Rohit’s blazing century to Kohli’s poor form: 5 key takeaways from India’s win against England in 2nd ODI

Rohit Sharma led Team India's batting from the front with an extraordinary knock, with his effort complemented by Shubman Gill (60), Shreyas Iyer (44), and Axar Patel (41*) in the hosts' 305-run chase against England in the 2nd ODI in Cuttack

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Team India sealed the three-match ODI series against England with a four-wicket win in the second ODI at the Barabati Stadium in Odisha’s Cuttack on Sunday, February 9. With a massive 305-run target set by England, the Men in Blue chased it down in 44.3 overs. 

Skipper Rohit Sharma led Team India’s batting from the front with a brilliant knock of 119 off 90 balls and also formed a 136-run stand for the opening wicket with vice-captain Shubman Gill, who scored 60 off 52 balls. Apart from Rohit and Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel chipped in with contributions of 44 and 41, respectively. 

Apart from India’s win in the second ODI against England, let’s take a look at key takeaways from the match in Cuttack. 

1.  Rohit Sharma's blazing century 

Team India skipper has finally managed to silence the critics who questioned his form and place in the team with a blazing century. Rohit Sharma led the team from the front with an extraordinary knock of 119 off 90 balls, including 12 fours and 7 sixes, at an impressive strike rate of 132.22 in India’s 305-run chase. The 37-year-old completed his fifty in just 30 balls and went on to notch up his 32nd ODI century in just 76 balls. Rohit Sharma was under very scrutiny due to his poor form over the last few months. Now, his stellar knock has not shut down his critics but also reaffirmed his status as one of the most reliable ODI batters for Team India. 

2. Ravindra Jadeja led India's bowling attack 

Ravindra Jadeja has yet again proved why is still the vital player for Team India in the ODIs. The 36-year-old led the hosts’ bowling attack by registering figures 3/35 at an economy rate of 3.5 in his quota of 10 overs. He picked the wickets of Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Jamie Overton. Jadeja dismissed Root for the second time on the trot in the series and the 13th time across all formats at the international level. In the last ODI, Ravindra Jadeja picked three wickets while conceding just 26 runs at an economy rate of 2.9 in nine overs. During his three-wicket spell, Jadeja completed 600 international wickets, becoming the fifth Indian bowler to achieve this milestone. 

3. Joe Root returns to form 

After failing to deliver in the first ODI of the series against India, Joe Root returned to his form with his first ODI fifty since the World Cup group stage fixture against Pakistan in 2023. The former England skipper played an innings of 69 off 72 balls before he fell victim again to Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling. Joe Root’s contribution helped England post a total of 304 in 49.5 overs. He was the top-scorer for England, followed by Ben Duckett’s 65. Joe Root was in a good position to end his five-year ODI century, but perished by Jadeja’s spin bowling. However, his effort went in vain as India chased down a 305-run target in 44.3 overs. 

4. Virat Kohli's poor form

Virat Kohli seemed to have once again came under the scrutiny of the BCCI selectors and Team India management as he failed to deliver in the second ODI. Kohli was dismissed for just six runs by Adil Rashid in the 20th over. The 36-year-old walked out to bat after Shubman Gill’s dismissal and joined Rohit Sharma at the crease to carry on India’s run-chase. However, Kohli’s stay at the crease didn’t last long as the ball faintly edged the bat while trying to defend it before getting turned away off Adil Rashid’s delivery. In the Ultraedge, it showed the ball had a slight contact before it was caught by Phil Salt, leading to a soft dismissal. This further raised questions about his form. Kohli will be hoping to revive his form in the third and final ODI of the series. 

5. Axar Patel impactful performance with bat

Team India management’s decision to bat Axar Patel a little up the order at No.5 seemed to have paid off as he had put up an impactful performance with the willow. In the second ODI, the 31-year-old played an impactful and unbeaten innings of 41 off 43 balls to help India chase down a 305-run target with 33 balls to spare. In the ODI series opener, Axar Patel contributed with an innings of 52 off 47 balls in India’s four-wicket win. In the last two matches, the Anand-born cricketer showed his impact with the bat and is likely to seal his spot at No.5 batting position in the third and final ODI of the series against England as well as the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.