England defeated India by four wickets in the second ODI at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Thursday to level the three-match series 1-1. Chasing 234, England reached the target with 20 balls to spare, thanks to an unbeaten 99 from Joe Root. The experienced batter missed out on a century by just one run but guided his team to an important victory. The series will now be decided in the third and final ODI at Lord’s on Sunday.
England’s bowlers laid the foundation for the win after restricting India to 233 in 44 overs. Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson picked up three wickets each, while Saqib Mahmood claimed two. India looked set for a much bigger total after strong performances from Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, but another batting collapse hurt the visitors at a crucial stage.
India started positively with Shubman Gill scoring 31 off 30 balls. However, Rohit Sharma’s poor run in ODIs continued as he struggled to score freely before making 26 off 47 deliveries. Virat Kohli then played one of his best innings in recent weeks, scoring 65 from 66 balls with several elegant drives. Shreyas Iyer also impressed with 66 off 71 balls as the pair added an important partnership to steady India’s innings.
At 179 for 4, India looked on course to score more than 270. However, Jofra Archer changed the game by dismissing Kohli with a well-directed short delivery. After that wicket, India’s innings fell apart. Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube were dismissed cheaply as India lost four wickets for just 15 runs. Jasprit Bumrah’s unbeaten 20 helped India reach 233, but it was well below the total they had looked capable of posting.
Bumrah Strikes Early but Root Takes Control
England’s chase got off to the worst possible start as Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Ben Duckett with the very first ball of the innings. Prasidh Krishna then removed Jacob Bethell to leave England at 11 for 2. Despite the early setbacks, Joe Root remained calm and rebuilt the innings with Harry Brook, Will Jacks and Sam Curran. He rotated the strike well and punished loose deliveries, ensuring England stayed in control throughout the chase.
Root’s innings was built on patience rather than power. He hit nine boundaries but relied mainly on smart running and excellent placement to keep the scoreboard moving. Gus Atkinson sealed the victory with a six off Bumrah, leaving Root unbeaten on 99. Speaking after the match, Root said, “It would have been nice to get the hundred, but the most important thing was winning the game and taking the series to Lord’s.”
England captain Harry Brook praised his team’s all-round performance after the victory. “Our bowlers did a fantastic job of pulling India back after they were in a strong position. Joe was outstanding once again and showed why he’s one of the best batters in the world,” Brook said. The win gave England confidence heading into the series decider, with momentum now on the hosts’ side.
Why Is Cricket Played in White and Colored Clothing?
India Left with Positives Despite Defeat
For India, there were positives despite the defeat. Virat Kohli returned to form with a fluent half-century, while Shreyas Iyer continued his consistency in the middle order. However, Rohit Sharma’s struggles and another lower-order collapse raised fresh concerns for the visitors. Shubman Gill admitted after the match, “We were probably 30 to 40 runs short. We had the game in our hands, but we lost wickets in a cluster. We’ll look to bounce back strongly in the final ODI.”
Best Batters of the Match
Joe Root and Shreyas Iyer were the standout batters despite ending on different sides. Root scored an unbeaten 99 off 133 balls with nine fours, missing his century by just one run. His flick shot was his biggest scoring option, producing 28 runs, while his 84% control reflected how well he paced the chase. Iyer top-scored for India with 66 off 71 balls, including five fours and two sixes. He had an excellent 90% control with the pull shot bringing him 20 runs, the highest by any shot in his innings. While Root’s knock guided England to victory, Iyer’s effort was one of the few bright spots in India’s batting.
Best Bowlers of the Match
England’s pace attack was led by Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson, who claimed three wickets each to trigger India’s collapse. Archer returned 3 for 47 in 10 overs at an economy of 4.70, dismissing the well-set Virat Kohli (65) before removing Axar Patel (1) and Shivam Dube (0) in quick succession. Atkinson finished with 3 for 50 in 9 overs at 5.55, taking the key wickets of Shubman Gill (31) and Shreyas Iyer (66) to dent India’s top order. The duo shared six of India’s 10 wickets, with their disciplined good-length bowling helping England pull India back from 179 for 4 to 233 all out, setting up the hosts’ series-levelling victory.
Most Runs in ODIs Since 2025:
-
1230 – Joe Root (England)*
-
1206 – Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand)
-
974 – Shubman Gill (India)
-
961 – Virat Kohli (India)
Highest Batting Average in Successful Run-Chases in ODIs (Min.:2000 Runs):
-
102.71 – MS Dhoni (India)
-
91.59 – Joe Root (England)*
-
89.07 – Virat Kohli (India)
-
82.77 – AB de Villiers (South Africa)
-
73.86 – Michael Clarke (Australia)
Longest winning streak for India vs England in ODIs:
Highest 6th Wicket Partnerships for England vs India in home ODIs:
-
106 – Owais Shah & Luke Wright, The Oval, 2007
-
72 – Will Jacks & Joe Root, Cardiff, Today*
-
60 – Ravi Bopara & Tim Bresnan, The Oval, 2011
Most Instances of Five or More Consecutive 50+ Scores in ODIs:
-
5 – Virat Kohli
-
2 – Quinton de Kock, Kane Williamson, Babar Azam, Joe Root*
Most 50+ Scores in ODIs Since 2025:
Consecutive 50+ Scores for England in ODIs:
-
5 – Geoffrey Boycott (1979), Graham Gooch (1982-85), Alec Stewart (2000), Jonathan Trott (2009-10), Alex Hales (2016), Joe Root (2016), Joe Root (2026-Continue Streak)*
-
4 – Graeme Fowler (1983), Graeme Hick (1999), Kevin Pietersen (2005), Alastair Cook (2011-12), Eoin Morgan (2015), Jason Roy (2019), Jason Roy (2019)
How Many Umpires Are There in Cricket?
Indian Wicketkeepers With The Most Dismissals In The First N Wickets Of An ODI Innings
| Dismissals | Wicketkeeper | Opposition | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | MS Dhoni | England | Leeds | 2007 |
| 4 | Nayan Mongia | Australia | Sharjah | 1998 |
| 4 | MS Dhoni | England | Nottingham | 2014 |
| 4 | MS Dhoni | Sri Lanka | Leeds | 2019 |
| 4 | Ishan Kishan | England | Cardiff | 2026* |
Most Dismissals As Wicketkeeper For England Against India In ODIs
-
5 – Jos Buttler vs India, Brisbane, 2015
-
4 – Ray Taylor vs India, Leeds, 1982
-
4 – Alec Stewart vs India, The Oval, 2002
-
4 – Jos Buttler vs India, Perth (WACA), 2015
-
4 – Jos Buttler vs India, Cardiff, 2026* (Today)
Lowest ODI Totals Against England At Cardiff
-
141 – Pakistan, 2021
-
202 – Sri Lanka, 2016
-
223 – New Zealand, 2017
-
227 – Australia, 2013
-
233 – India, 2026* (Today)
Most Runs For India Against England In ODIs
Most 50+ Scores Against England Across Formats
-
38 – Allan Border (Australia)
-
37 – Viv Richards (West Indies)
-
35 – Steve Smith (Australia)
-
33 – Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka), Virat Kohli (India)*
-
32 – Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Most Runs In Away ODIs (Excluding Neutral Venues)
-
5,528 – Virat Kohli (India)*
-
5,518 – Kumar Sangakkara (ICC/Sri Lanka)
-
5,090 – Ricky Ponting (Australia)
-
5,065 – Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Most 50+ Scores In England By Visiting Batters Across Formats
-
26 – Viv Richards (West Indies), Steve Smith (Australia)
-
23 – Rahul Dravid (India)
-
22 – Allan Border (Australia), Virat Kohli (India)*
-
20 – David Warner (Australia)
Most 50+ Scores For India Against England Across Formats
-
33 – Virat Kohli*
-
32 – Sachin Tendulkar
-
26 – Rahul Dravid
-
24 – MS Dhoni
-
23 – Sunil Gavaskar
Most 50+ Scores In England By Visiting Batters In ODIs
-
14 – Rohit Sharma (India), Virat Kohli (India)*
-
13 – Rahul Dravid (India), Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
-
10 – Michael Clarke (Australia), Aaron Finch (Australia), Ross Taylor (New Zealand)
Most 50+ Scores Against England In ODIs
-
15 – Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
-
14 – Viv Richards (West Indies), Virat Kohli (India)*
-
13 – Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka), Ricky Ponting (Australia)
Most Half-Centuries Across Formats
-
164 – Sachin Tendulkar (India)
-
153 – Kumar Sangakkara (Asia/ICC/Sri Lanka)
-
149 – Jacques Kallis (Africa/ICC/South Africa)
-
147 – Virat Kohli (India)*
-
146 – Rahul Dravid (Asia/ICC/India), Ricky Ponting (Australia)
Most 50+ Partnerships For India Across Formats
83 – Sachin Tendulkar & Sourav Ganguly
74 – Rahul Dravid & Sachin Tendulkar
53 – Gautam Gambhir & Virender Sehwag
53 – Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma*
51 – Rahul Dravid & Sourav Ganguly
Most Sixes For India Against England Across Formats
-
56 – Rohit Sharma*
-
55 – Rishabh Pant
-
53 – Yuvraj Singh
-
52 – MS Dhoni
Most International Appearances
-
664 – Sachin Tendulkar (India)
-
652 – Mahela Jayawardene (Asia/Sri Lanka)
-
594 – Kumar Sangakkara (Asia/ICC/Sri Lanka)
-
586 – Sanath Jayasuriya (Asia/Sri Lanka)
-
561 – Virat Kohli (India)*
-
560 – Ricky Ponting (Australia/ICC)
Rohit Sharma Likely to Retire After India vs England Lord’s ODI: Report