India 233 (Iyer 66, Kohli 65, Archer 3-47) vs England
The good news is that for those who are here to witness what is likely Virat Kohli’s penultimate India outing on English (and Welsh) soil, they have a lot to enjoy. The problem was that Kohli’s 65 and a better and harder-hitting 66 from Shreyas Iyer were the only two points of note in a dismal first innings (233) in the second ODI at Sofia Gardens.Harry Brooke’s decision to win the toss on this day and night is rooted in recent history, with the last three Cardiff ODIs going to the chaser. Jofra Archer was the key English fast bowler, taking 3 for 47, all wickets coming in his final five overs, after an exceptional first set in the powerplay that left him wicketless for just 24. On a fast outfield and with a real batting surface, England will look to their chances of leveling the series after India took a 1-0 lead in Birmingham on Tuesday.
Taking his last five off the last 10 overs, Archer removed Kohli with a delivery that slipped away and led all the way to Adil Rashid at deep third. The ball before Archer found the other edge while attempting a pull, but the ball bounced off Jos Buttler’s gloves.
This ended the biggest fight of the innings – 67 for the fourth wicket – between Kohli and Iyer. The opener looked imperious, drawing a standing ovation as he came out at 44 for 1, missing the target with a boundary straight from Archer that spoke of a sense of inevitability.
A couple of fours in the 10th over – Gus Atkinson’s walk to midfield and then a grounder through extra cover – took India to a respectable 61 for 1 after the powerplay. Another textbook straight drive, this time from Sam Curran, brought him his seventh boundary and took him to 53 off 50. It was his seventh score of over fifty in his last nine innings. It looked like it would be his 55th ODI century, but now it is his 78th half-century.
Virat Kohli celebrated his 78th ODI half-century.•Pennsylvania Photo/Getty Images
Archer Kohli’s dismissal was followed by a two-for-two when Axar Patel failed to edge a bouncer behind Buttler and then Shivam Dube returned to the bowler to take a smart catch and play. Gurnoor Brar took a hat-trick – and later another when Archer targeted the left-hander’s body – before eventually falling to Saqib Mahmood.
Mahmood was one of two replacements for Josh Tong and Liam Dawson. And while he was able to add Washington Sundar to his figures after the batter hit a short ball, the returning fast one was on the wrong end of Jasprit Bumrah’s late flurry.
Along with Shreyas, who was put on 25 by Ben Duckett at deep square leg, Bumrah looked to make hay in what India were able to see in the last 10 overs, finding 18 from Mahmud’s ninth, four boundaries, three to leg side, with one of them lifted too deep, a fine for six. But Bumrah finished unbeaten on 20 when Shreyas’ stump-shaking tame delivery to Buttler and Prasidh Krishna gave Atkinson figures of 3 for 50, with six overs still to be batted.
At halfway, England would feel they should be chasing a lower target than their 234. They had a chance to remove Rohit Sharma early for 5 when, confined in space by Archer’s long delivery, he was dropped at deep fine leg by Atkinson, failing to track the ball properly and finding himself in an awkward position before flicking the ball to the boundary lip.
However, there was little to regret as the 39-year-old India all-rounder struggled to get the timing right right up until the sharpest knock that saw him end on 26 off 47 to Buttler. Then Ishan Kishan appeared, replacing the ailing K.L. Rahula, who scored 1 before hitting back to Curran.
Shubman Gill, in fine form after his unbeaten 80 in the first ODI, came and went with a spectacular 31 with six boundaries to be fair. The four bowled in succession, separated by overs from Archer and Atkinson. The skipper should really challenge the place he called home during his spell with Glamorgan in 2022.
Vitushan Ehantaraja is the Deputy Editor of Cricinfo.