ENG vs IND 2022: Hits and flops as India win the ODI series 2-1 in Manchester
Courtesy of some terrific displays by Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya, India concluded their tour of England successfully, winning the ODI series 2-1. The Men in Blue beat the hosts in the series-clinching decider by five wickets at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Sunday (July 17).
For the third time in a row, Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl first. Mohammed Siraj provided India with a wonderful start, picking Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root in his very first over, the second of the innings.
Jos Buttler (60) and Moeen Ali (34) steadied the ship for England before Hardik Pandya (4 for 24) brought the visitors back into the game with two quick scalps. Pandya's effective bowling contained England to a manageable total of 259 in the first innings.
Chasing 260, the Men in Blue were in a spot of bother after losing their top four cheaply. Reece Topley once again starred with the ball, getting the better of India's famous top three. Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant came together to construct a match-winning partnership of 133 runs. Pant accelerated after Pandya’s dismissal to get to his first-ever ODI century before sealing India’s series win with a boundary.
On that note, let's look at the hits and flops from the third ODI between England and India.
#4. Flop - Virat Kohli (India)
Modern-day great Virat Kohli's poor run with the bat was extended as he could only manage 17 runs off 22 deliveries in the third ODI.
It has been a repetitive series of dismissals for Kohli with everyone, including himself, waiting for that one big innings that will get the right-hander his mojo back. Like in some previous matches on the tour, he looked in good touch, but could not convert his start to a bigger score on Sunday.
Open this tweet all Virat Kohli and Team India fans ❤️🇮🇳
#ViratKohli𓃵 #TeamIndia #India #CricketTwitter https://t.co/ZEoL9PuggQ
Coming to bat at No.3, Kohli creamed David Willey for three boundaries in six balls. But on 17, he was dismissed once more for his hesitancy outside the off stump. Reece Topley bowled one down at an acute angle across the 33-year old. Kohli hung his bat out in order to defend the ball and unfortunately nicked it to the keeper, thus leaving English shores on a disappointing note.
#3. Hit - Hardik Pandya (India)
There was nothing that Hardik Pandya could do wrong on Sunday. India's premier all-rounder put on an all-round show and gave his best white-ball performance in the blues of India.
First, with his short-ball barrages, Pandya decimated the English batters. The right-arm pacer picked up four crucial wickets and broke England's spine with the ball. Pandya dismissed Jason Roy and Ben Stokes in his first spell before returning to outfox Liam Livingstone and Jos Buttler in the space of just three balls.
The 28-year old ended the innings with inspired figures of 7-3-24-4, his best bowling figures in one-day internationals.
Like a perfect all-rounder, Pandya carried his bowling form into his batting and played a key role in the successful run-chase. The right-hander entered the crease when all was not rosy for the visitors. With India struggling at 72-4, Pandya stitched together a match-winning partnership of 133 runs with Pant.
With calculative risks, Pandya kept the scoreboard ticking and raced to his eighth ODI fifty in just 43 balls. With the help of ten boundaries, the flamboyant batter contributed with a crunch 55-ball 71.
#2. Flop - Shikhar Dhawan (India)
WICKET!
Reece Topley strikes in his second over as he takes his first wicket of the match
Shikhar Dhawan departs early 🏏
🇮🇳 13/1
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Much like other top-order batters from both sides, Shikhar Dhawan too didn't have a white-ball series to remember this time. Now only considered in ODIs, the experienced left-hander looked sluggish in all three encounters.
After scoring nine off 26 balls in the previous game, Dhawan failed to make an impact and registered just one run in the series decider. While facing only his first ball off Reece Topley, Dhawan gifted his wicket to the left-arm pacer. The Delhi-born batter opened the face of his bat against a full delivery outside the off stump. He failed to keep the ball down and handed it straight to backward point.
#1. Hit - Rishabh Pant (India)
Despite being just 24-years-old, Rishabh Pant has already played quite a number of match-winning innings for the national team, especially in overseas conditions.
In what was Pant's coming-of-age innings in white-ball cricket, the wicketkeeper-batter rose to the occasion and bailed the Men in Blue out of a precarious situation. With the series on the line, Pant stood like a warrior for the visitors and took them over the line with his maiden ODI ton.
Rishabh Pant Vs England in ODIs:
32 (29).
77 (40).
78 (62).
0 (5).
125* (113).
- 312 runs at a Strike Rate of 125.30 and average of 78 with 2 fifties and a century. https://t.co/TZl2XvRsZ2
Unlike his customary fashion, Pant cautiously tackled the English bowlers in the early part of his innings. He paced his innings with utmost maturity, reaching his fifty in 71 balls. As the target got closer, the left-hander swiftly changed gears to add his next fifty in just 35 balls.
Pant smashed the opposition bowlers to all parts of the ground, clobbering as many as 16 fours and a couple of maximums. Pant's special knock of 125* in 113 balls became the highest individual score by an Indian wicketkeeper in ODIs away from home.