They gave Sir Garfield Sobers a great send off at Lord’s. England and India conspired to produce a thrilling one-day international fitting for a day when the game gathered to remember the greatest all-rounder of them all.
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England won the series decider by 27 runs but boy they had to work hard for it, unexpectedly so after posting a mammoth 387 for two. Two masters of the ODI run chase – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – marked their final appearances at Lord’s with one more rerun of their greatest hits. Rohit’s 34th ODI hundred fired Indian hopes while Kohli fired up the fans who believed they could be witnessing a showstopper for the ages. The result was only safe when he fell for 74 with four overs to go.
Both sides lined up for a minute’s silence to remember Sobers and some of the legends of West Indies cricket were at Lord’s, including Sir Clive Lloyd and Brian Lara. But this felt very much like an India day, from the sea of blue shirts in the crowd to the chants of “Kohli, Kohli, Kohli,” as he threatened a heist.
Six weeks ago a Lord’s surface was batsman’s worst nightmare as a wicket fell every 24 balls in the New Zealand Test. But baked by the heatwave this was a belter, producing more runs than that entire Test.
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Records that had stood for half a century were shattered: England’s total was the highest ever in List A cricket at Lord’s, Ben Duckett’s 141 the best ODI score. The first-wicket partnership between Duckett and Jacob Bethell of 191 was England’s highest against India while Joe Root stretched his run of not outs to four innings in a row.
However, it was the brief cameo by Jos Buttler that felt like fun hitting at the time but turned out to be the difference. He smashed four sixes in a 41 from 13 balls as England added 82 in the final five overs.
Fast bowlers suffered all day, and it was Sam Curran taking the pace off for four for 75 as well as Bethell’s left arm spin that squeezed India. Curran’s three wickets in five balls ripped the heart out of India and settled nerves.
At one point India had nosed ahead of England. With 15 overs to go they were in a better position at 232 for one and Rohit flying. He had been told by the selectors that this would be his last game for India. Well, he is not going quietly. This 138 off 110 balls was laced with meaning. He was on one leg by the end, the 39 year-old body struggling to keep up with demand, but he set a platform for the IPL kings to go for it in the last 10 overs.
When he fell bowled trying to sweep Bethell, India were 260 for two, still a tough ask but not impossible, especially against an England side with plenty of demons. Kohli fired up in Rohit’s absence, hitting Will Jacks for two sixes and Bethell into the pavilion.
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But the run rate faltered as Curran whipped out his slower-ball bag of tricks. He had Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer caught in the deep by sub Rehan Ahmed in the 44th over and Kohli in the next, slapping a catch to cover. The rest subsided, India short in the end at 360 for seven.
England’s ODI side have struggled for runs under McCullum and this was easily their best batting performance, not just for the collection of records but for the calm, controlled way they went about setting a huge total. The openers Duckett and Jacob Bethell gave them a 191-run cushion, Root was impregnable again and Buttler finished it off, proving what he can do when others give him a platform. India were without Jasprit Bumrah but that should not take the shine off England’s achievements.
This was the first Duckett-Bethell opening contribution and it was England’s highest for the first wicket since the last World Cup. Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow were such an important part of the route to World Cup glory and they left a huge hole in the side. Duckett and Bethell are more touch players, capable of gear shifts rather than setting out at turbo pace like Roy and Bairstow. The fact they bat so often together in Test cricket where Bethell appears at No 3 helps the level of understanding.
Duckett’s innings knocked Viv Richards’s 138 in the 1975 World Cup final off the top spot at Lord’s and continued the form he showed at the end of the New Zealand Test series when he scored his first Test hundred in nearly a year. He was out first ball in the second ODI in Cardiff but was never in any real bother at Lord’s as he compiled a fourth century in this format.
Bethell spoke on Saturday about his family’s closeness to Sobers and he would have been proud of some of the shots unfurled by a fellow left-hander. Bethell pinged a six into the Pavilion sightscreen and pulled another into the Grandstand but let a first Lord’s hundred go begging when he was caught at deep backward square leg.
Duckett took over and motored once he passed his hundred off 108 balls. He hammered 18 in one over and added 41 in 27 deliveries before he was caught top edging a slow bouncer.
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Root was unbreakable again. He batted the entire series without getting out for scores of 76, 99 and this 74. Add in the 111 not out in his last innings in the Sri Lanka series in February and he has scored 360 without being dismissed in his last four knocks.
This time he did more than just stay in, he scored quickly to keep the pressure on India. His 74 from 48 was the perfect foil for Duckett and Buttler.
07:39pm
“Extremely proud. We fought hard, communicated well as we did in the T20s and got over the line against the number on side in the world. Today as a very, very good all-round performance. The communication has been outstanding throughout the series, as it was through the T20s. It was tough at times but we got the job done.”
07:37pm
“We gave too many runs in the last few overs and that is where the game got a little bit away from us. We thought if we had wickets in hand in the last 10 overs we would be in the game. Almost everyone got runs in the matches but in this match we did not bowl well enough in the powerplay. It never really gave us the chance to get back into the game. Many positives for us in the series as almost everyone got runs and wickets. They [Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma] have done really well over the years in different parts of the world.”
07:35pm
“When you have the opportunity to beat the number one team in the world, to bounce back from losing the first game is really rewarding. To back up a brilliant series win in Sri Lanka with this shows we are going in right direction in a really positive way.
“It is great to see the guys developing and learning. We are progressing and going in the right direction as a side. As a team, we are gradually getting better. You always have to look at how you can keep getting better.”
07:32pm
“These games are exciting. It is breat to put my hand up in the situation of a series decider. I am enjoying it [opening the batting] and have a lot to learn. I enjoy batting with Ben [Duckett]. He [Sir Garry Sobers] was a special man and I was fortunate to have him as part of my journey. I cannot thank him enough for that. It was great to perform in a a game that was in memory of him.”
07:30pm
“I thought it was an excellent game of cricket. The players’ skills showed throughout. I do not know if the surface was a belter but the batsmen made the best of it. The boundary hitting was spectacular. No-one leaving will be disappointed with the action, even if India fans will be disappointed [Virat] Kohli and Rohit [Sharma] could not see them over the line.”
07:27pm
T20 series:
First T20- Match abandoned (Durham)
Second T20- England won by four wickets (Old Trafford)
Third T20- England won by 125 runs (Nottingham)
Fourth T20- England won by nine wickets (Bristol)
Fifth T20- England won by 56 runs (Southampton)
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ODI series:
First ODI- India won by six wickets (Edgbaston)
Second ODI- England won by four wickets (Cardiff)
Third ODI- England won by 27 runs (Lord’s)
07:19pm
Rashid will bowl the final over of the game and the series. Gurnoor goes for the slog sweep and gets just enough on it to get it over deep mid-wicket for six to bring up India’s 350.
Gurnoor hits the final ball for four but India have fallen short in the series. England win the game by 27 runs to wrap up the series 2-1, meaning they have won both white-ball series against India this summer.
07:15pm
Gurnoor hits down the ground and comes back for two.
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Later in the over, Archer goes for the yorker but ends up sending down a full toss, which Arshdeep guides fine down to third man for four. Arshdeep did open the face to get it fine.
Buttler then drops a catch but it was tough. A thick outside edge goes to Buttler’s left but he cannot take the grab one-handed.
07:12pm
Arshdeep Singh is in at number nine. He gets a boundary first ball as he clears his front leg and blasts over mid-on’s head for four. Arshdeep then finishes the over with another boundary as he blasts Curran over wide mid-off for four.
07:08pm Wickets
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Axar c Jacks b Curran 2 Curran has his fourth wicket at the death as Axar hits high into the air, with Jacks taking the simple catch down at long on. FOW 329/7
07:06pm
Gurnoor Brar joins Axar in the middle. He is off the mark third ball with a single out to deep cover.
India need 60 more runs from 18 balls.
07:03pm Wickets
Rahul b Archer 12 After conceding back-to-back boundaries with two freebies, Archer gets it right and the ball crashes into Rahul’s off stump. FOW 327/6
07:00pm
Axar Patel is the new man in and is off the mark first ball with a single. Curran concedes just five runs from that over and took the wicket of Kohli.
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India need 69 from 24.
06:57pm Wickets • Video
Kohli c Brook b Curran 74 That could be the winning moment for England. Like Tendulkar, Kohli will end his career without a century at Lord’s as Brook takes a simple catch at wide mid-off. Curran has been clutch at the death for England. FOW 315/5
06:54pm
KL Rahul is in at number six and has no choice but to go for it from ball one. He gets off the mark second ball with a single but India need to be dealing in boundaries at this stage. How did that not hit the stumps? Kohli misses on the sweep but somehow the ball does not crash into the leg stump.
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Kohli ends a run of 20 balls without a boundary as he hits Bethell back over his head for six.
06:50pm Wickets • Video
Shreyas c Ahmed b Curran 0 India’s T20 captain Shreyas Iyer joins Kohli in the middle. He last just three balls, without scoring, before being dismissed by one of a hell a catch from Rehan running in from deep cover. FOW 304/4
06:47pm Wickets • Video
Ishan c Ahmed b Curran 14 Curran completely takes all the pace out of the ball and all Ishan can do is pick out deep mid-wicket, where Rehan comes in to take the simple catch. That got nowhere near the boundary. FOW 304/3
06:43pm
Good fielding on the legside boundary from substitute fielder Ahmed keeps it down to two as Ishan swept hard.
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A single from the final ball of the over brings up India’s 300. A great over from Bethell that goes for just five runs.
06:39pm Video
What a way to go to your fifty. Kohli uses his feet to Jacks and smacks him back over his head for six to bring up his half century.
A few balls later, Kohli gets his second six of the over as he flicks over deep backward square leg for six. For a moment, he would have been worried that it was going to be caught by Atkinson out in the deep but it has just enough on it.
India need 93 from 48.
06:35pm
How has that missed the stumps? Kohli tries to sweep over the legside and misses but somehow the ball does not crash into the leg stump.
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Ishan hits hard down the ground and beats long on to get four.
06:31pm
Jacks is brought back on. Two balls into the 40th over, we are going to change ball. Jacks gets out of the over conceding just five runs.
India need 121 from the final 10 overs.
06:26pm
Ishan Kishan is in at number four and is off the mark first ball with a single down to long on.
Kohli then nearly picks out Archer down at long on but it falls short.
06:23pm Wickets • Video
Rohit b Bethell 138 One ball after hitting a six, Rohit has to go. He goes for another slog sweep, coming across his stumps, but misses and the ball crashes into his stumps. Lord’s rises to give Rohit a standing ovation on what could be his final innings for India, if you believe some of the rumours. Fair play to Bethell for keeping his bottle there. FOW 260/2
06:21pm
Rohit slices just over Root’s head at point and gets four to bring up the 100 partnership.
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A couple of balls later, Rohit picks up a Curran slower ball and hits towards cow corner. Bethell nearly makes a mess on the rope but stops the boundary. Not only that but Rohit only gets one. That was lazy running as well as the fact that Rohit has cramp.
Curran bowls a very, very slow ball that Rohit misses as he came across his stumps. It was very full but the appeal is turned down. England opt to review and this could be close. Rohit is very, very lucky as the ball was clipping the off stump. England will be feel aggrieved as that was so close to being three reds.
Rohit ends the over by going over mid-off’s head for four to bring up the India 250.
India require 135 runs from 72 balls.
06:14pm
That is a real gift from Bethell, who has bowled well so far, but he drops too short and Kohli pulling away to cow corner for four. Kohli then gets a couple through the covers.
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Rohit, like Gill earlier, does seem to be struggling with cramp in his left hamstring.
06:10pm
Kohli is just starting to cut a frustrated figure as the required rate creeps up. Every dot ball is crucial for England.
Kohli is trying to swing hard and Curran is currently using his slower ball to good effect.
Just four runs come from the over.
06:05pm
Bethell is going to be given a second over and I expect Kohli and Rohit to go after him.
After conceding just one run from the first four balls of the over, Rohit goes for the slog sweep. It goes high into the air out towards cow corner and has enough ont it despite plugging to go for four.
06:02pm
Stringing together dot balls at this stage is essential. Curran nearly has Kohli caught after the latter sliced into the air on the offside but it lands safely.
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Rohit then drives through wide mid-off for four. Make that back-to-back boundaries as Rohit plays a quite extraordinary shot, flicking without any foot movement over short fine leg for a one-bounce four. That brings up 1000 ODI runs against England.
05:58pm
Jacob Bethell is brought on for the first time today. Just five runs come from the over, which includes two leg byes. At this stage of the chase, overs like that from England’s perspective are like gold dust.
05:54pm
Third man is up inside the circle and Rohit takes advantage as he cuts between point and short third man for four. Seven come from the over, which in this game is not too bad.
05:47pm Key moments • Analysis • Video
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Harry Brook is chopping and changing his bowlers, with Rashid brought back on at the Pavilion End.
A single from Kohli down the ground brings up the fifty partnership.
Sharma slog sweeps to cow corner to bring up his 34th ODI century from just 84 balls.
Kohli blasts the final ball of the over back down the ground for four.
A few days ago Rohit Sharma was told by the selectors they were moving on after this game because they want to blood Yashasvi Jaiswal before the World Cup but he does not want to go anywhere and this hundred is going to make it very difficult to pack him off into retirement. A 34th ODI hundred has left India in with a good shout of one the truly great run chases.
05:43pm
Curran bowled two overs earlier and is back on at the Nursery End. He is looking to take pace off the ball as Rohit cuts behind point for a couple.
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India need 194 runs from the final 120 balls.
05:38pm Video
Tongue is back into the attack. He keeps it tight for the first half of the over before Rohit picks it up over wide mid-on for six. Rohit then makes it back-to-back sixes as he goes down the ground, this time over mid-off, for another maximum.
05:32pm
Rohit charges down the ground at Archer and the ball comes off the splice of the bat. Mid-off was up inside the circle so it just gets over Brook and Rohit can come back for two.
Later in the over, Archer strikes Kohli on the pads but it did not look right. It appeared to be going down leg but England do seriously think about a review. Sensibly, England decide against it.
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Kohli blasts the final ball of the over through mid-wicket for four.
05:28pm
Rohit comes across his stumps and sweeps aerially over deep backward square leg for four.
Later in the over, Kohli blasts a full delivery back past Rashid for four.
05:24pm
Archer bowls four straight dot balls before nearly having Rohit caught at point. The single does bring up India’s 150. Bethell launched himself at it and was not too far away.
05:20pm
Virat Kohil strides to the crease for what looks set to be his final innings at Lord’s and in England. He gets off the mark second ball with a single down to long on.
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A really good over from Rashid, going for just three runs and taking the important wicket of Gill.
05:18pm Key moments • Video • Wickets
Gill LBW Rashid 77 You sensed the Indian captain was getting a bit desperate after suffering from some cramp and now he is gone. He goes for a sweep over the legside but misses. Having come across his stumps, he had to hit but fails to do so. The finger goes up and Gill reviews but he is given his marching orders as there are three reds. The ball was crashing into the top of leg stump and England make a crucial breakthrough. That is Rashid’s first wicket of the series. FOW 147/1
05:14pm
Archer bowled five overs up front and now returns. That is very, very lucky. Rohit goes for the pull and gets a massive top edge that flies over Buttler’s head for four. That is not fortunate though; Archer strays onto the pads and Rohit nonchalantly clips it through wide mid-on for four. Pure timing from Rohit.
05:10pm
As was the case during the first ODI of the series, we can expect a bit of a delay now as the physio is on to treat Gill but as we saw in that game it did not really work as Gill had to retire hurt.
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Rashid was only out of the attack for a very short period as he is now back on. How will Gill’s batting be affected by this bout of cramp? His running between the wickets certainly will be. I am not sure they will be taking quick singles.
Rohit gets a couple with a cut behind point before sweeping out to deep backward square leg for four.
From the final ball, Gill is nearly caught down at long of having advanced down the wicket but it lands short.
05:04pm
We have had just over 70 overs of action today and only three wickets! Gill gets on the slop sweep and hits it over deep mid-wicket’s head for six. He seems to be struggling with cramp, as he did in the first ODI at Edgbaston, when he had to retire hurt. Gill then gives himself room to go over and gets two, but is clearly struggling with this cramp. It is not that hot in London today so it is a surprise to see him cramp, especially for an Indian batsman who is used to the heat.
05:00pm
It is not spin at both ends for long as Atkinson is back on, changing ends to come on at the Pavilion End. Rohit swings hard and misses from the first ball of the over and then swings hard again. This time it strikes Rohit on the pads but it was going over.
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You feel like a big shot is coming. Rohit comes across his stumps, like he did earlier to Curran, and sweeps fine for four. A touch of fortune in that shot but Rohit will not care. He repeats the shot again next ball, this time in slightly more convincing fashion, and gets four more to bring up his fifty from exactly 50 balls.
04:56pm
It is going to be spin from both ends as Will Jacks is introduced at the Nursery End. Surely Gill and Rohit are going to go after him? Gill cuts behind point, down the slope, for four. He waited for that ball to come onto him and played it so late. Lovely shot and Duckett could not flick it back in time on the rope.
Jacks has got to hold his nerve here as this pair are going to target him. He concedes just six runs from his first over.
04:52pm
Rohit sweeps out to deep square leg for a single to bring up India’s 100. The pressure had been building a touch but Gill cuts away behind point for three. It does feel like a few big shots are incoming as India cannot afford the required rate to get too high.
04:49pm
This pair have made a good start to India’s chase but they know they just have to keep going and going due to the sheer weight of runs England amassed.
Gill charges at Atkinson and swings hard but misses. There are a few half appeals for a nick behind but England do not review it. There was no edge though. Gill is in fact going to change his bat but why could he not do that one ball later at the end of the over? I really do not get that! It is not like his first bat was broken.
A great over from Atkinson that costs just one run.
04:45pm
What happened there? Rashid gets a leg spinner to turn a long way and Gill attempts to sweep but misses. Rashid appeals for LBW but that is turned down by umpire Dharmasena. It was probably turning too far, even though it might have clipped Gill’s back pocket. HawkEye shows it was turning too far; it pitched on leg stump and was missing off.
04:38pm
It is changes at both ends as Atkinson returns at the Nursery End. He bowled three overs up front and then seemed to be treated by a physio but is fit to come back on to bowl.
Gill played a quite sensational cover drive off Tongue a couple of overs ago but he has probably trumped that one with this one. Boy did he hold the pose!
Atkinson though manages to hold for the rest of the over and maintain some control, not conceding another run.
Time for drinks.
04:34pm Analysis
Spin is brought on by England for the first time as Adil Rashid is on at the Pavilion End. Gill immediately goes after Rashid, taking advantage of a wide delivery to hit over cover for four. A few balls later, Gill repeats the shot but this time superb fielding on the rope from Jacks keeps it to a couple. That two takes Gill to his fifty off 53 balls.
Incredible difference on this pitch; it is the same surface used for the first New Zealand Test when only 670 runs were scored for 40 wickets and a wicket fell every 25 balls. We could see more runs today than we did in the whole of the first Test.
04:30pm Video
Gill hits behind point and immediately calls for two, which he is able to get. That is emphatic; Tongue is too full and wide, allowing Gill to absolutely crunch it through the covers down the slope for four. No need to run.
Later in the over, Tongue strikes Rohit on the pads but there is always the feeling that it was too high. Tongue is a tall bowler and Rohit is not a short man. It hit Rohit on the back leg so probably wise not to review.
04:25pm
That is a lovely shot from Gill. With mid-off up inside the circle, Gill advances at Curran and elegantly hits over mid-off’s head for four. High elbow and great balance as he hit that shot. That has resulted in Buttler getting his helmet on and coming up to the stumps.
04:20pm
Tongue drops a tad short and Gill is onto it quickly, powerfully pulling in front of square for four. It was a cautious start from India’s opening pair but the runs are beginning to flow now. Tongue though manages to escape the over only conceding one more run.
04:16pm
Archer’s spell is at an end and he is replaced by Sam Curran at the Pavilion End. A single off Gill’s bat down to fine leg brings up India’s 50. For context, England went past fifty in the ninth over.
Rohit comes across his stumps and sweeps fine for four. Curran then drops too short and Rohit pulls hard over deep backward square leg for a flat six.
04:12pm
Rohit looks at the pitch with surprise after being beaten at a snorter from Tongue. It’s a fine over full stop from Tongue, a maiden after he was hit for 14 in his first over.
It’s also the end of a pretty good Powerplay for England. They’d have liked a wicket but they bowled well and the required rate is now 8.47 per over.
04:07pm
Gill continues the sudden burst of boundaries with a pull for four off Archer. But he’s fortunate to survive a run-out chance after being sent back by Rohit. Curran’s throw from mid-on missed the stumps at the striker’s end.
04:00pm
Josh Tongue replaces Atkinson and is immediately set upon by Rohit Sharma. He works the first ball off the hip for four, pulls the second for four – and then pulls the fifth mightily into the crowd at backward square leg.
That’s the first six of India’s innings. Spoiler alert: it’s not the last.
03:59pm
Gus Atkinson left the field with the physio at the end of the previous over, so we’ll keep an eye on that. Gill holds the pose after a stylish short-arm jab for four off Archer.
England are on top but they’d like a wicket or two to cement the advantage.
03:54pm
Rohit charges Atkinson and hacks a boundary between slip and gully. Gill is then cut in half by an excellent delivery that seams and bounces.
The pitch has generally looked great for batting, but even during England’s record-breaking innings there were a few deliveries that misbehaved.
03:50pm
A soupçon of width from Archer is all Gill needs to slam a cut for four. Seven from the over, a better one from India, though the required rate is already up at 8.24.
03:45pm
This is an excellent start from Archer and Atkinson, who are both bowling a tight line and a good length. Gill has faced most of the deliveries so far, 20 out of 24, and is struggling to get the ball away. India need 378 from 46 overs.
03:42pm
The first boundary of the Indian innings comes when Gill arrives Archer through extra cover in trademark fashion. But those are the only runs from another good Archer over, which ends with Gill being beaten on the inside while trying to drive.
03:38pm
Shubman Gill is hit on the right arm by a nasty delivery from Gus Atkinson. Eeeeesh, that took off from a length and caused Gill a fair of bit of pain. He’s okay to continue after treatment.
Three from the over.
03:34pm
The in-form Jofra Archer ensures India don’t get off to a flyer in the run-chase, at least not yet, by conceding only two from his first over.
03:06pm
A series decider looks like it has been decided already. England smashed a glut of records on a decent batting pitch against an India attack that badly missed Jasprit Bumrah. England’s 387 is the highest ODI score at Lord’s and their best ever against India.
Ben Duckett’s 141 beat Viv Richards’s record score at Lord’s, made in the 1979 World Cup final. Joe Root’s 74 took him to 249 runs in the series without getting out, a tally that rises to 360 if you include the last ODI series in Sri Lanka.
When England set their previous Lord’s high of 334 in the 1975 World Cup, also against India, Sunil Gavaskar went on a go slow, scoring 36 off 174 balls. “It was the most disgraceful and selfish performance I have ever seen,” said the India team manager afterwards.
03:00pm
Only one team has chased more to win an ODI; that was South Africa’s legendary 438/9 against Australia in 2006.
India didn’t bowl well but England gave another glimpse of how dangerous they can be when they get it right. And there are officially no words left for Joe Root, only numbers: in this series he has made 248 runs from 256 balls without being dismissed. Imagine being that good at anything.
02:59pm
Root pulls and reverse-laps Prince Yadav for successive boundaries. He is just amazing and is going to end this series without being dismissed.
A single allows Buttler to glide the last boundary of a stunning batting performance from England. He finishes with 41 from 13 balls, Root with 74 from 48, and England have obliterated the record for the highest ODI score at Lord’s. They’re almost made the highest total in any List A game on this ground. When they’re good, they’re very, very good…
02:53pm
The ball is changed after the first delivery of Prasidh’s final over. Buttler tries to effect another ball change by backing away to club a violent straight six.
Goodness me, this is unreal hitting from Buttler. He swipes another mighty six, this time over midwicket, then whips a low full toss behind square for four. Buttler is 34 not out from 10 balls.
Root calls Buttler through for a bye on a wide, then squirts an ingenious boundary past short third man. Marvellous batting.
This is England’s highest ever ODI score against India and the highest any team has made against them since 2020.
02:44pm
I’d like to apologise for suggesting there was a case for Joe Root to retire out. What an eejit! Root, who has gone through the gears like an experienced death hitter, hooks Gurnoor four and has hit 20 from his last nine deliveries.
Buttler smokes four down the ground to make this the highest team score in an ODI at Lord’s, then steers a high full toss over short third man for another boundary. It’s a no-ball too, which means a free hit. Buttler launches it miles over mid-on for six!
Twenty-three from the over. Gurnoor finishes with X-rated figures of 10-0-97-0.
02:42pm
England are going to make the highest score in a Lord’s ODI (the record is 334). The only question is whether it will be enough.
02:38pm Wickets
Brook c Kohli b Prasidh 14 After Root slugs Prasidh over midwicket for another boundary, Brook chips straight to Kohli at long on. He couldn’t quite get going and made 14 from 12 balls. FOW: 324/3
02:35pm
Yet another record for Joe Root: his sixth consecutive ODI fifty, the first time an England batsman has achieved the feat. This one came off only 39 balls.
Brook backs away to clonk Gurnoor up and over wide mid-off. The ball plugs just short of the boundary, which means two runs rather than four. He premeditates a ramp next ball and is almost knocked off his feet when a high full toss goes past arm. Brook wanted a no-ball on height; he was crouching and the umpires are happy it was a legal delivery.
02:30pm
Root heaves Arshdeep high over the leg side for four. Death-hitting is outside his comfort zone but, as always, he is finding ways to score runs.
Brook toe-ends Arshdeep just short of mid-off, where Prasidh fails to grab the ball cleanly with Root and Brook having a mid-pitch dance. With a smooth pick-up he would have had a chance to run Brook out.
02:25pm
In the circumstances that’s a very good over from Yadav – five runs, a leg-bye and a wicket.
02:22pm Wickets
Duckett ct and b Prince 141 Duckett’s record-breaking innings ends when he mistimes a slower bouncer straight back to Prince Yadav. A nice piece of bowling. Duckett walks off to a standing ovation, richly deserved after a memorable performance: 141 from 135 balls with 18 fours and a six. FOW: 293/2
02:21pm
Duckett backs away to blast Arshdeep towards the cover boundary. KL Rahul takes a fine catch on the run but then staggers over the boundary toblerone with the ball still in his hands. Six runs it is – and they give Duckett the highest ODI score on this ground, surpassing Sir Vivian Richards’ mighty 138 not out in the 1979 World Cup final.
02:12pm
Four more to Boom Boom Root, carted lustily over the leg side off Prince Yadav. Rohit dived forward on the boundary in an attempt to take the catch but couldn’t reach it.
02:07pm
Root invites me to shut my mouth with a perfectly placed reverse sweep for four off Axar. He has just broken his own ODI record for the most runs between dismissals in ODIs, 314 and counting. The G-words, genius and goat, are usually the highest praise for a cricketer. We’ve kind of exhausted them with Root.
02:05pm
No boundaries in Arshdeep’s over but England score off every delivery. It’ll never happen but there is an argument for Joe Root retiring out here – he has 23 from 22 balls, which is fine but not the kind of strike rate you want when you are 261/1 with 10 overs remaining.
02:00pm
Axar continues to keep England relatively quiet at the other end – he hasn’t conceded a boundary in this three-over spell.
01:56pm
Gurnoor Brar’s eighth over disappears for 19! Sixteen came off the bat of Duckett, including three boundaries: a hack over the non-existent slip cordon, a high-class drive over mid-off and a brusque pull behind square. He’s gone up a gear since reaching three figures.
01:53pm
Root is scoring at a run a ball as usual, 16 from 17, though on this occasion England will need a higher strike rate if he stays at the crease for the duration.
01:48pm
A century for Ben Duckett! Gurnoor digs in a short ball that is nailed through midwicket for four by Duckett. A cracking shot to bring up a mature, well-paced century, his fourth in ODIs: 108 balls, 15 fours.
There are encouraging signs that, after the toughest spell of his career, Duckett is getting back to his best.
Duckett survives a run-out chance off the last ball of the over when the throw misses the stumps.
01:46pm
Duckett is kept waiting during a canny over from Axar Patel.
01:42pm
Duckett needs treatment after being hit on the glove by Gurnoor. When play resumes he blasts a trademark boundary through extra cover to move closer to his fourth ODI hundred.
01:36pm
Prasidh has a couple of LBW appeals turned down against Root. The first was going down leg, the second pitched outside off – but that’s another excellent over from Prasidh.
Root has now scored 291 runs since his last ODI dismissal. He’s 18 short of the England record, which is held by – yep – Joe Root. That was in 2018 when he inspired England to their last ODI series victory over India.
01:34pm
Root is beaten, lunging into a drive off the new bowler Arshdeep. Bur Duckett gets stuck in later in the over with consecutive pull/hooks for four. He may as well put the foot down now.
01:24pm
Joe Root gets off strike first ball. Of course he does. That’s the only run from a really good Prasidh over. His figures aren’t amazing (7-2-32-1) but he’s the best Indian bowler by a distance.
Superb innings from Bethell and a good sign for England that his opening partnership is clicking with Duckett. Early days obviously but England have been searching for an opening combo since the Roy/Bairstow days and it must help that these two bat so often together in Test cricket.
01:20pm Wickets
Bethell c Rohit b Prasidh 91 Jacob Bethell falls nine short of his century. He pulled Krishna sweetly but straight to Rohit Sharma at deep square leg. Rohit doesn’t drop those and Bethell is on his way after a fine innings: 91 from 93 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. FOW: 192/1
01:16pm
The ball after toe-ending Yadav just short of the keeper, Bethell moves into the nineties with a sweet drive over mid-off for four. Those runs make this England’s highest partnership for any wicket against India in ODIs.
01:13pm
Prasidh Krishna, the best of the Indian bowlers so far, returns for his second spell. A widish short ball is swatted to cow corner for four by Duckett, who then jumps across to ramp another boundary.
England have a great chance of breaking the record for the highest ODI score at Lord’s: 334/4 against India in an infamous game at the 1975 World Cup. That was from 60 overs. The highest in a 50-over game came last year when South Africa posted 330/8.
01:07pm
Bethell tucks a poor ball from Prince off the pads for four more. An excellent yorker is squeezed past the stumps by Duckett, who still looks content to play second fiddle to Bethell. He has 69 from 80 balls, Bethell 86 from 88.
12:59pm
Axar pleads for an LBW when Duckett misses a sweep at a ball bowled from round the wicket. I’m not sure it straightened enough but India have reviewed.
It’s the wrong decision. The ball pitched outside leg stump so the rest is irrelevant.
Duckett tries to reverse sweep the next ball and gets in a tangle. The ball hits something and loops over the head of Ishan Kishan, who drops a tough chance running back. If indeed it was a chance: replays suggest the ball hit only Duckett’s forearm.
Kishan hurt his right shoulder when he landed and needs a bit of treatment before play can resume.
12:56pm
Excellent over from Prince Yadav, just one from it.
12:52pm
Duckett reverse sweeps Axar for four, the first time he’s played that shot today. This is now England’s highest opening partnership in an ODI v India, surpassing the160-run that Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow put on during the 2019 World Cup. That was an immense partnership, the turning point of England’s successful World Cup campaign.
12:50pm
Bethell moves to 78 by flogging the new bowler Prince Yadav through midwicket for four. A century here, on a day when cricket is celebrating Sir Garfield Sobers, would mean a lot to Bethell.
12:44pm
Bethell skips down to drive Axar sweetly back over his head for six. That went a long way, almost into the second tier of the pavilion. Bethell has 73 from 71 balls, Duckett 57 from 67.
12:41pm
Duckett glides Gurnoor for two to reach a relatively patient half-century from 64 balls. A similar shot next ball beats the man on the boundary to give Duckett his eighth four.
This is now the highest opening partnership in a Lord’s ODI. And it has put England in a seriously good position.
12:37pm
12:34pm
Bethell tries to drive a full ball from Gurnoor and is beaten. India appeal for caught behind but Bethell’s bat scraped the ground rather than the ball.
On the subject of hundred partnerships for the first wicket, how blessed we were to have Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow for so long. They smashed 14 century stands in ODIs; the next best among England openers is the four that Nick Knight and Marcus Trescothick managed in the early 2000s.
12:30pm
Duckett, whose variety of sweeps make him so dangerous against spin in white-ball cricket, sweeps Axar firmly round the corner for four. England couldn’t have asked for a better start.
12:24pm
A beautiful delivery from Gurnoor turns Bethell round, hits him on the hip and deflects away for four leg-byes. Five additional singles make it a good over for England.
There’s a bit in this for the seamers so England’s score looks extremely handy. Long way to go, mind: India’s score looked equally handy at this stage of the second ODI in Cardiff.
12:23pm
Spin for the first time in the shape of Axar Patel. Bethell sweeps his first ball for three; the rest of the over yields three singles.
12:19pm
Bethell top-edges Arshdeep for four to reach his first fifty as an ODI opener: 51 balls, eight fours, one six.
That boundary also brings up the hundred partnership – the first time England’s openers have reached three figures in an ODI since the 2023 World Cup.
12:10pm
Bethell on-drives Gurnoor for four, a carbon copy of the gorgeous stroke he played off Arshdeep in the 12th over. Average batsmen don’t play shots like that.
The boundaries continue to flow. Later in the over Duckett clatters a wide ball between extra cover and mid-off. “Gut feeling, this is a 300+ surface,” says Stuart Broad in the commentary box.
Time for drinks.
12:07pm
Three from Arshdeep’s over.
12:02pm
The lively Gurnoor Brar replaces Prince Yadav, who bowled a loose spell of 3-0-28-0. His second delivery is a very wide short ball that Duckett slashes for four. The rest of the over is pretty good, five dot balls.
11:59am
Arshdeep returns and is timed classily down the ground for four by Bethell. That’s a beautiful shot, the best of the morning. Bethell is eight away from a first half-century in his new role as opener.
11:54am
Bethell survives a run-out chance. He set off instinctively after pushing the ball to the left of the bowler Prince Yadav, then scrambled to make his ground when Yadav fielded excellently in his follow-through. Yadav’s throw bounced past the stumps with the diving Bethell short of his ground.
Bethell’s response to that near miss is to pull Yadav handsomely over square leg for six, then again through midwicket for four. Lovely shots.
11:49am
Duckett ends his mini-drought by jumping across to ramp Prasidh for four. He plays that shot so well.
It hasn’t always been plain sailing, particularly for Bethell, but this is a good platform for England.
11:44am
Young fast bowlers often struggled with their line because of the Lord’s slope. Prince Yadav is a new member of that unexclusive club; an otherwise economical second over includes two leg-side wides.
Duckett, who was 18 not out from 17 balls, is now 18 not out from 27.
11:39am
Prasidh’s pace is good, around 90mph, and he has tightened his line after a scruffy start. He bowls another maiden, this time to an increasingly frustrated Duckett.
It’s been a mixed start from both teams: eight overs, seven boundaries, five wides, two maidens.
11:34am
Prince Yadav replaces Arshdeep Singh. His third ball has a mind of its own and flies down the leg side for five wides.
India have been a bit loose this morning. A poor ball on leg stump is clipped to the square leg boundary by Bethell; that’s his fourth boundary in an innings of 21 from 25 balls, which means there has also been a fair few dot balls. Bethell will work that out; he’s too good not to.
11:28am
Prasidh appeals unsuccessfully for a caught and bowled when Bethell hits the ball either into the ground or his boot. It was an acrobatic catch but the replays confirm the ball bounced before hitting Bethell’s boot and looping towards the bowler.
No wicket but a valuable maiden for Prasidh. One area Bethell definitely needs to work on is his rotation of strike. Having Joe Root in the same dressing-room won’t exactly harm his development.
11:26am
Both England openers have 17 from 15 balls.
11:21am
Bethell starts the fourth over with another boundary, timed nicely through backward point. Prasidh’s response is good: five dot balls in a row.
11:15am
Duckett clatters Arshdeep down the ground for four more. It was in the air but would have taken some catching. Bethell gets his first deliberate boundary later in the over, rolling the wrists to put Arshdeep away through midwicket. Good start for England.
11:11am
A poor start from Prasidh Krishna. Two of his first three balls are on the pads of Duckett, who clips them for four with bread-and-butter economy.
Prasidh switches around the wicket to Bethell, who egts lucky when an inside-edge flies past the stumps and away for four more.
11:04am
One England player in particular had a closeness to Sir Garfield Sobers: fellow Bajan Jacob Bethell. Sobers gave Bethell a reference for his application to Rugby School. “I met him in Barbados when I was about 11 or 12,” said Bethell on Saturday. “My uncle is quite close to them and he kind of expressed an interest towards my cricket and came down to watch me play and I think he liked what he saw. The major helping point for me personally was helping me get over to England. He wrote a reference for me and that went a long way towards getting me into (Rugby) school and into my career over here.
“I read his book when I was about 12 or 13 and as soon as I got to meet him I obviously heard all of his stories first-hand from him. I’ve watched so many YouTube videos on him and was able to kind of watch what he was like as a player, to see the flair he had – he’d do everything, bowl both ways spin and seam, catch everything in the slips. He was incredible.”
11:03am
Left-arm quicks have an outstanding recent record in ODIs at Lord’s, with an average of 17.48 in the last seven years as compared to 30.44 for right-arm seamers, so it’s no surprise to see Arshdeep Singh back in the Indian team.
He starts with a good first over – hint of swing, good line – that costs only three runs.
10:59am
The whole ground stands for a minute’s silence in memory of Garry Sobers, the greatest allrounder we will probably ever see.
If you haven’t read it, I can’t recommend Sir Geoffrey Boycott’s tribute enough.
