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Riding on a dazzling century by captain Rohit Sharma and his 136-run partnership for the opening wicket with Shubman Gill, India trounced England by four wickets in the second One-Day International at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack today. With this win, India won the three-match series, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead.
With a 90-ball 119 (12x4, 7x6), Rohit not only registered his 32nd ODI century but also silenced the critics who were questioning his place in the team following a string of low scores in all formats of the game. This was his first international hundred in 11 months and first ODI ton in 16 months.
The solid partnership between Rohit and Shubman, who followed his classy 87 in the first ODI with an elegant 60, helped India overhaul a stiff target of 305 with balls to spare. Shreyash Iyer (44) and Axar Patel (41 not out) also got among runs again. But superstar Virat Kohli, who missed the first ODI due to knee injury, failed to make a notable contribution.
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Earlier electing to bat, England compiled a healthy total of 304, thanks to a half-century each by Joe Root and Ben Dockett. Ravindra Jadeja was the most successful bowler for India, bagging three wickets for 35 runs.
Played before a jam-packed stadium of around 50,000 spectators, the match was halted for 40 minutes due to floodlight failure. India spinner Varun Chakravarthy made his ODI debut in this match. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, his wife, Deputy Chief Ministers Kanak Vardhand Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, several other ministers and a host of dignitaries watched the match.
The Cuttack ODI, like general elections, kept the cricket crazy Odisha on its toes for over a fortnight. Though the match was organized by Odisha Cricket Association, under the aegis of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, and generated huge profit for both the cricket bodies, an over-excited State Government left no stone unturned for the staging of the match as if it was a public welfare event.
The Chief Minister not only supervised preparatory plans, but also did media campaigns himself to promote the ODI. He seemed to be carrying coal to Newcastle!
BRIEF SCORES: England 304/10 in 49.5 overs (Joe Root 69, Ben Duckett 65, Liam Livingstone 41, Jos Buttler 34, Harry Brooks 31, Phil Salt 26; Ravindra Jadeja 3/35) lost to India 308/6 in 44.3 overs (Rohit Sharma 119, Shubman Gill 60, Shreyas Iyer 44, Axar Patel 41*; Jamie Overton 2/27) by 4 wickets. PoM: Rohit Sharma.
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TOP: India captain Rohit Sharma celebrates after scoring a century against England in the second ODI at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack on 9 February 2025.
RIGHT: Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi, his wife and the two Deputy CMs watching the India-England second ODI at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack on 9 February 2025.
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