England win the second ODI with a clinical run-chase, draw the series level at 1-1

By Mumbai Indians

England displayed some excellent batting while chasing down the 337-run target set by India to level the ODI series 1-1. The visitors won by six wickets with 39 balls to spare.

With the victory, it will take the final ODI between India and England to decide the winner of the series.

Below are some important points from the second ODI game:

Rahul gets his fifth ODI century

After a half-century in the first ODI, KL Rahul led India’s batting regiment with a well-paced 108 (114). His knock consisted of 7 fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 94.74. He was involved in two century stands, a 121-run stand with Virat Kohli and a 113-run partnership with Rishabh Pant before falling to a Tom Curran delivery.

Kohli, Pant register classy half-centuries

Coming in at the fall of the first wicket, Virat Kohli scored 66 in 79 balls to make it five half-centuries in his last six international innings. His wicket was claimed by his nemesis, Adil Rashid, who dismissed the Indian captain for the ninth time in international cricket.

Rishabh Pant, playing his first ODI since January 2020, showed why he needed to be a part of the team with a sizzling 77 (40), which was important in accelerating the pace of the innings.

Bairstow sails to his 11th ODI century

From the word go, English opener Jonny Bairstow was in his element. What he could not accomplish in the first ODI, he did it in this one - getting a century after hitting the nervous nineties. After what turned out to be a match-winning knock, he was dismissed by Prasidh Krishna in the 37th over.

He was a part of two massive partnerships for the visitors - a 110 (102) with Jason Roy and a 175 (117) with an on-fire Ben Stokes.

Ben Stokes’ magnificent innings

After Jason Roy fell for a well-made 55 (52), Ben Stokes did not let the pressure of a fallen wicket get to England. His scintillating innings included 10 massive maximums and 4 fours, striking fear into the Indian fans with every stroke from his blade.

Unfortunately for Stokes, he fell to a beauty of a bouncer from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, edging the ball to the ‘keeper. Stokes scored 99 (52), painfully short of a well-deserved century.

England scored a whopping 87 runs between overs 30-35

With Stokes and Bairstow set and taking the charge to the Indian bowlers, the visitors did not leave any opportunity to go waste to send the ball away to the boundary. In an array of beautiful stroke-hitting, England scored a whopping 87 runs between the 30th and the 35th overs.

England equal the record for most sixes vs India in an ODI

While England made the Indian bowling unit look harmless, they also equalled the record for the highest sixes hit against India in an ODI game. England got 20 maximums on their way to chase the total, equalling South Africa’s record.

The decider between India and England will be played in the same venue at 1.30 PM IST on March 28th 2021.