Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team defeated Jos Buttler's England by four wickets in the second ODI of the three-match series which was played at the at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on February 9 (Sunday). The Men in Blue have also won the series with this victory as they have now gained an unassailable 2-0 lead. The biggest news from this match was Rohit Sharma's century. This was his 32nd ODI and overall 48th ton in International cricket. The Indian captain roared back to silence all his critics.
England got all for 304
England dominated the powerplay by scoring 76/0 after 10 overs. Openers Ben Duckett (65 off 56) and Philip Salt (26 off 29) added 81 runs for the first wicket off 66 balls, giving England another strong start in the second game. However, India managed to make a comeback by taking a couple of wickets. The visitors had posted 186/3 in 33 overs. However, after Joe Root and Buttler got out, England who was eyeing something around 330 got restricted to just 304 runs.
However, as for India, Ravindra Jadeja once again picked three wickets. Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakravarthy, and Harshit Rana got one each. India are leading the series 1-0 and a win here would ensure a series win for them.
Rohit Sharma's century
The Indian skipper Rohit Sharma silenced all his critics after returning to form and smashing a century in the second ODI. He showed glimpses of Rohit Sharma everyone was admiring during the ODI World Cup 2023 and T20 World Cup 2024. The Indian skipper has now also become the top 10 ODI highest run scorers of all time. He surpasses Rahul Dravid to enter the list. He needed 22 runs to get over Dravid in the 50-over format and he did that after smashing the third six of his innings.
Rohit and Gill have team India with a blazing start with their 136-run opening partnership. Gill got out after scoring 60 off 52 balls and Virat Kohli returned after scoring just 5 runs but the Indian captain kept the onslaught going. He completed his century and ensured that India would win this match.
The remaining was done by Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel, whose cameo took the Indian team over the line. These wins would boost India's morale and confidence ahead of the much-awaited Champions Trophy 2025. Now the series finale will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, on February 12. After this, both teams will fly for the mega-tournament