England Levels ODI Series Against India with Root’s Unbeaten 99

By Arjun Sharma — 17 July 2026 — 3 min read

England secured a four-wicket victory over India in the second One-Day International (ODI) in Cardiff, levelling the series. The win was largely propelled by Joe Root, who scored 99 not out, guiding his team to chase down a target of 234 runs with 5.5 overs remaining. His performance was crucial in stabilising England‘s innings after an early collapse.

The chase began with a challenging start for England, as Ben Duckett was dismissed on the first ball, caught behind off Jasprit Bumrah. Jacob Bethell also fell early to Prasidh Krishna for four runs. Captain Harry Brook contributed 16 before his dismissal, attempting to ramp the ball over the keeper. These early wickets left Root to anchor the innings.

Root formed valuable partnerships, first with Will Jacks and later with Gus Atkinson, to steer England towards their target. Despite wickets falling around him, Root maintained composure, adapting to the conditions and the consistent bowling attack from India. His 76-ball fifty highlighted his disciplined approach in a match that resembled a more traditional ODI.

England’s bowling effort and India’s innings

Earlier in the match, India posted a total of 233 runs, being bowled out in 44 overs, leaving six overs unused. Virat Kohli looked set for a significant score, reaching 65 runs, and helped guide India to 178-3 in the 32nd over. However, his dismissal, top-edging to deep third off Jofra Archer, marked a turning point in India‘s innings.

England‘s bowlers then rallied, taking the last seven wickets for only 55 runs. Saqib Mahmood removed Washington Sundar in the subsequent over after Kohli‘s dismissal. Archer continued to make an impact, adding Axar Patel and Shivam Dube to his tally, finishing with figures of 3-47.

Shreyas Iyer also contributed significantly for India with 66 runs. However, Gus Atkinson played a key role in curtailing India‘s late rally, taking two wickets in three balls. Atkinson concluded with 3-50, while Mahmood finished with 2-52, contributing to England‘s strong bowling performance.

Jofra Archer was particularly effective in disrupting India‘s plans, especially against Kohli. After England chose to bowl first, the initial overs saw Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill establish a 44-run opening partnership. Sharma‘s knock of 26 from 47 balls ended when he top-edged a sweep off Will Jacks, the only wicket taken by spin in the innings.

Gill also showed good form before being caught by Duckett. Ishan Kishan managed only one run, and India found themselves at 111-3. Archer‘s reintroduction into the attack proved decisive, as he bowled noticeably shorter, deceiving Kohli with extra bounce. This tactic also led to the dismissals of Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, both caught behind.

Root’s resilience and series decider

Root‘s innings was a display of discipline and reading the game situation. He was described as a class apart from the rest of England‘s line-up, particularly in contrast to Harry Brook‘s more aggressive approach. At one point, Root had four runs from 20 balls before accelerating once he was settled. His ability to rotate the strike was highlighted as a major part of 50-over cricket.

Despite Atkinson hitting the winning boundary, denying Root a century, Root celebrated the victory with his teammate. Harry Brook praised Root as a phenomenal player and a great presence in the team, noting that he consistently performs when needed. Shubman Gill also acknowledged Root‘s mastery in chasing such totals.

The series is now tied at one-one, with the decider scheduled to take place at Lord’s on Sunday.

Source: bbc.com

Arjun Sharma

Sports Reporter