Ben Duckett's Stellar 141 Leads England to Victory Over India in Decisive ODI

England Dominates with a Massive Total

In a remarkable display, Ben Duckett dismantled an inexperienced Indian bowling lineup, scoring an impressive 141 runs as England amassed a staggering 387 for 3 in the crucial third ODI. This match, held on Sunday, featured a formidable opening partnership of 192 runs between Duckett and Jacob Bethell.

The absence of Jasprit Bumrah, who was sidelined due to an impact injury on his left knee, significantly impacted India's performance, leaving them vulnerable.

India's four-man pace attack, consisting of Prasidh Krishna (2/69 in 10 overs), Arshdeep Singh (0/72 in 10 overs), Prince Yadav (1/79 in 10 overs), and Gurnoor Brar (0/97 in 10 overs), had a combined experience of just 51 ODIs, which proved insufficient against a strong batting lineup.

Duckett and Bethell (91 off 93 balls) executed their game plan flawlessly. The batting powerplay yielded 58 runs, but the Indian bowlers struggled significantly between the 11th and 30th overs.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir's decision to use Kuldeep Yadav sparingly—only 38 times in 103 matches since his appointment—meant that India lacked a second spinner, aside from Axar Patel (0/61 in 10 overs), which was detrimental.

Duckett's innings included 18 boundaries and a six, while Bethell, who started strong, contributed 11 fours and a six before being caught off Prasidh Krishna's bowling.

Joe Root (74 not out off 48 balls) maintained his excellent form, marking his third consecutive half-century, helping England surpass the 350-run mark. Jos Buttler (41 not out off 13 balls) also made a significant impact as Brar faced a tough lesson in international cricket, conceding nearly 100 runs.

Initially, rookie Prince struggled with his length while bowling on the famous Lord’s slope, allowing Bethell to hit a six over deep mid-wicket and another boundary.

Arshdeep Singh's performance was lackluster, and although Prasidh Krishna managed to beat Bethell's bat several times, he also delivered some loose balls.

Bethell reached his half-century off 51 balls, and England crossed the 100-run mark by the 16th over. By then, Indian bowlers had already allowed 15 boundaries, failing to maintain their lines and allowing the opening pair to settle into a comfortable rhythm. In total, they conceded 42 boundaries and six sixes.

This match highlighted that the effectiveness of India's other pacers diminishes significantly in Bumrah's absence, a trend observed in both T20Is and ODIs.