LEEDS: A gigantic 186-run partnership between Joe Root and captain Eoin Morgan helped England cruise comfortably to an eight wicket victory over India on Tuesday that sealed a come-from-behind 2-1 One-day International series win (partly reported in Wednesday’s edition).

After restricting India to 256-8, both Morgan and Root made light work of the run chase on a wicket that was assisting the spinners, with Kuldeep Yadav, the chief wicket-taker for the visitors in the first game, unable to bag a single scalp.

England looked rarely troubled, bringing up 100 runs within the 15-over mark at Headingley, while making the most of some sloppy fielding by India.

Root was yet again the tormentor-in-chief, scoring a second century in as many games and becoming the top run-scorer in the series as a result.

He got ample support from skipper Morgan who struck an unbeaten 88 off 108 balls, peppered with nine fours and a six.

Root finished on 100 not out as the hosts reached the victory target with more than five overs to spare having lost both their openers by the 10th over.

Test skipper Root hit the winning boundary to reach three figures and end India’s run of nine straight bilateral ODI series wins.

It was an impressive display by England, who top the ODI rankings with India second, especially as they had lost by eight wickets in the series opener at Trent Bridge last week.

Morgan was glad to see the return of Root to his brilliant best.

“The composure he’s shown, particularly in the last two games, is the Joe Root we know and trust,” said Morgan. “He’s been outstanding even when he’s been low on runs — around the group he’s been the same guy, hungry for runs, hopefully that continues for the rest of the summer.

“We started poorly [but] as the series has gone on we have improved. It is a benefit of playing a bilateral series. I thought it was clinical effort right from the get-go.”

Root’s 13th hundred put him ahead of Marcus Trescothick as England’s leading ODI century-maker.

Root was named man-of-the-series but the man-of-the-match award went to county colleague Rashid after the leg-spinner took 3-49 in his 10 overs.

Having whitewashed a weakened Australia 5-0 last month, the manner of victory in Tuesday’s winner-takes-all clash would have further encouraged England, who will look to win the World Cup for the first time next year as hosts.

Scoreboard

INDIA:

R.G. Sharma c Wood b Willey 2
S. Dhawan run out 44
V. Kohli b Rashid 71
K.D. Karthik b Rashid 21
M.S. Dhoni c Buttler b Willey 42
S.K. Raina c Root b Rashid 1
H.H. Pandya c Buttler b Wood 21
B. Kumar c Bairstow b Willey 21
S. Thakur not out 22

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-5) 11

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 256

FALL OF WKTS: 1-13, 2-84, 3-125, 4-156, 5-158, 6-194, 7-221, 8-256.

DID NOT BAT: Kuldeep Yadav, Y.S. Chahal.

BOWLING: Wood 10-2-30-1; Willey 9-0-40-3; Plunkett 5-0-41-0 (2w); Moeen Ali 10-0-47-0; Stokes 6-0-43-0 (2w); Rashid 10-0-49-3 (1w).

ENGLAND:

J.M. Vince run out 27
J.M. Bairstow c Raina b Thakur 30
J.E. Root not out 100
E.J.G. Morgan not out 88

EXTRAS (B-3, LB-6, W-5, NB-1) 15

TOTAL (for two wkts, 44.3 overs) 260

FALL OF WKTS: 1-43, 2-74.

DID NOT BAT: J.C. Buttler, B.A. Stokes, Moeen Ali, D.J. Willey, L.E. Plunkett, A.U. Rashid, M.A. Wood.

BOWLING: Kumar 7-0-49-0; Pandya 5.3-0-39-0 (3w); Thakur 10-0-51-1 (2w); Chahal 10-0-41-0 (1nb); Kuldeep Yadav 10-0-55-0; Raina 2-0-16-0.

RESULT: England won by eight wickets to win three match series 2-1.

UMPIRES: M.A. Gough (England) and B.N.J. Oxenford (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: R.S.A. Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka).

MATCH REFEREE: D.C. Boon (Australia).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Adil Rashid.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Joe Root.

FIRST MATCH: Trent Bridge, India won by eight wickets.

SECOND MATCH: Lord’s, England won by 86 runs.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2018