Ben Duckett's Stunning 141 Leads England to Dominant ODI Victory Over India
England's Batting Brilliance Shines in Third ODI
London: In a spectacular display, Ben Duckett dismantled a young Indian bowling lineup, scoring an impressive 141 runs as England amassed a formidable total of 387 for 3 in the decisive third ODI. This victory was bolstered by a remarkable 192-run opening partnership with Jacob Bethell, who contributed 91 runs.
India faced a significant setback with Jasprit Bumrah sidelined due to a knee injury, which proved detrimental to their bowling strategy.
The Indian pace attack, featuring Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, and Gurnoor Brar, collectively had only 51 ODIs of experience, which was insufficient against a strong England batting order.
Duckett and Bethell executed their game plan flawlessly, with the first 10 overs yielding 58 runs. However, the Indian bowlers struggled significantly between the 11th and 30th overs.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir's limited use of Kuldeep Yadav, who has played only 38 matches since his appointment, left India without a second spinner, relying solely on Axar Patel.
Duckett's innings included 18 boundaries and a six, while Bethell, who started strong, hit 11 fours and a six before being dismissed by Prasidh Krishna.
Joe Root continued his excellent form, scoring 74 not out off 48 balls, marking his third consecutive half-century, while Jos Buttler added 41 runs off just 13 balls.
The inexperienced Prince struggled with his bowling length, allowing Bethell to score freely, while Arshdeep Singh failed to maintain his line, and Krishna bowled a mix of good and loose deliveries.
Bethell reached his half-century off 51 balls, helping England reach 100 runs by the 16th over, during which Indian bowlers conceded 15 boundaries. Overall, they allowed 42 boundaries and six sixes.
This match highlighted the dependency of the Indian pace attack on Bumrah's presence, as their effectiveness diminished in his absence, a trend observed in both T20Is and ODIs.