With a comprehensive 100-run victory in the second ODI, England drew level with India, avenging the 10-wicket defeat in the first match. While there were no individual batting achievement of note in England’s total of 246 all out in 19 overs. There was however, an outstanding bowling performance by England pace bowler Reece Topley who claimed six for 24. It was the best by an England bowler in ODI.
Set an undaunting victory target, India made a poor start. Rohit Sharma failed to score as he fell in the third over leg before to Topley who then, six overs later removed Shikhar Dhawan for 9 with the batsman attempting a glance and being held behind.
Any hope of an early recovery soon disappeared as two runs later, with the first bowling change, Brydon Carse had Rishabh Pant held from a chipped shot to leg and David Willey, in the next over, was exuberant at having Virat Kohli caught behind for 16 to reduce India to 31 for four. Kohli had edged a ball just outside off which was angled across him. In a space of four runs India had lost three wickets.
Suryakumar Yadav, with 27 in a stand of 43 with Hardik Pandya took the score to 74 before he was fifth out, chopping a ball on to his stumps. And just as the hundred of the innings came up Moeen Ali, in his third over had Hardik Pandya held at deep mid-wicket as he pulled a ball from outside off stump and not quite middling it.
On 140, India lost two wickets with Ben Stokes running in at mid-on to catch Mohammad Shami off Topley for 23 and the first ball of the next over, bowled by Liam Livingston, yorked the joint top scorer Ravindra Jadeja for 29. Topley then removed the last two on 145 and 146 to wrap up the innings and the match. India had lost their last four wickets in a space of six runs.
Earlier, England got off to a better start putting on 41 from 8.5 overs for the opening stand. Two days earlier in the first ODI they had lost half the side well before reaching this number of runs, they were astonishingly 26 for five in less than eight overs.
England’s first wicket to fall came with the first bowling change with Hardik Pandya replacing Mohammad Shami and having Jason Roy, on 23, held at deep backward square leg. Jonny Bairstow’s 38 from as many balls helped England to 72 before he missed an attempted slog/sweep to a ball on middle and leg and Chahal had the first of his four wickets.
Joe Root’s review on the umpire’s decision of lbw was not successful and five runs later with Jos Buttler bowled by Shami for 4, England had lost 4 wickets for 87. Chahal was proving difficult to hit, even Ben Stokes struggled but managed to get a couple of fours, one driven.
In attempting another reverse sweep, on 21, Stokes missed a straight ball and was lbw. He had the decision reviewed but that was unsuccessful. A stand of 46 for the sixth wicket saw England to 148 in 29 overs when Liam Livingstone went down the pitch to pull Pandya and was held for 33 from as many balls.
The highest stand of the innings came for the seventh wicket with Moeen Ali and David Willey adding 62 before Moeen, having top scored with 47, slog/swept for a catch at deep square leg. With his wicket Chahal finished with four for 45.
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