Kuldeep, Rohit propel India to eight-wicket win

up the arena with a stroke-filled 137 (114 balls; 15 fours, 4 sixes).

He cashed in on the easy conditions to add 167 runs with skipper Virat Kohli (74, 82 balls) in an entertaining second-wicket partnership and made light of the chase.

It was Rohit’s second successive hundred, after the sublime unbeaten 100 in the T20 game at Bristol on Sunday.

ENGLAND’S WOES

It was a day when nothing went right for the England team.

The England openers, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy, put the new ball bowlers under pressure with a whirlwind 73-run partnership in 10.2 overs. But Kuldeep came up with a repeat show of his opening act in the T20 series at Old Trafford — where he got five wickets — to again terrorise the batsmen with his bag of tricks to claim a six-wicket haul (10-025-6).

It was an embarrassing batting effort from Eoin Morgan’s men with only Jos Buttler shining. Once he was out for 53, the rest of the innings caved in. Perhaps the best example of England’s struggles was Ben Stokes’ innings. The dashing all-rounder scored his slowest half-century, 50 in 102 balls.

In stark contrast to India’s inspired bowling effort, the England players bowled like profligate billionaires, allowing India an easy start to their innings. Shikhar Dhawan threw it away when he needlessly gave the charge to spinner Moeen Ali to be out for 40 (27 balls), but, Rohit and Virat capitalised, exhibiting the full range of their strokes.

Earlier, the Nottingham crowd were treated to a scintillating show of subcontinental spin. Legspin, sliders and googlies at different speeds and trajectories were all on display as Kuldeep mesmerised the batsmen.

England 268 in 49.5 overs (J Buttler 53, B Stokes 50, Kuldeep 6/25) ;lost to India 269/2 in 40.1 overs (R Sharma 137*, V Kohli 75, S Dhawan 40)