Sun Feb 09 09:49:14 UTC 2025: ## England Dominate Early in Second ODI Against India
**Cuttack, India:** England are in a commanding position at the halfway mark of the second ODI against India, reaching 138/2 after 24.5 overs. A strong opening partnership laid the foundation for their impressive total.
Phil Salt and Ben Duckett provided a blistering start, accumulating 82 runs for the first wicket before Salt fell for 26 (2 fours, 1 six) to Varun Chakravarthy. Duckett played a more aggressive innings, scoring a quickfire 65 off 56 balls (10 fours) before being bowled by Ravindra Jadeja.
Joe Root (19*) and Harry Brook (18*) are currently at the crease, steadily building the innings. Brook has already showcased his power-hitting ability with a six and a four.
India’s bowling attack has struggled to contain England’s batsmen. While Jadeja (1/15) and Chakravarthy (1/26) have taken crucial wickets, Shami (0/30) and Pandya (0/26) have been expensive. Harshit Rana (0/25) and Axar Patel (0/15) have provided more economical options.
With England’s powerful middle order, including captain Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone, yet to bat, India will need a significant turnaround in their bowling performance to restrict England to a manageable total. The spinners, however, have shown promise in applying pressure and will be key to India’s chances in the remaining overs. The match remains tightly poised, setting the stage for an exciting finish.
First Piper 