to stifle India’s lower order. Despite India’s valiant effort, the inability to match England’s explosive finish proved decisive.
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
