England vs India 2018: Virat Kohli's untimely dismissal is SK Turning Point of 2nd ODI
Needing a victory to keep the series alive, England reiterated their number one billing by bouncing back strongly in the second ODI at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground. After a lacklustre display in the field, India were left to rue an aimless batting display which sent them hurtling to an 86-run defeat.
Even as the green-tinged surface suggested otherwise, England skipper Eoin Morgan baffled everyone by opting to bat first. While the surface appeared quite conducive for stroke-play, he strongly reasoned that persistent sunshine could bring his spinners into the equation during the latter phase of the match.
Riding on Joe Root's stellar century, the hosts registered a strong total of 322. Despite being in glorious form in their tour thus far, India's much-vaunted top-order imploded spectacularly. However, their hopes were kept alive by captain Virat Kohli who stitched an 80-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Suresh Raina. When the run-chase seemed to be well on track, off-spinner Moeen Ali removed Kohli and restored England's ascendancy.
Kohli and Raina rebuild after the top-order collapse
Chasing a rather steep target, India were relying on their openers to build a formidable platform. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma came within a run of a half-century stand before the latter threw his wicket away by attempting an inexplicably horrendous shot.
Dhawan soon followed his opening partner to the dressing room. A static KL Rahul perished for nought to leave India at a precarious 60/3. Morgan knew that only one man had the ability to stand between England and victory. Biding his time, Kohli hauled his team back into contention by deftly manoeuvring the strike and running hard between the wickets.
Virtually playing for his position in the playing eleven, Raina looked like regaining his rhythm. He calmly nudged the ball through the gaps and allowed his skipper to start taking control of the run-chase. The duo took the team total to 137 at the end of the 26th over.
Moeen nets the big fish
Exploiting the game-changing effect of the top-order wickets picked by the seamers, England's spin duo of Moeen and Adil Rashid began choking the flow of runs in the middle-overs. With the Indian batsmen wary of taking undue risks, they kept things simple by sticking to a stump-to-stump line.
At a time when the visitors were still in with a chance, Moeen all but extinguished their hopes by procuring the prized scalp of Kohli. The off-spinner could have had Raina too. But Jason Roy dropped a tough chance at cover.
In the last ball of the 27th over of the Indian innings, Moeen extracted damaging turn from the surface by slightly shortening his length. The off-break, delivered at a considerably quicker pace, caught Kohli off-guard. The usually adroit right-hander tried to play across the line. However, the ball skidded through to trap him in front. He did not even bother to consult the non-striker for a possible review.
India meander to a hefty loss
With the dangerous Kohli removed from the equation, England's pathway to victory was made clearer. A few more tight overs pushed the required run-rate to stifling levels. Left with no choice but to take the initiative, Raina went for an almighty heave-ho. But Rashid's cleverly-disguised googly only managed to rattle the woodwork.
The pitch was getting slower with almost every over. Having lost half their side and still 169 runs short, the door was closing in on India. When Hardik Pandya was strangled down the leg-side, it was firmly shut.
The experienced MS Dhoni played a bizarre knock under the circumstances. With his team in a hopeless position, he preferred to crawl rather than creating some response by counterattacking. Although he got to the 10,000-run landmark, it provided scant consolation for the packed Indian contingent at the arena.