England held their nerve after Ben Duckett’s masterful 141 inspired a primary ODI series win over India since 2018 with an exciting 27-run victory in a dramatic Lord’s finale.
Joe Root’s unbeaten 99 in Cardiff on Thursday arrange a winner-takes-all contest at the house of cricket and England were halfway there when Duckett’s magnificent century was the bedrock of a record-breaking total of 387 for 3.
The very best ever List A rating at Lord’s was helped by 91 from latest ODI opener Jacob Bethell, who almost marked Friday’s death of mentor Sir Garfield Sobers with a century, before Root’s latest fifty was backed up by Jos Buttler’s blistering 13-ball innings of 41.
Rohit Sharma had other ideas and put retirement rumours to bed with an equally stunning 138 to turn into the primary India player to attain an ODI hundred on the historic venue, but he was bowled after captain Harry Brook turned to Bethell to flip the momentum at 260 for 2.
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Turned the screw
Virat Kohli had already picked up the baton after Shubman Gill’s 77 and scored fifty on what could also be his final innings in England, but two wickets for Sam Curran within the forty fourth over on his technique to 4 for 75 further turned the screw.
Brook’s team eventually restricted India to 360 for seven to make it six wins out of seven white-ball matches this summer and supply a lift to move coach Brendon McCullum, who lost his Test job this month but secured only a second ODI series triumph for England over India since 2012.
After Brook put England into bat, Bethell set about paying the last word tribute to family friend Sobers, who provided a reference which got the Barbados-born left-hander a scholarship into Rugby School in Warwickshire.
The primary of 13 Bethell boundaries was an inside edge off Prasidh Krishna, but he settled into his groove with an early exquisite drive for 4.
Bethell survived a run-out probability on 25 but Prince Yadav’s next delivery was pulled over deep square leg for six.
Two more exceptional drives for 4 were followed by Bethell’s 51-ball fifty via a top edge, which also brought up the hundred partnership in 15.3 overs with Duckett, who had played in a composed fashion.
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High rating
Duckett reached his own half-century with a cut for 4 before all eyes were on Bethell but he picked out Sharma and had to pull himself off nine wanting three figures.
A partnership of 192 still represented an ODI best for England against India and back-to-back fours off Arshdeep Singh moved Duckett closer to raising his bat.
Duckett had survived a DRS review on 67 off Axar Patel and brought up a fourth ODI international hundred when he pulled Gurnoor Brar to the boundary throughout the thirty sixth over.
After Duckett required 108 balls for his milestone, three fours off Brar’s next over took England beyond the 250-mark before KL Rahul carried across the boundary rope for six, but Yadav’s slower ball finally accounted for the Nottinghamshire opener.
Duckett walked off for 141, a brand new highest ODI men’s rating at Lord’s after Viv Richards’ 138 in 1975 before Root and Buttler produced late fireworks.
Root’s reverse sweep for 4 off Patel took him beyond his own past record of 309 runs without being dismissed in ODIs and he finished 74 not out, but largely played second fiddle to Buttler.
Buttler heaved Brar over long-on for six during a 23-run over which was followed by two more maximums back past Krishna, which took England to 387 for 3.
Inspired figthback
Sharma strolled out amid speculation this could possibly be his final match and a thick edge off Gus Atkinson was hardly a signal of intent, however the statement of consecutive fours off Josh Tongue followed before a trademark pull into the gang welcomed Curran.
Gill beat Sharma to fifty but cramp struck like at Edgbaston and he was pinned in front lbw for 77 off Adil Rashid.
With India on 147 for one off 25.1 overs, Kohli’s entrance sparked enormous noise and the decibel level increased when Sharma reached three figures.
Back-to-back sixes off Tongue took Sharma into the nineties and a slog-swept over deep midwicket from Rashid earned a genuinely-earned century.
Sharma barely celebrated but Brook’s decision to show to Bethell proved inspired and two tight overs were followed by a breakthrough.
Sharma exited bowled for 138 after he dispatched Bethell into the stand before Curran’s two forty fourth over scalps of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer – each caught by substitute fielder Rehan Ahmed – knocked the stuffing out of India, who lost Kohli (74) and ended on 360 for seven.
READ MORE: England’s Joe Root insists ‘it’s all about winning’ after missing out on ODI century against India
