India vs England 2021, 2nd ODI: Strong Top-Order Batting Help England To Successfully Chase Their Second Highest Away ODI Target

The visitors England incredibly levelled the ODI series after winning the second game of the three-match ODI series against the hosts India where they claimed a 6-wicket victory with 39 balls remaining. Before the last ODI of this series, which will be played this Sunday (28th March), the series is currently standing in 1-1 position.

After England stand-in captain Jos Buttler sent the hosts to bat first, India scored 336/6 in 50 overs. In reply, England chased down the target in 43.3 overs after losing four wickets. It was also their second-highest successful chase in away ODI history as their record ODI chase is 361 runs (364/4 in 48.4 overs against West Indies at Bridgetown).

India vs England 2021, 2nd ODI

2nd innings (England): Jason Roy and centurion Jonny Bairstow provided another strong start before fiery Ben Stokes joined

England got another strong start as openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow set up the 110 runs partnership in 16.1 overs. Roy scored 55 off 52 balls before he was run-out. Just before that wicket, Bairstow also completed his fifty in 45 balls with a sixer.

Then Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes set up the firing partnership that incredibly set up the game for the visitors. In just 117 balls, they added 175 runs partnership for the second wicket. While Bairstow completed his century in 95 balls, Stokes scored a fifty in 40 balls.

After completing his half-century, Stokes became more dangerous with the bat as he scored the next 49 runs in just 11 balls as his scores after fifty were 6, 6, 6, 1, 6, 4, 2, 6, 6, 2 and 4. Finally, Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke that game-changing partnership as Stokes was dismissed on unlucky 99 runs off 52 balls (4 fours and 10 sixes). His incredible fiery batting after half-century just set the game for the visitors.

Though there were some late nervousness in England batting as Bairstow (124 off 112 balls; 11 fours and 7 sixes) and captain Jos Buttler (0) were also dismissed quickly just after Stokes’ dismissal as Prasidh Krishna took both the other wickets, Dawid Malan and ODI debutant Liam Livingstone made the chasing comfortable with a strong partnership. While Malan scored 16 not out, Livingstone scored 27 not out as they exactly set up the 50 runs partnership for the unbroken fifth wicket.

1st innings (India): KL Rahul scored his fifth ODI century, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant also scored important half-centuries

In his ODI return, Reece Topley provided a strong start for England by dismissing Shikhar Dhawan for just 4 runs. Another opener Rohit Sharma was also dismissed inside the first powerplay as Sam Curran took the wicket for run-a-ball 25 runs.

Then captain Virat Kohli and KL Rahul maintained their form and set up the 121 runs partnership for the third wicket. While Kohli scored a half-century in 62 balls, Rahul reached the 50-run mark in 66 balls. Adil Rashid finally broke that partnership as Kohli lost his wicket for 66 runs in 79 balls where he hit 3 fours and only six.

But Rahul continued his great batting with wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant. Pant played a fiery knock where he completed his half-century in just 28 balls. Later, Rahul completed his fifth ODI century in 108 balls. Rahul and Pant completed the century partnership for the fourth wicket in just 67 balls. They had the 113-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Rahul was dismissed by Tom Curran on 108 runs off 114 balls (7 fours and 2 sixes).

Pant smashed 77 off just 40 balls with the help of 3 fours and 7 sixes as Tom took that wicket too. In the end moment of that innings, Hardik Pandya scored 35 off just 16 balls (only four and 4 sixes) while his elder brother Krunal Pandya scored 12 not out off just 9 balls.

Both Reece Topley (2/50) and Tom Curran (2/83) got two wickets each in that innings.

Brief Scores: India – 336/6 in 50 overs (KL Rahul 108, Rishabh Pant 77; Reece Topley 2/50)

England  – 337/4 in 43.3 overs (Jonny Bairstow 124, Ben Stokes 99; Prasidh Krishna 2/58)

Result – England won by 6 wickets