Patiala, 10 February (Sports Desk)
India secured a dominant 2-0 ODI series victory over England, with key players hitting form at the perfect time for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.
Captain Rohit Sharma, who had been experiencing a lean patch, returned to his dominant best with a commanding innings of 119. Ravindra Jadeja also shone, demonstrating his bowling prowess with a crucial three-wicket haul. Shubman Gill continued his strong form with a 60-run contribution, while Shreyas Iyer (44) and Axar Patel (41*) played valuable supporting roles in India’s chase.
Sharma’s innings, featuring seven sixes and 12 fours, earned him high praise from Jadeja. Jadeja emphasized the importance of Sharma’s century before the Champions Trophy, highlighting the confidence it will give both the player and the team.
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England, having won the toss and elected to bat first in Cuttack, posted a target of 305 for India. Joe Root (69) and Ben Duckett (65) were the standout performers for England, with contributions also coming from Jos Buttler (34) and Liam Livingstone (41). Jadeja’s bowling was a key factor for India, as he took the crucial wickets of Duckett and Root, finishing with figures of 3/35 from his 10 overs.
India’s chase began with a blistering start from the openers. Gill was dismissed for a well-made 60, followed soon after by Virat Kohli (5). Despite these setbacks, Sharma led from the front, scoring his 32nd ODI century. This was his first century since the 2023 World Cup. His 119-run innings from 90 balls included 12 fours and seven sixes.
Sharma’s return to form, with his timing and shot-making in full flow, is a significant boost for India ahead of the Champions Trophy. During his innings, he also surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become the second-highest run-scoring opener for India across all formats, trailing only Virender Sehwag.
Most runs for India as an opener (across formats)
| Player | Matches | Runs |
| Virender Sehwag | 321 | 15758 |
| Rohit Sharma | 343 | 15404 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 346 | 15335 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 202 | 12258 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 268 | 10867 |
After Sharma’s dismissal, India lost a few quick wickets, but Axar Patel’s composed innings guided them to victory in the 45th over, sealing the series win. The final ODI will be played in Ahmedabad on February 12.
