India Back To Winning Ways With Thrashing

Give India another format aside from the test arena and they thrive. Another dismal overseas test series in England ended 3-1 to the hosts but they bounced back from that humiliation with a thumping 133 run victory over England in the second ODI at Cardiff. A much improved Indian side in all three areas of the game definitely raises the question as to why they perform so much better in one day cricket as opposed to the test format.

After the first ODI was rained out on Monday, this was effectively the first in a five match series. England won the toss and elected to bowl in overcast conditions and were rewarded, reducing India for 19-2 in the 8th over. Chris Woakes was the man to take both the wickets, which included the removal of danger man Virat Kohli for a duck as his abysmal tour continues. Rahane and Rohit Sharma got things moving with a 91 run partnership at just under a run a ball, until Rahane was stumped off the bowling of Tredwell for 41. Rohit Sharma brought up his half century, a gritty innings of 82 balls crucial to India's cause. But he fell tamely trying to hit the ball over long off but did nothing other than finding the fielder and reducing India to 132-4 and needing a big partnership to restore things. 

India had got to 156-4 by the 35th over and the start of the 5 over powerplay, which really changed the whole momentum of the innings and indeed the match. Raina blasted Woakes for 20 runs in the 38th over which kick started a real surge which led to 62 runs coming off the 5 over batting powerplay. He then brought up his 4th ODI century of just 74 balls which was his first international century for over 4 years. He later fell to Chris Woakes and Dhoni picked up yet another half century as India closed their 50 overs at a very competitive total of 304-6. 

England's innings was halted initially by rain which reduced their innings to 47 overs, with a target of 295. Debutant Alex Hales looked assured at the crease as he cruised to a run a ball 30 with England bringing up their 50 inside 10 overs. But captain Cook and then Ian Bell fell in the same over off the bowling of Mohammed Shami to leave the hosts 56-2. Things then got worse as Joe Root was bowled by Kumar to make it 63-3 and which gave India all the momentum. 

The visitors really bowled well, hitting the right areas which challenged the England batsmen greatly. Left arm spinner Jadeja then came into the attack and removed Hales in his first over for 40. Buttler was then out for 2 as Jadeja picked up his second wicket in as many overs to leave England in tatters on 85-5 from 23 overs, needing over 200 runs at a run rate of nearly 9. Ashwin dismissed Morgan for 28 to leave England 119-6 with the match seemingly all but over. Jadeja picked up a couple of wickets as he ended up with figures of 4-28 as England got bowled out for 161, giving India victory by 133 runs in a match they mostly dominated throughout and looking like a real force ahead of the World Cup in February.