Unlike the Pune game, Indian spinners did a good job today, containing the batsmen and giving crucial breakthroughs. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who went wicket-less in the previous match, bounced back in style, bagging three wickets for 65 runs. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja was most economic among the home bowlers, conceding 45 runs in his 10 overs. Completing his quota in one go, he also took the wicket of a dangerous-looking Jason Roy. Among the pacers, Jasprit Bumra scalped a brace, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up one.

Dew factor caused problems for the home team as the bowlers erred in length, unable to grip the ball properly, while the fielders often slipped and failed to stop the ball, thus conceding extra runs.

Earlier, a career-best knock of 150 by Yuvraj Singh and a flamboyant 134 by former captain MS Dhoni enabled India set a daunting target of 382 for the opposition to win the match. India’s 381 was the highest ODI total by any side at this venue, bettering the previous highest of 365 for five, which had also been compiled by India in their previous match here against Sri Lanka in 2014.

The colossal total was made possible by a majestic fourth-wicket partnership of 256 runs between Yuvraj and Dhoni, who rescued India from dire strait. This was the second highest fourth-wicket stand in ODIs, the highest being an unfinished 275 between Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja, which was also achieved at this venue against Zimbabwe in 1998.

Put into bat by England skipper Eoin Morgan, India got off to a nightmarish start as they were reduced to 25 for three in 4.4 overs. But Yuvraj and Dhoni changed course of the game, mixing caution with aggression. After hitting Chris Woakes for a four in the first ball of the match, KL Rahul perished as the bowler had him caught at second slip by Ben Stokes for five. Fellow opener Shikhar Dhawan hit David Willey for two boundaries in the second over to set the 43,000 capacity stadium on fire.

But Woakes stopped the Indian juggernaut, capturing two more wickets in quick succession. In-form captain Virat Kohli and out-of-form Shikhar Dhawan followed suit in the third and fifth over respectively, playing injudicious shots. After hitting two impeccable straight-driven fours in one over, Kohli edged the last ball of the over, a yorker outside the off stump, straight to Ben Stokes, who took a beautiful low catch in the slip. Dhawan fell by edging a full-length ball to his own stumps.

At this juncture, it seemed India would succumb to complacency. But as the adage goes, Yuvraj and Dhoni got going when the going got tough and steered the home team from troubled waters and to a new high.

Yuvraj caught the opposition bowling attack by the scruff of its neck, scoring briskly, driving, pulling and flicking mainly through the leg side. Carrying the responsibility of the team on his shoulder, he played an innings that would be etched in the memory for long. His 127-ball knock of 150, featuring 21 boundaries and three sixes, bettered his previous best of 139, which he had achieved against Australia at Sydney in 2004. This was the 14th ODI hundred for Yuvraj and first since 2011 World Cup.

Dhoni started his knock uncharacteristically slow, giving Woakes two maiden overs and taking 13 balls to get off the mark. However, playing second fiddle to Yuvraj, he made impressive contribution for the stability of the Indian innings. He, of course, compensated his slow start by displaying lot fireworks after the exit of Yuvraj.

Dhoni brought up his 10th ODI hundred in the 43rd over, hitting Woakes for a six and a single. Dhoni, in fact, hit two sixes in a row in that over. However the second one was discounted by the umpire as the ball as it came in contact with the spider-cam. Incidentally, Yuvraj was caught behind in the last ball of the same over.

Dhoni was eventually caught by David Willey at deep square leg in the 48th over after smashing Plunket for three sixes earlier in the same over. Despite adding Liam Plunkett to the attack, the England seam-bowling department, barring Woakes, also failed to live up to expectations, often bowling short. Woakes was most successful of the lost, taking four wickets for 60 runs.

SCOREBOARD
INDIA: K Rahul c Stokes b Woakes 5 (5b, 1x4), Shikhar Dhawan b Woakes 11 (15b, 2x4), Virat Kohli c Stokes b Woakes 8 (5b, 2x4), Yuvraj Singh c Buttler b Woakes 150 (127b, 21x4, 3x6), MS Dhoni c Willey b Plunket 134 (122b, 10x4, 6x6), Kedar Jadhav c Ball b Plunket 22 (10b, 3x4, 1x6), Hardik Pandya (not out) 19 (9b, 2x4, 1x6), Ravindra Jadeja (not out) 16; Extras (b-4, lb-2, w-9, nb-1) 16
Total (6 wkts; 50 overs) 381
Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Rahul, 2.1 ov), 2-22 (Kohli, 2.6 ov), 3-25 (Dhawan, 4.4 ov), 4-281 (Yuvraj Singh, 42.6 ov), 5-323 (Jadhav, 45.6 ov), 6-358 (Dhoni, 47.6 ov)
Bowling: Chris Woakes 10-3-60-4, David Willey 5-0-32-0, Jake Ball 10-0-80-0, Liam Plunket 10-1-91-2, Ben Stokes 9-0-79-0, Moeen Ali 6-0-33-0

ENGLAND: Jason Roy b Jadeja 82 (73b, 9x4, 2x6), Alex Hales c Dhoni b Bumrah 14 (12b, 3x4), Joe Root c Kohli b Ashwin 54 (55b, 8x4), Eoin Morgan run out (Bumrah) 102 (81b, 6x4, 5x6), Ben Stokes b Ashwin 1 (3b), Jos Buttler st Dhoni b Ashwin 10 (9b, 1x4), Moeen Ali b Kumar 55 (43b, 6x4), Chris Woakes b Bumrah 5 (4b, 1x4), Liam Plunkett (not out) 26 (17b, 5x4), David Willy (not out) 5 (4b); Extras (lb-7, w-4, nb-1) 12
Total (8 wkts; 50 overs) 366
Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Hales, 3.5 ov), 2-128 (Root, 19.5 ov), 3-170 (Roy, 26.1 ov), 4-173 (Stokes, 27.2 ov), 5-206 (Buttler, 32.1 ov), 6-299 (Ali, 43.3 ov), 7-304 (Woakes, 44.2 ov), 8-354 (Morgan, 48.3 ov)
Bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 10-1-63-1, Jasprit Bumrah 9-0-81-2, Ravindra Jadeja 10-0-45-1, Hardik Pandya 6-0-60-0, R Ashwin 10-0-65-3, Kedar Jadhav 5-0-45-0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- PHOTOS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOP: Yuvraj Singh in action during the second ODI at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack on January 19, 2017.
RIGHT: Mahendra Singh Dhoni in action during the second ODI at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack on January 19, 2017.