England sealed the three-match ODI series 2-1 after defeating India by 27 runs in the series decider at Lord’s on Sunday. Despite valiant knocks from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India’s chase of a mammoth 388-run target fell short as the visitors finished on 360/7.
Opting to bat first, England produced one of their finest ODI batting displays at the Home of Cricket. Openers Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell stitched together a commanding 192-run partnership that laid the foundation for a massive total. Duckett smashed a career-best 141, while Bethell narrowly missed out on a century with 91. Joe Root remained unbeaten on 74, and Jos Buttler provided the late fireworks with an unbeaten 41 off just 13 deliveries as England posted 387/3—their highest-ever ODI total at Lord’s against India.
India’s bowling attack struggled throughout the innings, particularly in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. The English batters capitalised on the lack of penetration, scoring freely and putting the visitors under immense pressure.
Chasing 388, India got off to an excellent start thanks to captain Rohit Sharma. Silencing retirement speculation, the veteran opener played a vintage innings, scoring a magnificent 138—his 34th ODI century. Rohit first added a solid stand with Shubman Gill before combining with Virat Kohli to keep India’s hopes alive. Kohli complemented Rohit’s aggression with a fluent 74 as the duo briefly shifted momentum in India’s favour.
However, England struck back at crucial moments. Sam Curran dismissed both Kohli and KL Rahul in quick succession, triggering a middle-order collapse that derailed India’s chase. Despite some late resistance from the lower order, including useful contributions from Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar, India could not recover from the loss of key wickets and eventually ended on 360/7. Curran finished with figures of 4/75 to emerge as England’s standout bowler.
The victory completed a remarkable comeback for England, who had lost the opening ODI before bouncing back to win the next two matches and claim the series 2-1. It also marked England’s highest ODI total against India at Lord’s and highlighted the effectiveness of Harry Brook’s leadership in a pressure-filled series decider.
For India, Rohit Sharma’s century and Virat Kohli’s composed knock were significant positives, but the inability of the bowling unit to contain England’s aggressive batting ultimately proved costly. The defeat means India return home empty-handed despite their experienced batters producing strong performances in the decisive encounter.
