Century of Rishabh Pant guides India to series win over England

As Jos Buttler reflected on a rocky start to life as England’s new white-ball captain and a glittering century of Rishabh Pant that saw him lose to India twice in a series in the space of a fortnight, he admitted: “We just have to be better. .”

It was a simple diagnosis from the man responsible for following the golden reign of Eoin Morgan. England were again under bat in the decisive One-Day International match and powerless to prevent Pant’s unbeaten 125 from chasing 260 with eight overs to spare for a five-wicket victory. India supporters, the vocal majority of that sold-out crowd, were in cloverleaf.

There had been hope for England at the start of the second leg, with the tourists suffering flashbacks to the 100 point loss at Lord’s Last Thursday when Reece Topley renewed his form after that six-wicket performance by knocking out India’s top three with the new ball.

But from 72 for four in the 17th, once Craig Overton knocked out Suryakumar Yadav with an extra rebound, Pant and Hardik Pandya began to brutalize Buttler’s offense in a 133-point stand that ultimately won 2 -1 in series in both years. and ODIs. Adil Rashid, returning to face South Africa on Tuesday, was missed.

Having earlier delivered four wickets through seven overs of right-arm despite, Pandya fell with 55 runs required for a 71-55 ball. But Pant was unfazed, beefing up 15 fours and two sixes overall and finishing the job on a high. It was a vintage round – his first century in 27 ODIs – and the type that just might unlock more.

But while Pant flailed like a left-handed Asterix after a sip of magic potion, and Pandya crackled all day, they offered chances. Buttler missed a stump when the former was 18; while the latter, out of six, sent a four over Overton’s head when the Somerset man misjudged his trajectory. As Buttler later said, “Give the good players a second chance and they’ll hurt you.” Take them and we continue to win the game.

It was Buttler who had previously provided the ballast for England’s 259 from 45.4 overs, the best score with a brave 80-ball 60 from the No.5 that overcame two wicked headshots from Pandya. It was his side’s only half century in the series and although the roads of the recent past have been replaced by land offering more for sailors, the captain attributed it to a lack of ODI cricket lately and therefore a lack of rhythm.

After losing the coin toss, the England captain arrived with one power play ball remaining at 66 for three. Mohammed Siraj was in India’s XI after Jasprit Bumrah’s late back spasm forced the low-key streak of early summer Test stars Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root to end with a pair of ducks.

Bairstow had a leading edge midway through the second set, Root was a real gash for the second slide three balls later. Jason Roy added an early drive with a 41-31 but saw it end in a spoon grab behind Pandya trying to whip a square-length ball with a snap of the wrists.

Ben Stokes was already there to continue his summer of outright assault, but on the 27th he tried to charge Pandya. His versatile companion spotted him, kicked the ball in and held a simple return catch. Moeen Ali came in at 74 for four, making 34 in a 75 stand alongside Buttler who steadied a listed ship.

Moeen was calmed down at first, but soon he and Buttler slipped into Yuzvendra Chahal with three up sixes. This prompted a smart switch from Rohit Sharma, with Ravindra Jadeja replacing the leg spinner and, third ball, seeing Moeen gauntlet behind the sweep to bring hometown hero Liam Livingstone into the crease.

Jadeja wasn’t done there, however, with two marvelous catches to send the two Lancashire men down to 37th and rip the guts out of England’s innings.

Livingstone had just fired two huge sixes from Pandya into the wicket construction site plaza – the first bursting through a fence like a cannonball – but a third attempt from 27 picked Jadeja off the rope. The follow up to take Buttler down was even better, with Jadeja diving deep and earning the applause.

Pandya had won that battle of egos – ‘He was just a bad hitter’, Buttler later admitted – and from 199 for seven in the 37th he needed England’s tail to wag David Willey (18) and Overton (32). But Chahal’s reintroduction shortened the innings by 25 balls, however, the pair lost and Topley read a googly like it was Esperanto.

Topley at least got the new ball to speak his language, Shikhar Dhawan chopping back, Sharma pushing to slide over 17 and Virat Kohli taking his international innings streak without a century at 79 by dabbing a ball that tipped.

Overall, however, England failed to match Pandya’s sizzle with the ball and couldn’t prevent a jaw-dropping round from Pant.