.png)
1 day ago
12
Key events
32nd over: England 202-1 (Duckett 89, Root 2) Stop press, Root goes for an expansive drive but connects only with fresh north west London air. Perhaps we’ll see a slightly more attacking Root from the get-go today given that he doesn’t have to firefight the innings. He tucks a single into the leg side to give Duckett the strike. Four! Duckett top edges over the keeper. Four more! He nails the next one though, pulling Arshdeep dismissively for four through midwicket. Two hundred up for England.
31st over: England 193-1 (Duckett 81, Root 1) Bethell and Duckett’s partnership of 192 runs is England’s highest against India in ODIs but it is over now as England’s finest jogs out to the middle. Joe Root time.
Prasidh greets him with him a bouncer and Root cuffs him away to deep square for a single. India finally have a wicket but England well and top and with the firepower of Messrs Brook and Buttler still to come.
WICKET! Jacob Bethell c Sharma b Prasidh Krishna 91 (England 192-1)
Gah! Jacob Bethell holes out and there will be no second ODI hundred for him today. A tame end if truth be told, a loss of concentration as he swishes a length ball straight down Rohit’s throat.
30th over: England 192-0 (Duckett 81, Bethell 91) Bethell is all class, he take a couple of steps down to Prince and lofts easily for four over mid off to move into the nineties…
29th over: England 185-0 (Duckett 79, Bethell 86) Prasidh returns, Duckett greets him with a cut for two and a dismissive pull over midwicket for four. He was ready and waiting for the short ball and seemingly had so much time to swat it away. Shot! Duckett scoops and nails it, four more! Ten off the over in total, England cruising.
28th over: England 175-0 (Duckett 69, Bethell 86) Bethell continues on his merry way through the eighties with a flick off his hips for four. Prince Yadav thunders back to his mark, he knows that’s a gimme to a player of Bethell’s class. He goes much fuller in the rest of the over, trying to find the toe crushing yorker but instead sends down a couple of full bungers that are easily picked off for singles.
27th over: England 168-0 (Duckett 68, Bethell 81) Axar Patel pins a sweeping Duckett in front and there’s a mighty appeal from India. The umpire is unmoved and they immediately send it upstairs… NOT OUT! It pitched outside leg by a gnat’s eyebrow and India duly lose a review. Lucky Ducky.
26th over: England 164-0 (Duckett 66, Bethell 79) Just a single to Duckett off a tidy Prince Yadav over. England tick along, I wouldn’t say it isn’t engrossing out there but the conversation in the press box has turned to books and film. Let’s call them the Ishiguro overs.
25th over: England 163-0 (Duckett 65, Bethell 79) Duckett reverse hits Axar away through point for four. Seven off the over, India looking a bit short of inspiration here at Lord’s.
24th over: England 156-0 (Duckett 59, Bethell 78) Prince comes back. Bethell cloths a pull over midwicket and it trickles away for four, not the finest effort by the chasing fielder. 150 up for England.
23rd over: England 148-0 (Duckett 57, Bethell 73) Bethell trots down to Axar and plays a perfectly straight lofted drive for SIX. Sublime. Both batters work the gaps and take eleven off the over. India scratch their heads, they have no Bumrah to turn to to magic up a wicket but they need one, pronto.
22nd over: England 137-0 (Duckett 56, Bethell 63) Duckett glides Brar past point for two to bring up his fifty. This new opening pair doing the business for England. Shot! Duckett gets four in the same area, playing late and with deft hands.
21st over: England 129-0 (Duckett 49, Bethell 62) Axar, tall and lissom limbed twirls away from the Pavilion End. Duckett slaps into the leg side for a couple and nears a fifty of his own. Four off the over as the game enters something of a holding pattern. England could be bolder here, I wonder if Duckett might chance his arm a bit more soon.
20th over: England 125-0 (Duckett 46, Bethell 61) Brar beats Bethell outside off stump and implores the umpire to riase the finger, the keeper Kishan gives it the big one too but they don’t send it upstairs, replays show Bethell grazed the ground with his bat and there was no edge. A decent over from Brar though, threatening and just two runs off it.
19th over: England 123-0 (Duckett 45, Bethell 60) Cardinal sin from Axar, he drops short and is spanked away easily through the leg side by Duckett.
18th over: England 116-0 (Duckett 39, Bethell 59) Brar changes ends and bustles in from the Nursery End. He squares Bethell up and the ball flies wide of a diving Ishan Kishan behind the sticks. Replays show that it wasn’t an edge but flew off his thigh pad. Nine runs off the over all told, England in cruise control.
17th over: England 107-0 (Duckett 36, Bethell 57) Bethell paddles for three and the same number of singles are picked off easily through square leg. It’s been measure stuff from England, they’ve perhaps learnt from Joe Root that ODI batting is all about getting in, finding a tempo and making it count.
16th over: England 101-0 (Duckett 34, Bethell 53) Cheers ring around Lord’s as Bethell goes to a half century and brings up his fifty with a top edged pull that goes over the keeper and away for four. Time for some spin, Axar Patel is coming on for a twirl.
15th over: England 96-0 (Duckett 34, Bethell 48) Here are those partnerships that Tim was mentioning.
Bethell unfurls another beautiful drive down the ground to head to the cusp of a half century. His highest score here is a 58 in an ODI against South Africa last summer, he’s looking in fine fettle today. Duckett too, he laces Gurnoor for four through cover to take England confidently to drinks.
14th over: England 86-0 (Duckett 30, Bethell 43) Bethell tucks Arshdeep off his pads for a single and Duckett clubs for two into the leg side. England ticking over above a run a ball, it’s been measured but this pair are laying a very solid foundation.
13th over: England 83-0 (Duckett 28, Bethell 42) Gurnoor Brar into the attack, Duckett flays him past point for four.
Tim de Lisle will be with you later on but he’s already whirring into action.
“England have struggled to find an opening partner for Ben Duckett in the 29 ODIs since Brendon McCullum took over as the white-ball coach in September 2024. Jacob Bethell is Duckett’s fifth partner and although he hasn’t made many runs yet, he’s had an impact. Their first partnership, last Tuesday, was the longest opening stand under McCullum (12.2 overs). Their second was the equal-shortest (one ball), but that can happen to anyone. Today’s stand is already in the top three under McCullum for length. And they allowed Prasidh to bowl two maidens in a row. It’s anti-Bazball!”
12th over: England 79-0 (Duckett 24, Bethell 42) Shot! Jacob Bethell plays the shot of the day so far with a lovely high elbowed drive that traces all along the baize for four back past the bowler. Bottle that.
11th over: England 70-0 (Duckett 22, Bethell 35) Here comes Jacob! Bethell larrups Prince Yadav into the stands at square leg for SIX and follows up with a pull through midwicket for four.
10th over: England 58-0 (Duckett 22, Bethell 25) Bethell has been tied down by Prasidh from the Nursery End, he finally gets off strike with an inside edge down to fine leg. Duckett then loosens the shackles with a scoop over fine leg, he doesn’t middle it but it trickles away for four.
9th over: England 53-0 (Duckett 18, Bethell 21) “This is by far the most important sporting event taking place today, even with some golf going on” writes Andrew Goudie. “By the way, England have won their last five ODIs at Lord’s when batting first”
They’ve made a decent start here.
8th over: England 48-0 (Duckett 18, Bethell 21) It’s as if India are following the OBO… they immediately tighten up with a maiden from Prasidh that includes a back of a length ball that thuds into Duckett’s stomach. Pass the arnica!
7th over: England 48-0 (Duckett 18, Bethell 21) Prince Yadav replaces Arshdeep from the Pavillion End and he loses his radar almost straightaway with five wides slung down the leg side that the keeper has no chance to haul in. Shot! Yadav straightens up but drifts onto Bethell’s pads and is duly whipped away for four. It’s been a bit scruffy so far this morning from India.
6th over: England 37-0 (Duckett 17, Bethell 17) A lesser spotted maiden from Prasidh. Bethell tied down and beaten (ooo err) as he attempts an extravagant drive outside off stump.
5th over: England 37-0 (Duckett 17, Bethell 17) Bethell and Duckett swish and flick, six off the over. India getting twitchy for the breakthrough, fast outfield and it looks a decent track for Lord’s.
4th over: England 31-0 (Duckett 15, Bethell 14) A purr goes round HQ as Bethell plays a classy flash past point. The prowling Kohli can only nod in appreciation as it scorches the turf and whistles past him to the fence. Beaten! Prasidh finally gets one in the right area, angling into Bethell on a good length and then snakes away late, somehow missing the edge and the off bail. Keep it there son.
3rd over: England 27-0 (Duckett 15, Bethell 10) Duckett drives down the ground and Bethell whips off his pads. Two boundaries, decent start for England.
2nd over: England 16-0 (Duckett 10, Bethell 5) Boundaries off Prasidh! He strays onto Duckett’s pads and is pinged away to the square leg boundary twice in the over. The first of which was uppish and just a few yards wide of the fielder. Bethell then spawns an inside edge past the keeper for four more. Lewk in the bewk.
1st over: England 3-0 (Duckett 2, Bethell 1) Loud cheers as Arshdeep steams in from the Pavilion End. Zippy, nippy and movement away from England’s left handed opening pair. Duckett gets off the mark with an angled glide down past point and Bethell clips a single to mid on. Eeeesht! Arshdeep beats Duckett with a ripper that jags away late. Ducky responds with a hack into the off side and he’ll keep strike for the next.
The players line up on the outfield and there is a touching minute of silence for Sir Garry followed by a round of applause.
I had my own brief meeting with the great man a few years back. What a player.
It’s embarrassing to be hit for a lot of runs off a single over, obviously, but there’s something about the six sixes that welds batter and a bowler together, the failure and the glory forging them for ever.
Sobers’s eyes are misty, swirls of milk in a glass of water. He’s seated, a walking stick leans against his chair. He is immaculately dressed, suit, shirt, slacks. I scan his collar for any sign of the infamous upward tilt, of the cream-coloured boundary antennae he was famous for sporting, but today they are firmly starched in place.”
We’ve got ten minutes before play begins here at Lord’s. Enough time to have a read of these lovely tributes to the great Sir Garfield Sobers who passed away this week.
He was a cavalier in an era when there were so many roundheads on the international circuit. The great West Indies’ sides of his time not only won their fair share of games but they played with a joyous freedom rarely matched by their opponents and this was so often due to the presence of Sobers.
His century in the first innings of the famous tied Test in Brisbane in 1960 set the tone for that epic series. By the time he toured England for a second time in 1963, he was the linchpin of Frank Worrell’s side. When he returned in 1966 as captain, his own staggering performances ensured not just victory, but victory with style and grace.”
Teams:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna
England: Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue
Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav also return for India.
England win the toss and will bat first. No Bumrah for India!
Harry Brook gets the rub of the coin and decides to have first use of a custard cream coloured surface. Josh Tongue is back in for England and India have made three changes - the big news is Jasprit Bumrah is ruled out.
“Jasprit Bumrah had an impact injury on his left knee while fielding in the second ODI in Cardiff. He was not available for selection for the third ODI due to reactive swelling in his left knee.”
Preamble
Hello and welcome to THE DECIDER.
Lord’s is positively thronging this morning as India and England fans stream in on a sunny Sunday morning with this bilateral ODI series on the line. No seriously, this is a pivotal match for both sides. India are facing the very real prospect of heading home tail well and truly ensconced between legs without a series win on this tour of Ireland and England to their name.
Whisper it, but this could also be Rohit Sharma’s last ever ODI. There are rumblings, rumblings sir. Though the BCCI aren’t having any of that, dismissing any speculation the big man is about to hang up his bat.
England’s ODI powers have been on the wane over the last few years but a series win here for Harry Brook’s men would provide a welcome shot in the arm as they build up towards the World Cup next year.
Plenty to get stuck into then, the toss and teams are imminent and play starts at 11am. Join us!
