England's ODI nightmare in India reaches dismal conclusion

England ended a dismal, dispiriting tour of India with yet another defeat and a mounting injury list that is almost as worrying as the form book.
This was their seventh loss in eight matches on this tour, and their 16th defeat in 23 ODI matches since the start of the 2023 World Cup. Their Champions Trophy campaign begins against Australia in Pakistan a week on Saturday, and the days of England turning up to ODI tournaments as favourites seem the most distant memory. They have a mountain of problems to solve.
Ben Duckett was the latest player to go down injured, appearing to suffer a nasty left thigh issue when fielding in India's innings of 356, which reduced him to swiping a few chancy boundaries as England's batting effort followed the pattern it has throughout this series: a lively start, before falling away horribly. The eventual margin of defeat, by 142 runs, was almost as vast as the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Duckett joins the back of a queue that is so long that at one stage during India's innings, the 48-year-old assistant coach Paul Collingwood was in kit, ready to come on as a sub fielder. Jos Buttler was off with a hand injury, and Mark Wood with heat exhaustion, after the captain chose to field in piping hot conditions. Fortunately, neither of those issues should leave India with them.
But a number of problems will. Jacob Bethell is going home with a hamstring tear. Jamie Smith has a calf injury that ruled him out of the last five matches of the tour. Brydon Carse has a toe injury nasty enough that it has required stitches. Jamie Overton has a hamstring problem. Jofra Archer was 'rested' for the second game in a row, but was carrying a cut to the hand in the T20 series. Archer's only contribution to this game was to be caught on camera napping in the dugout as 60,000 Indians screamed their heads as their team ran amok.
Jofra Archer having a nap mid-match 😂📺 Watch #INDvENG on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/441LLfLXWl
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 12, 2025
Despite Wood picking up the wicket of Rohit Sharma early, Shubman Gill's century had powered India's innings, supported by half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer. Only Wood and Adil Rashid – who took four wickets – could stem the flow. England actually fought back quite well to eventually bowl India out.
But the score always looked beyond England, especially with their most in-form batsman Duckett limping to the crease. He and Phil Salt shared another promising opening stand, but could not go on. And when the spinners emerged, England were strangled. Ravindra Jadeja was rested, but Axar Patel stepped into his shoes, picking up the key wicket of Joe Root, England's last realistic hope.
Involved in good opening partnerships, but also prone to very soft dismissals. Jury remains very much out on Salt in ODIs against quality opposition. Kept well.
Looked in prime touch all tour, but just could not crack onto a big score. Injury in the final match a worry, because the opening partnership was gelling.
A modest return. Feeling is England cannot thrive in Pakistan without big runs from their lynchpin. Bowling took some tap, which is also worrying.
A very concerning tour for English batting's great white hope. Vice-captain was hapless against spin in T20 and struggled to pace things in ODIs.
Worryingly, simply does not look the ODI player he was, and perhaps lacks the power to kick on against the softer ball at the death. Captaincy fine.
An encouraging start, but succumbed to a hamstring tear. Battled hard to hold innings together in Nagpur. Bowling is promising, but needs work.
Remains a deeply frustrating – and possibly flawed – batsman. Is a sixth bowler being asked to do the job of a fifth bowler because England lack all-rounders.
Poor game in the series opener, but likely hampered by a really nasty toe injury but will need to heel quickly if he is to face Australia.
Slated to play three matches, but he only turned out in one. A worry, or carefully managing prime resources. Magnificent opening spell in his one game.
Where on earth would England be without him? Their man of the tour, no doubt. He needs support, but England do not yet trust Rehan. Should bat higher.
Great to see him fit again, and a great character who never lets England down. Perhaps just below the top tier, although opening here an unforgiving task.
Not, by any stretch, an ODI No 7, daftly holing out to Jadeja's last ball in Cuttack. Bowled well, finding a lovely yorker to dismiss Gill.
A breakout year in 2024, but a really chastening start to 2025. India's batsmen took a liking to him, and at the back of the queue of seamers in Pakistan.
Wood bowled better than his figures suggest and if everyone is fit should make the first XI in Pakistan. Rohit wicket shows he should take new ball, too.
An encouraging return after three years off the international scene, reverse sweeping audaciously. May now be required to open.
'In the first game, I wanted to take the momentum to our team, I played every ball on its merit. I backed my instincts, in the second game I got run out but today... I got the opportunity to go in in the middle on a good platform from Shubman and Rohit. I wish I could have got a hundred. It's not the pulls and the cuts all the time, it's the balls close to the body where you get singles. The dressing room is electrifying, a lot of energy, everyone in great form [and gaining] momentum for the Champions Trophy.'
The greater context, I am afraid, is that England have lost this ODI by 142 runs and and the series 3-0. But don't worry, the Champions Trophy in Pakistan is just around the corner...
Atkinson is bowled by Axar. 38 off 19 is not a bad shout, and it makes Atkinson England's highest scorer, level with Tom Banton. It's all over for England.
FOW 214 all out
Four more, to the Atkinson. Four more, to the Atkinson. This time with a reverse sweep. A little agricultural but whatever works.
Atkinson moves into the 20s with a handsome shot. He steps back to a full ball, giving himself room to drive on the off side for four runs. 23 off 11 now. It might be four on the off-side again as they check that he fielder was not in contact with the rope when he fielded the ball. He was, though, so four more. And that is followed up with a six down the ground! 33 off 13 now...
Wood goes aerial again but this time he can only find the hands of the man on the boundary rider, Shreyas Iyer. Hardik with another wicket and England on the brink of an dispiriting whitewash.
FOW 193/9
Atkinson gets down on one knee to sweep and sweep hard to the deep square leg boundary. He then outside edges going back... Rohit cannot get there but it is four more. Wood then thrashes one on the up over the covers for four more. The bowlers may as well have some fun. Four fours and a single in the last five balls...
They go upstairs to check a potential Mark Wood stumping but his back foot is behind the line by an inch or two. Good work from KL Rahul, though.
Classical straight drive from Mark Wood to get off the mark off ball six in Hardik's latest over. He likes it and allows himself a smile. There hasn't been much for England to cheer in this innings. Or even this tour.
No such heroics from England's excellent leg-spinner. A kind of lazy pull gets a bottom edge and into the stumps. I make that four instances of playing on in this innings: Root, Buttler, Brook and now Rashid. He goes without scoring.
Livingstone is gone!The writing is on the wall for England at 1️⃣7️⃣4️⃣-7️⃣…📺 Watch #INDvENG on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/rBlNNX1LXB
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 12, 2025
FOW 175/8
Adil Rashid had an excellent game with the ball. Can he salvage some pride for England here? 20 overs still to go but I doubt, somehow, that England will get to 50.
Washington knows Livingstone's intention and that is to hit it out of the ground. So he slides a flat, fast one down the leg side leaving KL Rahul to do the rest with the batsman well out of his crease. A wide but a wicket. Livingstone didn't really try to scamper back but he could see Rahul with the ball in his gloves and knew his goose was cooked.
Nine off 23 balls for Livingstone. Not his fault but symptomatic of a poor performance, really.
FOW 174/7
England have built partnerships and players individual innings, but have singularly failed to capitalise on that. 23, 34, 38, 24 and 18 their top six have scored. Buttler is the only player to get out in single figures and facing fewer than 20 balls. Livingstone has a big heave at Harshit's final ball but does not connect.
Easy to forget that this innings started pretty well, with England 80/1 into the ninth over. Since the 18th over, though, they have lost four wickets for about 40 runs. Atkinson off the mark and then ends the over with a cover-driven four, through the gap in the field.
That sixth wicket brings Gus Atkinson to the crease. A shot a ball?
Brook tries to defend but can only glance the ball onto his stumps via the ground and then his body. Bad luck but I don't think this will have had any difference to the end result.
🗣️ "England just losing their way in the middle of the innings once again!"Harry Brook is the latest victim ❌📺 Watch #INDvENG on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/LosyHVSCiF
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 12, 2025
FOW 161/6
England limping along towards defeat.
The run rate is now at eight runs per over thanks to that wicket maiden.
England are sliding towards defeat, and a series whitewash, here. We are in full-on miracle territory.
Buttler inside edges Harshit Rana onto his stumps. Not much foot movement, Buttler chasing a wide ball with intent.
England will probably end this innings closer to 200 than 300.
FOW 154/5
Brook's second boundary is a six and a powerful one. A skip down the wicket and straight down the ground and quite a way into the stands at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Putting India under pressure, especially the spinners, is important if England want to have any hopes of getting close. They need 7.4 runs per over from the next 26. These two need to put on most of that remainder, you would have thought.
Brook takes his first boundary of the innings on his 16th ball with a handsome drive down the ground.
India think they have Buttler stumped. The umpires go upstairs but replays show that Buttler's back foot is about five inches behind the line, so he survives.
England have just a six per cent chance of winning this game from this position, according to CricViz. All sorts of bother. They are looking at ending this miserable tour in an all too familiar fashion. No worries, they get to play more ODI stuff in the Champions Trophy next week...
England captain Jos Buttler the next man in and – small mercies – is off the mark.
Root tries to drive down the ground but can only inside edge onto his stumps! A bit of a muddled shot, I think. England's innings is starting to fall apart here under pressure from some accurate India spin.
Joe Root goes ❌England are in a spot of bother…📺 Watch #INDvENG on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/T7mtVkqUBa
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 12, 2025
FOW 134/4
Kuldeep has bowled well here in tandem with Axar.
England are about 0.7 run per over below the rate. Sometimes Harry Brook makes the unlikely look likely and the improbable probable. England will need some of that if they are to win from here. He has just three off eight so far, though.
38 is not enough, but that was an encouraging return to England colours from Tom Banton, who we have taken to calling Pato in the press box. He may yet find himself starting the Champions Trophy with Duckett now among the walking wounded.
A big ask for England now. Well, it was before but even more so now. WinViz has India at 86 per cent favourites for the game here. Fair.
This is a wonderful delivery and the umpire thinks it catches the outside edge on the way through to the keeper. Banton is not sure and England review.
If it was, it was a feather. Indeed UltraEdge shows that there was the faintest of nicks. He probably didn't even feel it. Well he must not have done because he surely would not have reviewed it otherwise.
A half-decent effort otherwisem, but that was a pearler that did for him.
FOW 126/3
Banton reverse sweeps Axar for six. It was high but it was also hard. I don't think he is going to get out wondering this evening.
Root gets out the reverse sweep and effectively, picking up four to go with his two from earlier in the over. That keeps England ahead of the rate but we are not even one-third of the way there yet in overs or runs.
That is drinks.
Root drives straight back at Hardik who then picks it up and shies at the stumps but only succeeds in hitting Root's feet. Looks painful. He was out of his ground, though, so fair enough. Hardik pitches one up and it's wide enough (too wide, in other words) for Banton to lean into a cover drive which races to the boundary for four.
Just three from Kuldeep Yadav's first over, but that brings up the hundred for the visitors. A decent start despite the two wickets down.
England will need to start taking risks again soon or they will risk falling too far behind the rate. On cue, Banton steps towards the leg side to give himself room and pulls forward of square for four. Nice shot.
He then gets out of jail next ball after a huge mix-up between the batsman who both end up in the middle of the strip. The fielder Axar is there at backward point, has plenty of time to aim and throw but misses with Banton yards out of his ground. A real let-off.
Axar quite hard for these two to get away. England's rapid start has turned into a phase of rebuilding. There are above the run-rate but there is such a long way to go. Four from Axar's latest.
Beautiful shot from Banton, his pull racing to the boundary and beating the fielder at deep square leg boundary.
It is a welcome maiden for Axar Patel, with England having been reeled in a little with those two wickets, despite plenty of runs.
That is a horror dismissal for Phil Salt. Nice idea, but failed to pick the slower ball. The target is massive, but what's the rush?
Root gets off the mark with a perfectly-placed four. A classic Root shot in all formats of the game. Opened the face and guided it out behind square to the boundary, the ball just beating the fielder to the ropes.
Salt was moving along nicely before uppercutting a short, wide, slower ball to backward point. Dug in, and he chased after it with an open face, aiming to guide it over the field behind square but got too much on it. Was definitely too slow a ball to do that and it's an easy catch by Axar Patel. England two down.
FOW 80/2
Banton wastes little time in teeing off with a reverse slog-sweep for six! Always a short worth taking on with the field up.
Tom Banton has just done this SIXTH ball back in the England team 🤯📺 Watch #INDvENG on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/TBgFZTWa7G
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 12, 2025
Two balls later Banton goes for it down the ground. Gets a thick edge but KL Rahul cannot claim it. It runs down to the boundary via the keeper's thigh for four more. A tough chance, though. 12 from the over. England keeping on track.
Banton gets off the mark with a push down the ground. One run and a wicket from a much better Arshdeep Singh over. Brought it back well after his previous 16-run over.
A big slice up in the air from a slower delivery. Rohit Sharma takes a simple catch and Duckett goes. Think his stand-and-deliver tactics probably worked given that he is clearly carrying an injury. Not that England would not have wanted another 30 from him in short order.
Arshdeep has his revenge 👀Ben Duckett puts one up in the air and Sharma obliges!📺 Watch #INDvENG on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/LHzSRu3KFe
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 12, 2025
FOW 60/1
A chance! But missed. Salt has a drive and Harshit Rana is there leaping to his left at mid-off but can only stop it from being four. Would have been a world-class catch, that. England get a bit of fortune again with one that evades everyone and runs behind for four byes.
No luck off the final ball, as Salt flays one through the covers for four more. England going at 10s here. A fine start.
Duckett is going to swing his arms given his ailment and he lofts Arshdeep powerfully over long on for four more before thrashing another boundary through the gap in the covers. That is followed by a one-bounce four pulled out to deep midwicket. No compromise from the left-handed opener here so far. 29 off 16.
And again! But this time in front of square for four more! Four fours in a row... Arshdeep not really pulling this off very well I'm afraid. Needs to think about this a little. He ends with a dot which is some consolation.
Problem: Ben Duckett can only move on one legNot a problem: Ben Duckett can bat on one leg4️⃣4️⃣4️⃣4️⃣ off Arshdeep SIngh 🔥📺 Watch #INDvENG on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/LJM3SHPV7r
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 12, 2025
England going very well early on, India were 23/1 at this stage.
Duckett is playing and hitting, getting results in unorthodox ways. One an intentional lofted shot down to fine leg but another a wild flay that takes the bottom edge and luckily gets four more. That makes it three fours in a row across these two overs.
A wide and then it is Salt's turn to thrash a four to make it 14 runs from five balls. What does the sixth bring? A dot.
Four leg byes second ball of the over and then Salt crashes the ball to the deep midwicket boundary for four more off the final ball. England's chase is just getting started and it's been an OK first three overs.
Ben Duckett picked up a left thigh injury in the field, so appears to be swinging from the hip a bit. The injuries are really racking up for England.
Salt has a swipe, misses and the ball hits KL Rahul on the knee after bouncing low and then deflecting off his glove. He is limping a bit after that but should be fine to continue. Duckett not moving well and cops one on the back hip.
He gets off the mark with a four, whipping it through midwicket. It wasn't a four that you do not run for, though, not quite sure how much he did run. He follows that up picking up a wide short-ish one and turning it to the midwicket boundary for four mire.
Arshdeep begins the innings with a fine over, just one from it, to Phil Salt.
It will be Salt and Duckett to open so whatever injury the latter sustained, if indeed he did, it is not severe enough to stop him batting. Not sure he will be taking any quick singles, mind you.
At one point it felt like England would be chasing many more than 357, but here we are after a good fightback. India are a few bowlers light and England's batting is a bit deeper today, but we've seen little to suggest they've got a chase like this in the locker on this tour. Ready to be proved very wrong, though!
Just three runs from the final three balls including a pretty irrelevant run-out of striker Arshdeep off the final ball. Or was it stumped? He missed the ball, wandered out of his crease and Buttler threw down the stumps.
Anyway, that is a big chase for England but it could have been worse were it not for the steady wickets they took in the final 20 overs or so.
No real progress in this final Wood over; two dots before Washington cloths one to Brook at mid-on.
FOW 353/9
One over remaining, what will India get?
A wide yorker from Atkinson and Sundar jams his bat on it to squirt it past the man at point and for four runs. A single brings Harshit onto strike who plays an excellent Harshot for six over Atkinson's head! That brings the 350 up...
Harshit then backs away and throws his bat at a wide one but he can only slice it to Buttler, who takes a very easy catch.
FOW 353/8
A hell of a shot from Harshit, making room to flay a yorker onto the off side. Wood's eight over is a good one aside from that four. Just six from it which is excellent at this stage of a game.
Harshit is off the mark early on. Three overs remain. Will India bat them out? Probably...
England have pegged this back pretty well, picking up five wickets since the 35th over. Washington is dangerous and can power India past 350, which feels very unchaseable. Wood isn't going to bowl out, which is curious, but he did have heat exhaustion earlier.
KL Rahul moves into the 40s with a slashed four outside off stump. Intentionally opens the face and beats the diving fielder at backward point.
Mahmood gets him next ball though, LBW! India review...
No edge so it is just whether the well-directed yorker is missing leg stump. It is not, so Rahul has to go.
FOW 333/7
KL Rahul gets the long handle out and blasts Root back over his head for six! Just four singles and one leg bye elsewhere but that is a handy 11 from the over. Root's economy at 9.4...
Ben Duckett looks to have injured himself out on the field, perhaps a groin injury? Five overs remain. India still targeting 350 plus here.
Adil Rashid has been brilliant today, and passed 400 cross-format wickets for England. Where, honestly, would England be without him? They clearly do not trust Rehan Ahmed yet.
Washington Sundar off the mark first ball.
England finally manage to cling onto a catch in the deep. Not that there have been any drops, more that they have often just cleared the head and hands of the man on the rope. Banton makes no mistake at long off and Root has his first wicket. England chip away in their attempt to keep this total in the chaseable realm.
FOW 307/6
Axar Patel rocks back and thrashes Mahmood through wide mid-off for four! The 300 is brought up with a single to Axar. What will India end on? Current statistical projections have it at about 360. 10 runs an over from here gets them to 372. 400 is not out of reach...
Joe Root returns, having been expensive in his two overs so far. This is where England could struggle, finding those extra overs. It's not a bad over by any means at this stage with just six from it, with one four to Axar.
Adil Rashid did get a bit of tap in his final over but ends with very creditable figures of 10-0-64-4.
Hardik has a big old swipe with his hands and arms. Tossed up by Rashid and wide he catches it well, with the spin and it is launched over long off for six. He repeats the feat next ball with a slightly less well hit one but for it he gets six more. Rashid under pressure with one ball left!
WHAT A BALL! 😍Adil Rashid gets his revenge on Hardik after being hit for back-to-back sixes!📺 Watch #INDvENG on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/wi7FcOJ9mr
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 12, 2025
Rashid gets his revenge with yet another beauty! Bowled through the gate! Pitched on middle and leg and hitting the top of off stump, hitting top of off! Superb stuff, his fourth wicket.
FOW 289/5
Rahul rocks late onto the back foot to cut Atkinson behind for four. Superb placement and timing. India have gone about their job superbly today. Nothing too flashy or overly aggressive, just plenty of overs where they have hit a boundary or two and milked singles. That happens here with nine runs from Atkinson's seventh. He is going along at nearly nine runs per over...
KL Rahul gets his first boundary with a bit of a gift from Rashid: a wide half-volley. 11 runs and a wicket from Rashid's penultimate over.
Well that will cheer England up. Rashid gets hit for a four first ball but next ball Shreyas Iyer tries to guide a leg-side delivery behind square but can only nick it behind to Salt, who takes a fine catch shuffling across. Two set batsman out in short-ish order for India. Three wickets for the superb Adil Rashid.
FOW 259/4
Atkinson is struggling with his line, bowling two leg-side wides in his first four deliveries. He manages to pull it back a bit but it is still nine runs from the over...
Rahul has not had much of the strike since he came in, though that is not a problem for India.
Livingstone returns and is immediately hit for runs with a loose delivery. A full toss gets what it deserves and is launched by Iyer over the deep square leg boundary for six... 11 runs from the over. Leaky.
Things have gone better with England's two best bowlers on: Rashid and Wood. Shreyas Iyer's fine form continues, picking a slower delivery and guiding it down to the third man boundary with soft hands for four runs. Other than that it's a good over though you suspect India are waiting to see off these two before the other bowlers return.
Look at the economy rates and you see why:
Wood (5.26) and Rashid (4.87) are the only ones to go under six runs per over. The others are not so good...
Mahmood 6.57
Atkinson 8.8
Root 12.0
Livingstone 6.57
That is a worry.
Just three runs and a wicket from Rashid from that over.
Gill's time at the crease ends with Rashid's second wicket. A swipe across the line and he is beaten by ball that dips and then crashes into the stumps. Well played – and well bowled Adil Rashid, who has been the pick of England's bowlers. That should perhaps limit India's expectations of getting a monstrous total.
Gill is gone eventually 👆🏻Rashid has another wicket but England are staring down a big total 😬📺 Watch #INDvENG on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/KlVNEV7rUE
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 12, 2025
FOW 226/3
Shreyas Iyer brings up his 50 off just 43 balls. Well played, Sir. He has ably supported Gill after the loss of Kohli. That seems like a long time ago. He has attacked at times but has also rotated the strike.
Four from Wood's sixth over is some small mercy for a bowling side who have taken punishment so far and without much reward in the wickets column.
Adil Rashid the pick of England's bowlers today. Seven overs for him today and 1-36. Unfortunately the over ends with a blemish as Gill runs down the pitch and launches him over the long off boundary for six more!
It wasn't a clean hit and the man on the rope couldn't quite get there.
Magnificent hundred from Shubman Gill. Such a graceful player. There's another hundred out there for him if he wants, and this could get really ugly for England.
Wood returns but he cannot stem the flow of runs. It's a hundred brought up with a four for Shubman Gill! A superb innings and he is not done yet. A mere nudge off the pads but superbly timed to the midwicket boundary!
Iyer then lofts a four over mid-off, latching onto the line (fullish) and length (wide of off) superbly, just swinging his arms through the ball. Wood still reaching decent speeds, mind you.
Again, tidy-ish stuff from Livingstone with just four singles from it as Gill approaches his ton.
It used to be the case that you'd want to double your score after 30 overs for an ODI. That gets India to near 400. That isn't really the case now, but Shreyas Iyer has raced to 40 off 31, aided by two more fours off Mahmood's latest. One was a thick edge but that will not bother him too much.
Either way a big score is on the cards. There could be plenty more pain for England in the final 20 overs...
Two from Livingstone's latest. England have pulled things back a bit in the last handful of overs but you do sense an onslaught is imminent.
Saqib Mahmood returns with a tidy over for five balls but, again, is punished on the final ball as Iyer rocks back and launches a short one over midwicket for four. It sat up and asked to be hit and that means it's eight runs from the over.
A single off Livingstone's first ball of the over brings up the 50 partnership off 43 balls. Kohli's wicket does not seem like that long ago but these two are going along very well. And that continues when Gill back-cuts Livingstone through backward point for four more. He is into the 90s now. If he sticks around and has support, you fear that a truly big score could be on the cards.
England are struggling to stem the tide here, though India are not doing anything outrageous – yet.
Iyer records his first six of the innings. Atkinson bowling with good pace, the batsman moves inside the line and lifts it over the deep backward square leg boundary and the head of the man standing there. Not a great performance from Atkinson today. Expensive, going at nearly nine runs per over...
Rashid is still bowling well here, the odd loose ball aside. But you are almost always going to get that with a leg-spinner whose name is not Anil Kumble.
Half-way point reached, India on course for a decent total.
A return to pace, with Gus Atkinson, who has gone for more than eight runs per over from his three, on for his fourth over. A tidy over is ruined with a uppish drive through wide mid-off, finding the gap in the field. Four more to Iyer. Too full from Atkinson, really.
Iyer punishes Rashid, rightly, as the leggie sends down a loopy wide, full one that is just so hittable. And so Gill obliges, hitting him through the covers for four.
Gill, in fine form, opens the face of the bat and guides Livingstone out to deep backward point entirely along the ground.
Gill moves to 71 off 64 with a four over midwicket as Rashid dropped short. Got what it deserved, frankly. India probably targeting 350 from this point. It is on.
Seven from Livingstone's over, including a four from Gill. Saqib Mahmood just failed to claw it back from the boundary rope in time. Shreyas Iyer, at four, is off the mark with a single.
Three overs, one for 10 for Rashid. Good stuff.
Jos Buttler is off the field with a hand injury. Mark Wood also off. Ahmed and Overton (who has a tight hamstring) already on, 48-year-old Paul Collingwood next in line to sub field
That is a beauty! The ball drifts onto leg stump, pitches and grips to take the outside edge of Kohli with Salt claiming a simple catch behind the stumps. A beautiful delivery and Kohli walks off without having to be given out. Rashid has Kohli again.
Adil Rashid has Kohli AGAIN! 🐇Ahmedabad goes quiet as Virat edges it behind 👆🏻📺 Watch #INDvENG on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/yKgXd4HMz2
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 12, 2025
Boy, did England need that.
FOW 122/2
I am pretty sure that if Overton, the sub, had been stood on the fence there, he takes that catch. He's a big fella with great hands but had come in a few metres for some reason.
Kohli skips down the wicket and lofts Livingstone over the long-of boundary for six. It wasn't brilliantly timed, just beating the man out there who dives backwards and fails to get anything on it. Just. He then moves to his 50 (at a run a ball) to rapturous applause after a single.
Another six, this time from Gill who repeats the feat, this time over the bowler's head. That was cleanly hit, more so than Kohli. Livingstone struggling a bit here. And England by extension.
The most profitable over of the innings for India: 16 from it.
A decent over for India with two milestones: a Gill 50 and India's 100.
Spin continues: this time Liam Livingstone. Good control here with just three singles from it. England need that. And repeat.
Adil Rashid on now to help take wickets and stem the tide. He has a big shout for LBW on Kohli which is turned down by the umpire. England decide to review... it looked a good shout.
Replays show that it might just be pitching outside leg. Or umpire's call. I don't think he's hit it and it will be almost certainly hitting the stumps... England might retain the review, though.
Ball tracking shows that it is indeed pitching outside leg.
A good first over from Rashid with just one from it.
The onslaught continues. Gill skips down the pitch and launches Atkinson for six over the long on boundary. This partnership becoming a problem and a worry for England now. The rest of the over is an exercise in strike rotation before a final four for Gill. Classic ODI stuff.
14 runs off each of the last two overs now.
It is clear that India want to get after Joe Root. And they succeed in doing that with both Kohli and Root finding the boundary with aggressive shots in the first four balls of the over.
Kohli then notches up a third boundary off the final ball, thrashing a wide and full one through to the deep extra cover boundary. India hitting their stride now...
Jos Buttler is going to have to take Joe Root out of the attack. His first over was actually a good one, but still went for 10. But his second was poor, and he's now bowling to quality right-handers who are set.
Just three runs from Atkinson's second over. Tidy apart from the wide.
Joe Root into the attack now with his off-breaks. A slog-swept four for Kohli brings up the 50 partnership but there is some encouragement for England, even if the over ends with an edged boundary.
Gus Atkinson into the attack, replacing the excellent Mark Wood whose first spell ends with 1-14 from four overs. Gill takes advantage of a bit of shortness and width, hanging his bat out to guide it through the gap in the field in the gully area for four runs. Hmmm. Not sure he intended it to go there, mind you on second watch.
No fortune on his second boundary, a thumping four down the ground past the bowler's right hand. He finishes with a textbook pose, showing the maker's name to the bowler.
The pressure builds with just one run from 12 balls but Gill relieves it by charging down the pitch and flat-batting it for a one-bounce four over midwicket. Decent start for England.
Mark Wood is reaching good speeds here. He gets a ball to evade the defences of Kohli, but it does not evade his forearm. Ouch. An attempted pull is followed by a brief visit from the physio. Wood still hard to get away.
Five dot balls are followed by a sixth. A maiden!
Another run-out chance, this time at the striker's end. Kohli goes for a run and is then sent back. They do go upstairs to have a look and the result is not out. Kohli is well in but would have been out with a direct hit. The throw from Wood wasn't too far away.
The next ball is a Kevin Pietersen-esque swipe across the line, one-foot pivot, back foot in the air and whipped to the midwicket boundary for four. He follows that with another four through the off-side. Thrashed and Mahmood is coming in for some punishment here.
Mahmood almost has instant revenge as Kohli misses the ball when trying to swipe across the line and it misses off-stump by... well, a inch or two at the very most.
An eventful over.
Wood still looking the most likely bowler to make (another) breakthrough. This one leaps off the pitch and moves away from Kohli who leaves his bat out there, chasing the ball with an open face. A beauty. India take a quick single though it was close to a run-out. The throw missed and I think Gill would have been safe anyway.
Wood draws a false stroke again, and this takes the outside edge and goes between second slip and gully for four. Hands on heads and hips... it rather ruins a good Wood over.
Mark Wood has been outstanding here. Just what England needed. Brutal to see that Gill edge fly through third slip when Buttler has two slips and a gully. Can't fault the field.
Gill charges down the pitch and drives past the bowler for four! Wood not far from getting a foot on it but it's another boundary. He flicks another off his pads for two. Didn't time it brilliantly but then again he didn't try to cream it into next week.
An early wicket for England, yes, but you do sense this could be hard work for England.
Kohli gets in on the 'excellent cover drive' act now. Perhaps not quite as aesthetic as Gill's in the previous over but not a bad imitation. He is a master of that shot, just shuffling into it, outside of the crease too. A little full from Wood but that goes with trying to get the ball to swing.
Shot of the day so far from Gill, a superbly timed cover drive. Didn't try to knock the cover off the ball but that is a shot that would be appreciated in any era. A little full from Mahmood. Those are the only runs from the over.
Wood's first ball to Virat Kohli is a pearler, too. Not too dissimilar to the one that got Rohit and the former captain is beaten comprehensively. He does then get off the mark with a push to the covers and a quick-run single.
Wood begins, perfect seam that pitches on middle and leg, moves away and takes the outside edge. Salt behind the stumps claims with two hands and England get one of India's many danger men.
England have an early wicket! Gus Atkinson opened the other night, but Mark Wood has been promoted here, and his first ball is a beauty! Tidy catch from Salt, who nearly made a meal of it.
FOW 6/1
🚨 MARK WOOD STRIKES FIRST BALL 🚨Rohit Sharma goes for just 1!📺 Watch #INDvENG on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/XRT5D2MPmb
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 12, 2025
Rohit Sharma off the mark with a nudge for a single off his toes. That is always a relief, no matter what level of cricket you are playing. Hmmm. Saqib then sends one well down the leg side and Phil Salt is probably a foot or two away from getting anything on it. Big movement, though, even if it pitched on middle and leg. Five wides. A few other decent balls beyond that.
Rohit Sharma to face...
Doesn't sound like this match has ignited the local interest, though...
Ground largely empty a couple of minutes before the teams come out. The players will be wearing green armbands as part of a BCCI initiative to encourage fans to 'Donate Organs, Save Lives'.
Jos Buttler has now won five tosses in a row (after starting the tour with three losses at the toss). England have lost all of the previous four. He's bowling first, as Champions Trophy prep, which is fair enough. But it's really hot here and it's going to be hard graft in the afternoon sun, especially as Livingstone and Root are their 'fifth' bowler.
India in the lovely position of being able to shuffle their hand, but still don't need Rishabh Pant. Incredible depth.
Salt+DuckettRootBrookButtler*BantonLivingstoneAtkinsonRashidWoodMahmood
Rohit*GillKohliIyerPandyaAxarKL Rahul+SundarRanaKuldeepArshdeep
Jos Buttler decides to bowl first, with the dew playing a role in the decision. England, remember, batted first in the first two games.
This is my Narendra Modi Stadium debut and first impression is that it's a) enormous and b) very difficult to get in to. What did signage ever do wrong?
Turned into a pretty grim tour for England, this. And there's a sense of them limping to the finish line today. It's the toss shortly, and expecting them to shoe-horn late callup Tom Banton into the side at No3, replacing Jamie Overton, with everyone else shuffling down.
Overton is one of a number of players carrying niggles: Jacob Bethell has been ruled out, Brydon Carse has a bad toe, Overton is a bit stiff (but has been bowling in the warm-up), while Jofra Archer and Jamie Smith are not risked today. In short, the only player in the squad who is fully fit and available but not playing is Rehan Ahmed, and he's not in the Champions Trophy squad anyway.
Welcome to our live coverage for the third and final ODI in the three-match series between England and India, this time from Ahmedabad. It has been a chastening tour for England so far, winning just one of the five T20 games and losing both of the one-day internationals so far.
Brendon McCullum came in and revitalised a Test team in desperate need of it a few years ago, but so far his leading of the white-ball team has not had the same effect. In fairness, India is a difficult place to come but there are worrying signs as we head into the ICC Champions Trophy next week.
So far in the ODI series England were roundly beaten in Nagpur, India chasing a fairly low total of 248 with more than 11 overs to spare. England batted first again in Cuttack at the weekend and made a better fist of it with 304, though should have been targeting 370 plus given they were 168-2 just before 30 overs with Brook and Root at the crease.
India, though, still, knocked off the total with more than five overs to spare this time, driven by a brutal 119 off 132 by Rohit Sharma, including seven sixes. Captain Jos Buttler said after the game that England are making steps in the right direction.
'We did a lot of things well, we got into some nice positions with the bat. We just needed a few of us to catch fire and kick on and push towards 350 he said.
'Credit to Rohit, I thought he played a fantastic knock, put us under a lot of pressure. He's been doing it a lot in ODI cricket for some time and that was another great innings.'
Let's see if England can take another step in the right direction by winning a game... this one begins at 8am GMT with the toss coming up shortly.
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