Sun Feb 09 12:44:11 UTC 2025: ## India Dominates England in Second ODI Thriller

**Cuttack, India** – India took a commanding 2-0 lead in the ODI series against England with a thrilling victory in the second match at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium. Chasing a challenging 304, India got off to a strong start thanks to a revitalized Rohit Sharma, who displayed glimpses of his former brilliance. His partnership with Shubman Gill provided the crucial impetus needed to chase down the target.

England, despite a strong start from openers Phil Salt (51 off 37) and Ben Duckett (65 off 56), ultimately squandered a potentially much higher score. Several key batsmen, including Harry Brook (31) and Jos Buttler (34), threw away promising innings, failing to convert good starts into substantial scores. Despite Joe Root’s impressive 69, England’s late-innings collapse prevented them from reaching a truly imposing total. Liam Livingstone and Adil Rashid added late runs to push the score past 300, but two run-outs in the final stages sealed England’s fate at 304 all out.

The Indian bowlers were disciplined, with Ravindra Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy (on debut) proving particularly effective. Shubman Gill’s stunning catches further highlighted India’s superior fielding. The return of Virat Kohli to the Indian side added further excitement.

While England’s batting woes continued, their bowling attack, led by Saqib Mahmood and Gus Atkinson, showed promise in spurts, but ultimately failed to contain the Indian batsmen effectively once Shreyas Iyer found his stride. Kevin Pietersen, commenting on the match for Star Sports, criticized England’s lack of hunger to score significantly more runs.

India’s victory highlights their dominance in the series so far, setting up a potential series sweep in the final ODI. The match also showcased the resurgence of Rohit Sharma and the continued impressive form of Shreyas Iyer. England, meanwhile, faces a significant challenge in addressing their inconsistent batting and vulnerability to spin bowling.

Read More