England beat India comfortably by a margin of four wickets in the second ODI of the series being contested between the sides at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales, on Thursday, July 16. The visitors batted first in this encounter but could not make the most of the placid conditions on offer. They folded up for a pitiful total of just 233, with six overs in hand. England, in reply, chased the target down comfortably with four wickets and almost six overs in hand.
India’s openers Rohit Sharma (26) and Shubman Gill (31) got off to good starts, but were unable to convert them into meaningful scores. Virat Kohli, who walked out at number three, put his foot down and struck eight boundaries to score 65 off 66 balls. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan was sent home early, but Shreyas Iyer, at number three, assisted Kohli and scored an able-bodied 66 off 71 deliveries.
No other Indian batter came to the party, and it was left to tailender Jasprit Bumrah to score 20 in a lower-order flourish towards the end of the innings. Seamers Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson returned with three wickets apiece and Saqib Mahmood with two. England hit a roadblock first ball when they lost Ben Duckett, caught behind off Bumrah, but that brought ex-captain Joe Root to the crease. The Yorkshireman displayed his ease and grace, and scored a 133-ball 99 not out to guide his team home.
England too stuttered in the middle overs, but Root held them together. Gurnoor Brar threatened the hosts with two wickets, but the likes of Sam Curran (26), Will Jacks (30) and Atkinson (23 not out) made valuable contributions for the home team. In the end, England had four wickets in hand while chasing this target down in 44.1 overs. With this victory, England levelled the series 1-1 after having suffered a defeat in the first game in Birmingham.
England vs India at Lord’s – 3rd ODI Preview, Prediction, Teams, Top Players and More (19.07.2026)
England host India in the third and final ODI of the bilateral series being played between the sides at Lord’s on Sunday, July 19. The series is currently tied 1-1 after the sides won one game each. England have an overwhelming probability of pulling the wool over India’s eyes, thanks largely to their batting strength. India, on the other hand, have suffered due to their openers’ poor showing, especially that of ex-captain Rohit Sharma.
In the bowling department, India have impressed only in patches. England, however, have made good use of the conditions and looked to get the ball to swing and seam more often. The home team, thanks to the presence of Joe Root in their batting department, appear more balanced and composed. India, too, have seniors such as Sharma and another ex-captain, Virat Kohli, but they have not delivered together. Kohli only struck a half-century in the second match, which India lost.
Predicted Teams
ENG: Ben Duckett,
Jacob Bethell,
Joe Root,
Harry Brook (c),
Jos Buttler (wk),
Sam Curran,
Will Jacks,
Gus Atkinson,
Jofra Archer,
Adil Rashid,
Saqib Mahmood.
IND: Rohit Sharma,
Shubman Gill (c),
Virat Kohli,
Ishan Kishan (wk),
Shreyas Iyer,
Washington Sundar,
Shivam Dube,
Axar Patel,
Gurnoor Brar,
Jasprit Bumrah,
Prasidh Krishna.
Key Players
Joe Root (ENG): Former England captain Joe Root has stamped his authority in this series by scoring consecutive half-centuries. In the second match, he was unfortunate to remain stranded on 99 not out even though his side picked up a memorable win. Getting Root early needs to be the biggest priority for the Indian bowling unit, but it is not an easy task by any means.
Gurnoor Brar (IND): Gurnoor Brar has impressed in the two games he has played so far. The unheralded seamer, who had very little experience of first-class cricket coming into this series, has managed to get the ball to rise steeply from a length. The fact that he is quick makes him tough to handle, and the English batters have been wary of his variations, too.
Match Prediction
England have the upper hand over India in the series. India have been in poor form throughout their tour of the United Kingdom this summer. Prior to this ODI series, they were beaten 0-2 by minnows Ireland and then 0-4 by England in successive T20I series. Even in this ODI series, they have already lost once. The home team have better form at their disposal – they are the favourites to win.
