Lights out Rohit hits ton to power India to victory over England

AFP | Cuttack

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Skipper Rohit Sharma defied a floodlight failure to return to form with a cracking 119 as India swept to a four-wicket, series-clinching win over England in the second One-Day International yesterday.

Chasing 305 for victory, Rohit’s 90-ball knock, laced with 12 fours and seven sixes, set up the chase as India achieved victory with 33 balls to spare in Cuttack.

The hosts took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, which comes ahead of the 50-over Champions Trophy starting February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai.

Rohit reigned supreme with his 32nd ODI ton in 76 balls with a six off leg-spinner Adil Rashid after he put on 136 runs with opening partner Shubman Gill. Rohit, who scored two in the opening match, took on the bowlers with a flurry of boundaries.

A 20-minute break due to a floodlight failure at the ground did not stop Rohit, who reached his fifty to overcome a lean patch in India’s recent Test series defeat in Australia.

He averaged just 10.37 in his previous 16 innings before the ODI series across all formats in the 2024-25 season.

Rohit, who displayed an array of strokes including his trademark pull, finally fell to Liam Livingstone’s leg-spin and walked off to a standing ovation.

Vice-captain Gill, who made 60, struck his second successive half-century in 45 balls after he made 87 in the opening win.

Jamie Overton took down Gill and India lost Virat Kohli, who missed the opener due to a sore right knee, caught behind for five off Rashid.