India defeated England to grab an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series in Cuttack. India crushed England by 4 wickets in 44.3 overs while chasing 305 runs at the Barabati Stadium. India captain Rohit Sharma, who returned to form with a spectacular century on February 9, led the charge for the victory from the front. The crowd, who had gathered in large numbers to watch the first ODI match at the stadium since 2019, was on its feet after Rohit's spectacular knock of 119 runs off 90 balls. As the India captain smashed 12 boundaries and seven soaring sixes in pursuit of 305 runs, cries of "Rohit, Rohit" echoed through the spectators.
Rohit on his knock
Rohit Sharma, who won the Player of the Match award for his century knock said that he enjoyed the time on the pitch. He broke his plan to bat into pieces and batted according to the situation. He also praised Gill and Iyer for their support in the middle and through his innings.
"It was good, really enjoyed being out there, scoring some runs for the team. Important game, series on the line. I broke it into pieces how I wanted to bat. It's a format that is longer than T20 cricket and a lot shorter than Tests. Still, you need to assess and bat according to the situation. I wanted to stay focused and bat as deep as possible," said Rohit Sharma in the post-match presentation.
"Looking at the pitch when you play on black soil, the pitch tends to skid on a bit so it's important that you show the full face of the bat. Then they were trying to bowl into the body and not give room so I prepared my plan as well. I accessed the gaps and obviously, I got good support from Gill and then Shreyas. We enjoy batting with each other, Gill is a very very classy player. I have seen him from close quarters and he doesn't get overawed by the situation. The numbers are there as well if I'm not wrong," he added.
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