Rohit’s big hit stuns England
ENGLAND’S white-ball revolution may make them favourites for next year’s 50-over World Cup on home soil but their limitations in T20 cricket were brutally exposed by an India side who wrapped up this series decider with ease.
Powered by a superb unbeaten century from Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s men chased down their target of 199 with eight balls and seven wickets to spare.
Now Eoin Morgan’s side will have to pick themselves up off the floor ahead of a three-match one-day series against the same opposition.
That match-up against the No2-ranked team that starts at Trent Bridge on Thursday will be the true litmus test of England’s ambitions ahead of next year’s World Cup.
Morgan, whose team hit a world-record ODI total of 481-6 against Australia at Trent Bridge last month, does not believe his players will suffer any hangover from this hammering in Bristol.
“I’m pretty confident,” he said. “We’ve got no divine right to win a game of cricket but it’s exciting. Trent Bridge has been a good ground for us.”
England made a bold call before play started by dropping Test skipper Joe Root to accommodate the return of fit-again all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was back after six weeks out with a hamstring injury.
Root may be England’s best all-format batsman but his lack of power in T20 cricket makes him expendable.
But Morgan confirmed he will be back for this week’s series. “He definitely will come back,” said Morgan. “Dropping Joe is not an easy decision and he was disappointed but when you look at the balance of the game, trying to win on this ground, it came down to Ben’s bowling.”
The benefit of sheer, unadulterated power was apparent right from the start of England’s innings after they lost the toss and were asked to TOUGH: Morgan reflects on England’s series defeat bat first. Jason Roy, reaching his half-century off just 23 balls, was the chief protagonist.
His innings of 67 from 31 balls included an England-record seven sixes as the opener took full advantage of the short boundaries here in Bristol.
By the time he was gone in the 10th over, edging debutant Deepak Chahar behind, the total had powered past 100.
Indeed, after earlier losing Jos Buttler for 34, England were 111-2 at the halfway stage and should have set a target beyond 200. Instead, they lost seven wickets for 87 runs in the last 10 overs as the visitors dragged themselves back into this contest.
Hardik Pandya was India’s hero with the ball, the seamer seeing his first over go for 22 but then picking up four wickets for the cost of just 16 more runs.
Alex Hales and Morgan both fell in the 14th over before Stokes and Jonny Bairstow did likewise to the same bowler in the space of three balls to leave England 181-6 after 18 overs.
Bairstow’s punchy 25 from 14 deliveries included an audacious six over extra cover.
It was not enough to get England’s total to 200 and India, veterans at chasing down big targets in the IPL, knew they were well in this game.
Their reply was underpinned by a magnificent hundred in 56 balls from Rohit, the opener joined at the crease by skipper Kohli as India reached the 10over mark well placed on 100-2.
England’s efforts in the field were buoyed by two remarkable catches, Jake Ball’s fine grab at short fine leg to hand David Willey the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan bettered by a ridiculously difficult tumbling chance taken by Chris Jordan that gave Ball the wicket of KL Rahul with his second delivery.
Jordan also took a stunning return catch to dismiss Kohli and end an 89-run third-wicket stand.
It would prove too little too late, though, as Rohit brought up his third T20 international century in the penultimate over before Pandya sealed victory two balls later with a towering six to send the largely Indian crowd wild in the West Country.