CARDIFF, Wales — Joe Root rescued England yet again to beat India by four wickets Thursday and set up a decider in their one-day international series.
Root was required to bat after just one ball in England’s innings and anchored the chase with an unbeaten 99 at Sophia Gardens.
He was stranded when Gus Atkinson pulled Prasidh Krishna to the boundary for the winning runs. England reached 235-6 with 5.5 overs to spare after bowling out India for 233 with six overs unused.
The third and last ODI in the tied series is on Sunday at Lord’s.
Half-centuries by Virat Kohli (65) and Shreyas Iyer (66) propped up India’s 233. But they had been 178-3.
The run chase would normally be academic. England’s target was less than five an over, doable with singles and no unnecessary slogs. Also, India was short a bowler after allrounder Washington Sundar injured his leg batting and never fielded.
PHOTOS: Root’s unbeaten 99 rescues England against India and forces an ODI series decider
But the English, their ODI confidence not as strong as their T20’s, made it hard on themselves.
Ben Duckett was out to the first delivery of the innings from Jasprit Bumrah, and Jacob Bethell fell to Krishna at 8-2.
Captain Harry Brook ramped Krishna for a six then overdid it. He was hit on the grill by Gurnoor Brar and, undaunted, Brook tried to scoop Brar again and was out for 16.
Wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan caught the first four England wickets.
Root read the situation and was patient. His second fifty in a row, and 67th in ODIs, came from 76 balls. It was his slowest ODI fifty since the 2019 World Cup.
Jos Buttler dispatched Axar Patel over long-on and was bowled trying to swat Patel again, on 17 at 125-5, restoring hope for India.
But Will Jacks supported Root and they produced a chanceless stand of 72 until Jacks gave his wicket to Brar at 197-6.
Root showed frustration but tailender Gus Atkinson calmed him with a six in Bumrah’s last over that cleared the fine leg boundary and just missed a seated steward. Bumrah responded with a bouncer off Atkinson’s helmet but finished with just the wicket from his first ball. Atkinson scored 23 of the last 38 runs and Root hugged him at the end despite missing out on a 21st ODI hundred.
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