England hammer India at Headingley to win ODI series

Joe Root hits an unbeaten century as the hosts secure an eight-wicket series-winning victory in Leeds

It was only five days ago that England were on the receiving end of a eyebrow-raising eight-wicket defeat at Trent Bridge.

The batsmen were entangled in the web of Kuldeep Yadav’s mystery spin. He claimed 6 for 25 before Rohit Sharma’s magnificent unbeaten hundred saw India coast to a series-opening victory.

Fast forward to Tuesday and England have spun this contest on its head and finished as India started.

The bowlers stemmed the flow of runs and struck at key times, never letting India settle into substantial partnerships, and the batsmen - chasing 257 - cruised to a stirring victory.

While India struggled to get England’s opening bowlers away, Jonny Bairstow and James Vince had no such problems, taking 38 the first four overs. Both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya were guilty of gifting boundary balls as Bairstow raced to 30 off 12.

Bairstow’s swift but brilliant march was curtailed when he picked out Suresh Raina at midwicket to take the shine of the sublime start.

James Vince, in for Jason Roy who has a finger injury, looked in fine fettle before being run out for 27 thanks to some fine work from MS Dhoni with the gloves.

^{Joe Root followed a century at Lord's with 100 not out at Headingley}

Despite the loss of the two openers England were 78 for 2 after ten overs and the classy pairing of Eoin Morgan and Joe Root never blinked.

Root hit an unbeaten century and Morgan a half-century to ensure the series opened and finished with eight-wicket victories. In the process the duo became England's highest scoring ODI partnership, surpassing Ian Bell and Alastair Cook.

The Headingley skies provided some grey, overcast respite from the blistering blue that has enveloped much of the country in recent weeks. Under them, England’s bowlers impressed as India struggled to start with any sort of bravado.

Mark Wood generated swing from ball one and opened impressively with a maiden which set the tone for his opening spell alongside David Willey.

The pressure told for Rohit (2 from 17) who looked to break the shackles and flicked Willey to Wood at deep square leg.

Wood would finish with figures of 1 for 30 from his 10 overs bowled. It was an important showing having taken just one wicket in the first two ODIs and been expensive too.

Kohli guided Willey for four first ball but the bowlers kept their discipline as India reached the tenth over with just 32 on the board.

^{Mark Wood impressed with the white ball}

The bowlers were backed up ably in the field as Dhawan and Kohli were forced to be patient.

With Willey and Wood out of the attack Dhawan took three consecutive fours off Liam Plunkett as the opener began to take control.

Kohli too started to look in ominous form. Ben Stokes was on the receiving end of thunderous pull and a delicate ramp, both of which went for four.

The allrounder’s first two overs went for 18 but it is rare to keep the Durham man out of the game altogether. And sure enough, with Dhawan responding to his skipper’s call, Stokes - seeking the ball at midwicket - threw down the stumps with a direct hit to send the opener packing.

Kohli continued to operate in his own tunnel-visioned fashion en route his 48th ODI fifty. 

Alongside him Dinesh Karthik, returning to the side, looked in good touch before falling to the spin of Adil Rashid. Karthik’s eyes lit up, feet remained planted and the levers let loose into a heaving drive and dragged onto his stumps.

After his slow-hand innings at Lord’s, MS Dhoni came in at No.5 to join the skipper.

With Kohli 71 from 72 and firmly set, he seemed destined to do something ordinarily-special before Rashid produced something from the heavens.

^{Eoin Morgan shared a186.-run stand with the Test captain}

It was a beauty - as it would need to be to beat Kohli - which pitched roughly somewhere in Huddersfield and turned back with malice to hit the top of off stump. It’s hard to say what was more stunning; the delivery or the look of utter bewilderment on Kohli’s face. 

Rashid made it two in an over as Suresh Raina turned his fourth ball into the palms of Root at leg slip.

Dhoni shared miniature stands with Pandya and Bhuveneshwar but ultimately built a platform from which he never sprung.

Willey struck with MS guiding an edge through to Jos Buttler as any Indian hopes of Dhoni’s strike-rate sky rocketing faded away.

Stokes gave up 17 from the penultimate over which helped push India to 256 for 8 but England’s batsmen looked in determined mood as they put the tourists to the sword.

After being soundly beaten in the first ODI at Nottingham, England have shown impressive resilience in turning their fortunes around against a fine outfit.

It was on show - although against a depleted side - against Australia, too. It would have been so easy to roll over and take 4-1 when the game looked dead and buried at Old Trafford, but Buttler’s brilliance secured the 5-0 whitewash.

After Trent Bridge there were, understandably, questions over whether England could reach another level when faced with a more imposing foe. The answer, emphatically, is yes they can.