IND vs ENG: 2nd ODI – England canter to victory in a tall run chase

Having lost the first ODI, England came charging back at India to level the series 1-1. Jonny Bairstow’s brilliant century along with Ben Stokes’s 99 helped England chase down 337 with ease. Earlier in the day, Rahul’s fifth ODI ton along with the fifties from Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant allowed India to post such a big total. Unfortunately, the score turned out to be not enough as the visitors chased it down with six wickets and 39 balls to spare. The series decider will now be played on Sunday, March 28. Here are some of the talking points from the match:

1. Adil Rashid gets the Indian captain again

Virat Kohli continued his good form with the bat by scoring another fifty. However, the Indian captain failed to convert it into a hundred once again. His wait for his first international century since November 2019 got extended further. On top of that, he was dismissed once again by Adil Rashid. The leg-spinner has dismissed Kohli 9 times in international cricket now, three out of which have come during the limited-overs leg during this tour.

2. KL Rahul turns around his fortunes

A spectacular ? for @klrahul11
His 5th ODI ton!#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/jyVXaEXHYH

— 100MB (@100MasterBlastr) March 26, 2021

After having poor outings in the T20I series, KL Rahul has turned around his fortunes in the ODI series. Following up from his unbeaten 43-ball 62 in the first match, the Karnataka player scored his fifth ODI ton. His knock of 108 runs came from 114 balls and helped India rebuild after the early loss of both the openers. His partnerships with Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant were crucial in India getting to 336.

3. Rishabh Pant outstanding ODI comeback

Shreyas Iyer’s injury allowed Rishabh Pant to re-enter India’s ODI team for the first time since January 2020. The left-handed batsman made a fantastic 77 off just 40 balls, an innings that changed India’s gears and allowed them to reach a good score of 336. His knock included three fours and seven towering sixes which deflated the spirits of the English bowlers.

4. Bairstow and Stokes launch a six-hitting assault

Since Ben Stokes last faced a dot…

? 1 6 6 6 1 6 WD 4 2 WD 6 6 2 ?#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/9hosfpl7J1

— ICC (@ICC) March 26, 2021

Jonny Bairstow continued where he left from in the first game. He was in sublime touch during his knock of 124 runs from 112 balls. He was joined by Ben Stokes who himself scored a blistering 99 from just 52 balls. The duo launched an assault that took the game away from India. Stokes hit 10 sixes during his knock while Bairstow managed to clear the boundary seven times. The all-rounder was unlucky to miss a well-deserved hundred. The pair set a brilliant platform for the Englishmen. As a matter of fact, their partnership ensured that England was never out of reach of the total even after losing three quicks towards the end.