In an exhilarating display of cricket prowess, India clinched a convincing 142-run victory over England in the third and final One Day International (ODI) match held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday (Feb 12). This win sealed a 3-0 series sweep for the hosts, marking a dominant performance against a struggling England side ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
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| Image Credits: ESPN Cricinfo |
India, having already secured the series, aimed to maintain their momentum in the series. Batting first, they posted a formidable total of 356 runs, thanks to a stellar century from Shubman Gill, who scored 112 off 102 deliveries. Gill's innings was supported by Shreyas Iyer, who contributed a brisk 78, and a solid half-century by Virat Kohli, scoring 52 off 50 balls.
England's Adil Rashid was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 wickets for 64 runs, providing some resistance to India's batting onslaught. This is also his maiden 4-wicket haul in ODIs played in India.
Chasing a daunting target, England started brightly with Ben Duckett and Phil Salt putting on a brisk 60 runs inside the powerplay. However, once the openers were dismissed, England's batting lineup crumbled, unable to cope with the spin attack of India, particularly from Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, who shared crucial wickets. England was eventually bowled out for 214 in 34.2 overs, falling short by a significant margin.
This match was not just a display of India's batting depth but also highlighted their strategic bowling changes, making it a perfect preparation for the Champions Trophy. England, on the other hand, will need to regroup and reassess their approach as they head into the tournament.
Brief Scores: India - 356 all out in 50 overs (Shubman Gill - 112, Adil Rashid - 4/64) defeated England - 214 all out in 34.2 overs (Gus Atkinson - 38, Axar Patel - 2/22) by a margin of 142 runs
