India faced off against England in the second ODI at Barabati Stadium, and the home team won the match by 4 wickets and sealing the 3-match series with a 2-0 lead. The crowd, were treated to a masterclass century from India's captain, Rohit Sharma. Chasing a target of 305, the stadium echoed with chants of "Rohit! Rohit!" as the captain smashed his way to a spectacular 119 runs off just 90 balls. His innings, studded with 12 fours and 7 towering sixes, was a much-needed return to form. It was his first century since March 2024. Before this blistering knock, Rohit was struggling, having scored only a total of 166 runs in his previous 16 innings.
What made this century special was Rohit's approach. He started cautiously, carefully picking his shots, a strategy that clearly paid off. Once he settled in, Rohit fireworks show began, even a brief pause due to a floodlight glitch didn't break his concentration. He reached his fifty in a rapid 30 balls and, in true Rohit style, brought up his century with a massive six over long-off.
- Special Performances:
- Rohit Sharma (India): The captain leading from the front. And his blend of caution and aggression was perfect for the situation. His calculated risks show-cased his experience.
- Shubman Gill (India): Continued his excellent form, providing solid support to Rohit with a well-made 60. Their 136-run partnership laid the foundation for the victory. His trademark short arm pulls were a treat to the crowd.
- Ravindra Jadeja (India): Once again, the spin maestro controlled the middle overs with a brilliant spell of 3 wickets for just 35 runs. He was instrumental in restricting England's scoring.
- Varun Chakravarthy (India): In his debut match the spinner gave good support to Jadeja.
- Axar Patel(India): His quickfire 41 runs ensured the victory for team India.
- Ben Duckett and Joe Root(England): Both batsmen scored above fifty, but could not continue to get that big score.
Shubman Gill, fresh from his match-winning knock in the previous game, played a superb supporting role, scoring 60 runs. His partnership with Rohit demonstrated that India's top order is in safe hands. Virat Kohli, greeted with a massive cheer, fell cheaply again, edging a delivery from Adil Rashid. This dismissal, caught behind after a successful England review, will undoubtedly fuel further discussion about his current form. India did experience a bit of a wobble after Rohit's dismissal, losing a few quick wickets. However, all-rounder Axar Patel's quickfire 41* ensured India crossed the finish line comfortably in 44.3 overs.
Earlier, England's batting performance was a mixed bag. While they managed to cross 300, thanks to late hitting, their overall effort wasn't quite enough. Ben Duckett and Joe Root scored fifties, but as former England player Kevin Pietersen pointed out, they lacked the "hunger" to convert those starts into big hundreds. Jadeja was the standout bowler for India, with impressive figures of 3/35. Debutant Varun Chakravarthy also bowled economically, taking his first international wicket.
While India has secured the series, they'll be looking to address the middle-order batting collapses that have occurred in both matches. England, on the other hand, has a lot to work on the drawing board. Rohit approach in this match can be a great learning for the England batters.
