IND Vs ENG Highlights, 2nd ODI: Joe Root Remains Stranded On 99 As England Level Series With A 4-Wicket Win

Greetings and welcome to our live coverage of the second ODI between India and England. Stay with us for live scores, ball-by-ball updates, key moments, and all the latest action from Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.

The India vs England 2nd ODI will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network, while live streaming will be available on the Jio Hotstar app and website.

According to Google's win prediction, England hold a slight edge with a 52% chance of victory, while India are close behind at 48%. England's familiarity with Cardiff and the urgency of avoiding a series defeat work in their favour.

However, India's balanced bowling attack and confidence from the convincing first ODI win make them equally capable of taking a decisive 2-0 lead. With little separating the two sides, expect a closely fought contest that could be decided by the team that handles the middle overs better.

England have won the toss and have opted to field.

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna

England (Playing XI): Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook(c), Jos Buttler(w), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood

Shubman Gill (India): India would have opted to bowl first as well, but Gill said the team was delighted with its near-perfect performance in the series opener. He praised the bowlers for regaining control after England's strong finish to the powerplay and lauded the fast bowlers' impact in the middle overs. Returning to Cardiff, where he previously played county cricket for Glamorgan, Gill said he hoped to add more happy memories at the venue. India have made one change, with KL Rahul ruled out due to illness and Ishan Kishan coming into the playing XI.

Harry Brook (England): Brook elected to bowl first, citing the healthy grass cover on the pitch and the hope of extracting early seam movement and swing. Reflecting on the first ODI, he felt England fought back well despite the defeat and stressed the need to execute their plans better. England have made two changes, bringing in Saqib Mahmood and Gus Atkinson in place of Josh Tongue and Liam Dawson.

India were forced into a change for the second ODI against England at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, with wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul ruled out due to illness. Ishan Kishan replaced Rahul in the playing XI as the visitors made their only change for the match.

Game on! We are underway at Sophia Gardens. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are out in the middle for India, with Rohit taking strike. Jofra Archer has the new ball and will open the bowling for England.

Rohit Sharma gets an early break as a ball from Jofra Archer climbed onto him leading his to mistime the ball but the deep mid-wicket fielder makes a mess of it and gives the Indian opener an early life. The ghosts of the last match will be in the minds of Rohit Sharma as he got out cheaply in the match and in the second match also Archer almost succeeded in getting him out early.

IND 17/0 (3)

Shubman Gill has hit a flurry of boundaries in the last two overs to provide momentum to the Indian innings. The Indian skippers played some exquisite drives to make the pitch look batting friendly. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma is still battling it out to find some flow back in his batting.

IND 42/0 (6)

India lose their first wicket in the form of in-form Shubman Gill, who timed the ball well but it went straight into the hands of the short covers fielder, who took a sharp catch to send. Gill departed for 31 and Virat Kohli made his way into the ground, joining Rohit. Kohli is looking in full flow today, played a scintillating on-drive and followed it by charging the bowler down the crease. IND need a big stand from both their senior pros here.

IND 61/1 (10)

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have added 40 runs for the second wicket now. While Kohli has looked is sublime touch, Rohit, who was struggling a bit at the start has started finding his mojo a bit and also pulled a ball handsomely for a six over the long side of the fence. Though he is yet to find his full flow but runs are the currency that he needs dearly at the moment.

IND 84/1 (14)

Rohit Sharma's misery finally comes to an end, in a strange manner though but it was looking inevitable as the opener was struggling to time the ball. Rohit tried to sweep a ball by Will Jacks, but ended up gloving the ball into the hands of wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. He departs after scoring 26 off 47 balls and Ishan Kishan makes his way into the crease.

IND 104/2 (18)

Out! That was a peculiar way to get out as Ishan Kishan miscues a short delivery which takes the tow edge of his bat and lobs to the left of Sam Curran, who takes a simple catch to complete the wicket. Kishan falls for just one run and India are now in a bit of trouble after losing two quick wickets.

IND 111/3 (21)

Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer have the onus to stabilize the Indian innings after back-to-back wickets of Rohit and Ishan. The 4th wicket partnership is now 22-run strong, however the Men in Blue would want them to go as long as possible and build a base for the remaining batters to accelerate.

IND 133/3 (25)

Virat Kohli belts Sam Curran down the ground to bring up his 78th ODI half-century. It was a masterclass innings by King Kohli as he batted with a strike rate of over 100 and smashed six fours during the course of his innings. India would now expect Kohli to double it to reach 100.

IND 149/3 (27)

The fire in Virat Kohli and the hunger in his batting is quite evident today as he jabs Curran over the mid-on fielder for a boundary and back it with a cracking pull shot that goes to the deep mid-wicket fielder at lightning pace. The partnership between Kohli and Shreyas has now gone to 67 and India are again in a strong position in the match.

IND 168/3 (30)

Out! England get the big fish as Virat Kohli departs after scoring a well-made 65 off 66 balls. Harry Brook brought his best bowler, Jofra Archer to get a breakthrough and he obliged by dismissing Virat Kohli as India lose their 4th wicket. Kohli just got saved on the previous delivery as a ball that cut him in half, took his edge and fell just short of wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, however it rattled him a bit, inducing a false shot on the next ball as a top flew straight into the hands of the deep third man.

IND 179/4 (32)

Another Indian batter bites the dust as Washington Sundar departs cheaply for just 2. It was a tame dismissal as Sundar got his hamstring a ball earlier and Saqib Mahmood bowls a well-directed bouncer on the very next bowl that hurries onto Sundar and he ends he giving a lobbing the ball to the wicketkeeper, who takes an easy catch. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer pulls a short ball in the subsequent over for a six to bring up his timely half-century. India would want him to play till the end and get the team to a big first innings score.

IND 188/5 (34)

Jofra Archer is breathing fire at Sophia Gardens, striking off consecutive deliveries to rip through India's middle order. Axar Patel attempted an upper cut off a short ball but could only edge behind to the wicketkeeper, before Shivam Dube handed Archer a simple return catch off the very next delivery. India slumped from 178/3 to 193/7 in the space of a few overs after a series of loose shots, with the visitors suddenly staring at a dramatic collapse.

IND 193/7 (36)

Eighth Down! India lose their eighth wicket as Gurnoor Brar brazenly slashes on the outside off delivery with a set batter at the other end. The ball goes in the other and the deep extra cover gleefully take the catch. Iyer is left stranded at one end, with wickets tumbling down the other.

IND 210/8 (41)

Jasprit Bumrah smashes Saqib Mahmood for three fours and a six to collect 18 runs from an over. However, in the very next over the well-set Shreyas Iyer edges one to the keeper and departs for 66, with Prasidh Krishna following in the very same over. India is all out for just 233 runs with still six overs to spare. It's a shambolic show by the middle-order as India were once against going strong at 178/3 but in no time went to 233 all out by virtue of some poor shot selections and lack of self confidence. Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson pick three wicket each to play a key role in India's middle-order collapse.

IND 233 (44)

Jasprit Bumrah struck with the very first ball to hand India the ideal start. Bowling a good-length delivery that angled across the left-hander, Bumrah drew Ben Duckett into an uncertain poke away from his body. The outside edge flew comfortably to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, who completed a routine catch. Duckett, who had also struggled against Bumrah's movement in the first ODI despite surviving several close calls, had no escape this time.

ENG 5/1 (1)

Prasidh Krishna strikes as England lose their second batter in the form of Jacob Bethell, who gets a feather while poking on a well-directed good length delivery. The Indian pacers have been on point with their line and length and have extracted good seam movement from the pitch which has troubled the English batters.

ENG 12/2 (4)

There have some boundaries here and there which has kept England's scoreboard ticking but still the bowlers are getting help from the wicket which hasn't let the Joe Root and Harry Brook settle at the crease. India, at the same time gifted some free runs by bowling no balls, which has been the only issue with their bowling so far, which has allowed both the batter to get some boundaries, which has released the pressure.

ENG 39/2 (8)

And the scoop brings about Brook's downfall!

He's been like a cat on a hot tin roof today, shuffling around and trying different things. The scoop in particular.

He got a six off one. Got hit on the helmet when he missed one, and now he's lobbed it to Kishan! Back of length outside off it goes off the inside half of the bat to the 'keeper as Broot makes a meal of this!

Big, big wicket for India!

Sam Curran was the last man to depart. The left handed all-rounder was sent back by Shivam Dube for 26. Jos Buttler joins the well-set Joe Root at the crease. Buttle hits a six off Axar Patel to get going. This is a crucial partnership and if both the batter could bat form sometime more, then could even bat India out of the game.

ENG 110/4 (21)

The talismanic English batter Joe Root brings up his fifty in 76 balls. The veteran batter has held up one end with his watertight technique, while wickets fell from the opposite end. The partnership between Root and Buttler is now 31 runs strong and it holds the key for England in this match.

ENG 125/4 (25)

Axar Patel knocks down Jos Buttler's stumps to breathe life into the game. England lose their fifth wicket, however Joe Root is still at the crease, well set. Will Jacks joins Root at the crease to take things forward.

ENG 148/5 (30)

A crucial partnership is being stitched between Joe Root and Will Jacks. While Root is standing like a rock at the crease, Jacks has also complemented him well. The partnership between them has now reached 36 runs and is looking to take the game away from India.

ENG 161/5 (34)

The partnership between Root and Jack has brought England within the proximity of the target as they now need just runs to win in 66 balls. The match is slipping away from India's grip rapidly and only back-to-back wickets could bring them in the match.

ENG 191/5 (39)

Wicket! What a timely wicket for India as Will Jacks, who just lucky on the previous ball ends up giving a simple catch to Virat Kohli at short extra cover. That risk was not needed from England's point of view as the required rate was well within the range. IND have got a sniff here, can they convert it into something meaningful remains to be seen.

ENG 202/6 (41)

Will Jack's wicket was momentarily excitement it seems as Gus Atkinson plays a good fiddle to Joe Root, who is currently stranded on 99, just one run short of his 62nd hundred. It might not have been a fluent innings but one thing that you could associate with it is - steel as wickets kept tumbling but Root stood firm on his ground. ENG now just need runs to win.

ENG 230/6 (44)

Gus Atkinson pulls it for a boundary towards the deep square leg boundary as England win the 2nd ODI by 4 wickets to level the series by 1-1. Meanwhile, Joe Root, who stood like a rock in the chase, remained stranded on 99 not out. Root battled 133 balls during his stay at the crease and hit nine boundaries in the meantime.

ENG 235/6 (44.1)

That's a wrap! That's a wrap from our end, we'll be back soon with another blog, until then, bye bye.