India Triumphs Over England in Decisive 3rd ODI, Securing a Comprehensive 142-Run Victory and a 3-0 Series Sweep
In a thrilling culmination to the three-match ODI series, India emerged victorious, defeating England by a substantial margin of 142 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday. This resounding win not only sealed a 3-0 series sweep for the hosts but also raised concerns about England’s batting inconsistencies ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy.
The English opening duo, Ben Duckett (34) and Phil Salt (23), commenced the innings with a blistering start, scoring at an impressive rate of 10 runs per over during the Power-play. The pair notched their fourth fifty-plus partnership in five ODIs, showcasing their potential for a substantial score. However, England’s inability to capitalize on this promising start proved to be their downfall.
Duckett initiated a fierce assault on Arshdeep Singh, smashing four consecutive boundaries in the fifth over. Nevertheless, the left-arm pacer ultimately had the last laugh, dismissing Duckett in the next over with a cleverly disguised slower delivery that was mistimed straight to Rohit Sharma at mid-off.
Tom Banton (38), who replaced Jamie Overton in the XI, made an instantaneous impact, smashing a six off Washington Sundar in the subsequent over. He benefited from a stroke of luck when a thin edge zipped past KL Rahul for a boundary. However, Arshdeep struck again, removing Salt with a well-disguised slower bouncer. An attempted uppercut resulted in a simple catch for Axar Patel at point, leaving England at 84/2 by the end of the Power-play.
Joe Root (24) and Banton endeavored to stabilize the innings but struggled against spin, an issue that has persistently plagued England throughout the ODI and T20I series. Kuldeep Yadav provided the breakthrough, outfoxing Banton with a delivery that turned past the outside edge to rattle the stumps. Axar then dismissed Root in the 22nd over as an inside edge crashed into the stumps.
Harshit Rana’s return spell proved decisive, as he struck immediately, dismissing Jos Buttler with his first delivery – an inside edge off a length ball that cannoned onto the stumps. Harry Brook (19) fell in Rana’s next over in an unfortunate manner, as the ball deflected off his bat face and rolled onto the stumps.
Sundar added to England’s troubles, outwitting Liam Livingstone (9) with a quicker delivery outside off. Livingstone charged down the track in an attempt to go big but missed completely, leaving Rahul with a simple stumping opportunity.
As lower-order wickets continued to tumble – Adil Rashid (0) and Mark Wood (9) departing cheaply – Gus Atkinson provided some late fireworks for England. He hammered a 38-run cameo at a blistering strike rate of 200, including six boundaries and a six, before Axar castled him to wrap up India’s 142-run victory.