England sealed the three-match ODI series 2-1 with a 27-run win over India in the third and deciding match at Lord’s in London on Sunday. England piled up 387/3 after winning the toss and choosing to bat, and then defended the total despite Rohit Sharma’s 138 in a chase that threatened to turn into a classic.
The result mattered because the series was level at 1-1 after India won the opener at Edgbaston and England responded in Cardiff. At Lord’s, England’s top order produced a huge first-innings platform, and Sam Curran’s four-wicket spell proved decisive when India tried to keep pace with the asking rate.
Duckett’s 141 powers England to 387/3
England’s innings was built around Ben Duckett’s 141 off 135 balls, a knock that set the tone for a total that kept climbing deep into the final overs. Duckett moved through his fifty and then into a “mammoth” hundred, with the commentary noting how damaging it can be in ODI cricket when the bowling side cannot take wickets through the middle overs.
India did find breakthroughs, but they arrived after England had already established control. Prasidh Krishna provided an early moment of relief by removing Jacob Bethell, with Bethell caught at square leg attempting to pull a short ball. Krishna was repeatedly described as India’s most threatening bowler, and he later also took the wicket of England captain Harry Brook.
Duckett’s innings eventually ended when Prince Yadav dismissed him with a slower bumper that Duckett could not control, chipping back to the bowler. Even then, England’s scoring momentum continued. Joe Root reached a half-century in a “superb” innings, and the tempo lifted further once Jos Buttler arrived at the crease, pushing England beyond 370 and into a position of overwhelming strength.
By the end of 50 overs, England had reached 387/3, leaving India with a chase that demanded both sustained scoring and composure on a surface described as a little slower with lower bounce than earlier matches in the series.
India’s chase: Rohit’s century, then key strikes
India’s pursuit began with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill tasked with setting a platform against a new-ball attack led by Jofra Archer, with Gus Atkinson also taking the new ball. The early phase was framed as important given the size of the target, with India needing to make the most of the powerplay while also managing the rising required rate.
Rohit found rhythm and moved to a half-century, and later surged to his 34th ODI hundred, reaching the milestone in 84 deliveries with 11 fours and four sixes. The chase had a period where it appeared India’s senior batters were dragging the game back within reach, with Virat Kohli also settling in and passing his own fifty under pressure.
However, England found a crucial opening when Jacob Bethell bowled Rohit after he went for a sweep and the stumps were broken. The dismissal shifted the chase into a phase where India needed others to accelerate, with the commentary noting that the required rate would still be steep in the closing overs.
The decisive swing came through Sam Curran. Curran removed Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer in quick succession, both caught attempting attacking shots, and then took the key wicket of Kohli. With those strikes, England’s resources with the ball proved too much for India to overcome. Curran’s spell was repeatedly highlighted as the one that “changed this game upside down” for England.
Curran later dismissed Axar Patel as well, finishing as the pick of the bowlers with four wickets as India’s chase ran out of momentum and time.
Series clinched: England’s big total and Curran’s four-for
In the end, Rohit Sharma’s 138 went in vain as India fell 27 runs short, and England completed a series win at the home of cricket. Duckett’s 141 laid the foundation for 387/3, while Curran’s four-wicket haul ensured England defended the total and took the series 2-1.
