England vs India 2nd ODI Full Commentary

England's chase is about to get underway. After a brief huddle, Shubman Gill leads his troops out onto the park. It will be the left-handed duo of Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell to open the innings for England. Jasprit Bumrah will kick things off with the new ball. Duckett is on strike. Two slips in place. Off we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Advantage England - 6 overs left unused and having failed to make the platform count, India are right up against it here in Cardiff, which is a tough ground to defend on. Out of the previous 5 day-night ODIs at this venue, all have been won by the chasing side. England have a good opportunity to level the series, as up until that collapse, it looked like they could be chasing much more than just 234. Do join us back in a bit for the chase.

India flatter to deceive - Ishan Kishan followed him soon after, but then Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer got together to rebuild. At 168/3 at the end of 30 overs, they were setting themselves to put their foot down, but it all fell apart after Kohli was dismissed. Jofra Archer triggered that collapse, and it all crumbled around Iyer, who was left high and dry with partners falling around him. 9 out of the 10 wickets fell to the seamers, with Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson picking up 3 wickets apiece while Saqib Mahmood and Sam Curran also played their part.

A steady start - Earlier, Harry Brook opted to bowl first, hoping to make use of any assistance in the afternoon. The new ball attack was inconsistent, especially Saqib Mahmood and as a result, they could not make the conditions count as well as they would have liked. Shubman Gill picked up where he left off in Birmingham but could not convert his start. Virat Kohli looked busy ever since his arrival, and that took the pressure off Rohit Sharma, who was scratchy throughout his stay before the pressure of dots told on him.

Astonishing turnaround in Cardiff - From 173/3, in a collapse of epic proportions, India have been bowled out for 233, losing 7 for 60. Fifties from Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, but nothing much beyond that for the tourists. England will be pretty happy with the way they fought back. To be fair, they never really allowed India to take off. They missed the trick by not having a fourth seamer in Birmingham, but having Gus Atkinson today, they looked better balanced.

Prasidh Krishna is the last man in.

Gus Atkinson (7-1-45-1) returns to the attack.

Decider set for Lord's - It has been a gripping series so far, and with the scores level at 1-1, what better stage for the series finale than the Home of Cricket itself, Lord's. England will draw plenty of belief from both their bowling and batting show in this match and will look to double down on it to seal a home series win. India, on the other hand, were off colour with the bat and short of runs to defend with the ball, and will need to figure out where things went wrong if they want to bounce back and claim the series. The third and final ODI will be played on Sunday, 19th July, with the first ball scheduled to be bowled at 10 am GMT (3.30 pm IST). But do join us early for the buildup as well. Until then, cheers!

The victorious captain of England - Harry Brook describes it as a phenomenal effort from his bowlers to keep India to 233 after they looked well set for a much bigger total.  Shares that the decision to play an extra seamer was dictated by the conditions and felt it was the right call. On Joe Root, the England skipper is full of praise, calling him a phenomenal player and a great person to have around the group. Brook adds that Root has been one of the world's best for many years, particularly with the way he rotates the strike, which he believes is a vital skill in ODI cricket. Building towards the World Cup, Brook says the team will take it one day at a time and now turn their attention to the decider at Lord's.

The Indian captain - Shubman Gill says it is pretty disappointing to end up on the losing side. And when he is asked about the total they managed to post, he admits that 300-310 would have been a competitive score on this surface. Highlights that they were in a comfortable position to reach that figure after 25 overs, and points out that they lost a few too many wickets in the middle phase. On the collapse, he points out that the tailenders aren't the strongest batters, so a bit more was expected from the lower middle order. He hopes that next time around, the side builds proper partnerships and carries the innings forward from there. When asked about his own dismissal, he admits that it is never a good feeling when you ping one straight to cover. On missing Sundar, he calls him a key part of the team, noting the injury came while running between the wickets. Mentions that they had to lean on their main bowlers through the innings, though he doesn't feel it would have changed much since the ball was doing plenty for the quicks regardless. Still, he says, losing a player of that calibre forces a rethink in strategy, and he admits some momentum slipped away from India because of it. When asked about Root's batting display, he admits 234 was the target, so the required rate was never out of control. Details that had the asking rate hovering closer to five or six an over, India might have forced a false shot out of him, but at 4.5 an over, Root is a master of chasing down these kinds of totals.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - JOE ROOT receives the award for an outstanding and unbeaten knock of 99 runs. He says the most satisfying part was getting the job done in the end. He says personal milestones are never the priority and that he plays to help England win games. On the surface, Root says it was not the easiest pitch to bat on and credits England's bowlers for pegging India back after they looked set for a much bigger total. Adds that it allowed the batters to spend time at the crease and soak up the pressure. Believes that this England side should be judged on its recent performances rather than looking too far into the past, and says competing toe-to-toe with a strong Indian side is a good indicator of where the team stands.

... Time for the post-match Presentation ...

Root stayed rooted - Run rate was never really the issue for England, since they weren't chasing a mountain. The job was about nudging and nurdling ones and twos through the gaps in that middle phase while keeping wickets in hand. Root did exactly that without ever tiring, though he kept searching for support from the other end. Curran, Buttler and Jacks, all three got starts and formed important alliances with him, only to fall at inconvenient moments, but Root stayed true to the basics and showed that old-school ODI batting still has plenty of currency left in it. For India, Axar Patel bowled a tight, parsimonious spell throughout, but the wickets stayed elusive just when they were needed the most. Gurnoor did strike late, fishing out Jacks, but by then the game had drifted well beyond the visitors' reach.

Early dents through pace masterclass - At 8/2, both openers were back in the hut inside four overs, and England were made to huff and puff through some breathless and accurate new-ball bowling from Bumrah and Krishna. The wicket had a mind of its own, and while several body blows off the deviating ball tested their resolve, Brook and Root somewhat steadied the ship. Root played the patient hand, but Brook's flamethrowing approach eventually did him in, becoming the third name consumed by the heat of the Indian pace trio. England needed something solid after sliding to 53 for 3, but with Root firmly holding fort, one end at least looked secure.

Underwhelming with the bat - Slipping from 104/1 to 111/3 and then getting bundled from 178/3 to 233, India just didn't get the proper lift after a very positive start by the top order. Shubman Gill couldn't convert his start, but Rohit and Kohli didn't panic, building a steady 60-run stand that papered over the cracks until Rohit's exit reopened them. Iyer walked in next and picked up where Rohit left off, pairing with Kohli in a stand that produced two half-centuries and a sense of security. Then Harry Brook's bowlers took over the plot. Sam Curran and Will Jacks did the quiet work first, choking the boundaries and building the pressure. The knockout blow came when Archer and Saqib returned for their second spells and went hunting with the short ball, a plan executed with ruthless precision that ripped through the middle and lower order. Iyer kept the fight on and Bumrah threw in a spirited cameo, but once Iyer fell, the innings simply caved in, with India crashing to 233 all out and not even lasting their full overs.

England level up in style - Root stays stranded on 99, but it weighs far more than that figure with the way he played through and through. England get the equaliser in Cardiff, and with this win, they have snapped a six-match losing streak against India in ODIs, one that stretched all the way back to July 2022. India left six overs on the table with the bat, and that profligacy came back to bite them hard as England finished the job in almost the same time.

Final over of the game, then? England need 4 runs to win. Root is one run away from his century. But Atkinson is on strike for now. Prasidh Krishna (9-1-48-1) to bowl out.

A concussion check is in progress. The physio has asked for a new helmet to be brought out for Gus Atkinson.