London: In a high scoring thriller at the iconic Lord cricket ground, England defeated India by 27 runs in the third and final One Day International to clinch the series two to one. The host nation posted a record breaking total that proved too massive for the Indian batting lineup to chase down, despite a spectacular and historic century from veteran opener Rohit Sharma.
The foundation for the English victory was laid by an extraordinary opening partnership. Opting to bat first, England posted a daunting 387 for 3 on the scoreboard. Opener Ben Duckett played a breathtaking knock of 141 runs, registering the highest ever individual ODI score at this historic venue. He was brilliantly supported by Jacob Bethell, who contributed a fluent 91 runs. Former captain Joe Root further accelerated the innings with an unbeaten 74 off just 48 balls, leaving the Indian bowling attack completely clueless.
Facing a monumental target, the Indian run chase was spearheaded by a vintage Rohit Sharma. Silencing recent speculations regarding his retirement, the 39 year old smashed a magnificent 138 runs. In doing so, he achieved a massive milestone by becoming the first Indian batter to ever score an ODI century at this historic venue. This marked his 34th century in the fifty over format. Rohit found solid support from Shubman Gill, who played a crucial innings of 77 runs during their impressive 147 run opening stand.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically once the English bowlers regrouped. After Gill departed, the middle order failed to capitalise on the strong start. Sam Curran and Jacob Bethell delivered crucial bowling spells, taking important wickets in quick succession to derail the Indian chase. Despite the best efforts of Virat Kohli and the lower order, the climbing run rate and constant fall of wickets restricted India, leaving them 27 runs short of the target.
This series defeat raises serious questions about the current Indian bowling unit and the stability of the middle order under extreme pressure. While Rohit Sharma individually etched his name in the record books with a phenomenal comeback knock, the English team celebrated a well deserved series victory on their home soil.