After the meltdown suffered by England’s footballers in Atlanta, the national mood was never going to be significantly improved by their cricketers. Nevertheless, a hard-fought four-wicket victory over India in Cardiff was a boost for Harry Brook’s side and set up a series decider at Lord’s on Sunday.
Not that they did it easy. Set just 234 on a curious surface on which only the technicians prospered – Virat Kohli had earlier purred to 65 from 66 balls – England slipped to 94 for four inside the 20th over. But thanks to Joe Root’s classy unbeaten 99, a win was secured with 35 balls to spare.
Brook could certainly breathe a little easier. The England captain had marshalled his bowlers smartly while skittling India for 233 in 44 overs, with Jofra Archer leading the way with figures of three for 47. But his dismissal for 16 when attempting an ambitious ramp shot off Gurnoor Brar was not pretty.
But then this is the thing with Brook: what brings his success can also make his dismissals so maddening. This time he ended up lying on his backside with his legs in the air, as India’s players celebrated in hysterics around him. Moments earlier he had been clonked on the head when attempting something similar.
Still, for all that the absurdly gifted Brook continues to frustrate, the calming presence of Root ensured that slapstick moment was not terminal. His 133-ball vigil was a bit of a gem – a case of mastering conditions and putting a high price on his wicket as they fell with regularity at the other end.
It began with facing just the second ball of the run chase after Jasprit Bumrah had wiped out Ben Duckett. And it came despite watching Jacob Bethell edging Prasidh Krishna behind on four, Brook’s weirdness, or Sam Curran (29) becoming the latest England batter to fall this summer with the wicketkeeper standing up.
In the end, after Jos Buttler was bowled trying to launch Axar Patel back over his head on 17 to make it 125 for five, support materialised in the shape of 30 off 44 balls from Will Jacks. He and Root put on 72 for the sixth wicket, with Gus Atkinson, fresh from figures of three for 50, there at the end to seal the deal.
The only issue for Root was that he was within touching distance of his 21st one-day international century when Atkinson pulled Krishna to the rope with three needed to win. Not that Root appeared fussed, jokingly punching his partner in the arm before exchanging handshakes with India’s players.
This was a much-needed win for England, who sit eighth in the rankings and face an uphill struggle to get fully up and running by the time the 2027 World Cup rolls around. Barring injury, Root will still be central to their plans.
If a report in the Indian Express is correct, then Rohit Sharma is unlikely to join him there. India’s master opener has apparently been told he is no longer in their plans and Lord’s is tipped to his swansong. His innings on Thursday – a scratchy 26 in which he was dropped early on five – will have done little to change minds.
Not that Sharma’s struggle was to blame for India’s meagre total. Having recovered from the loss of Shubman Gill for a glossy 31, the tourists were 104 for one in the 18th over. Kohli looked contrastingly imperious at the other end and thoughts of a 300-plus total can only have been percolating.
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But once Sharma toe-ended Jacks behind on the sweep, England applied the squeeze well. Brook, who won the toss, also had a far more balanced attack at his disposal than during Tuesday’s defeat at Edgbaston: with four seamers to call upon and thus the licence to push his most threatening bowler through their overs.
This was Archer, whose work was done by the end of the 40th over, but having changed the complexion of the innings. He removed Kohli via a skewed edge to deep third-man to make it 178 for four, then sent Patel and Shivam Dube on their way in successive deliveries.
Shreyas Iyer was the only other Indian batter to look comfortable, cracking five fours, two sixes – and even a poor seagull minding its own business at cover – en route to 66 from 71 balls. When Atkinson knocked him over, and uprooted Krishna’ leg stump to shut things down, India had too few runs to work with.
India’s total would have been worse but for Bumrah swatting 20, including 18 off one over from Saqib Mahmood that slightly damaged his final figures of two for 52. When the same man found Duckett’s edge first ball, the crowd inside Sophia Gardens suspected a nail-biter might be in the cards.
But, despite England’s wobbles along the way, and the constant menace of Bumrah, the only true jeopardy during the finale was whether Root would make it to three figures. As the man himself said after being denied: “Getting the win, is what it’s all about. Sometimes you have to scrap and win ugly.”
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