Pune : The second ODI of the three-match series between India and England was won by the English. They chased down the target in just 43.3 overs and eventually wrapped up the game by 6 wickets.

The partnership that really tilted the match in England’s favor was the second wicket partnership between Stokes and Bairstow. The duo added 185 runs in just under 21 overs during the middle overs of the game. As Stokes mentioned after the game that he wanted to target the two spinners which he successfully did but missed out on his hundred by just a run. Bairstow on the other hand, gave a cracking start to the the England innings along with Roy at the top. The opening pair added another 100+ partnership which takes their tally to 13 such 100+ partnerships, just two behind the greats, Greenidge and Haynes. Bairstow, who missed out on a ton by just five runs in the last game, eventually reached the feat by getting to it with a six in this particular match.

Image courtesy : BCCI

England did have a scare in their chase during the 35th over when the wicket of Stokes picked by Bhuvi triggered a mini collapse in their batting line-up. The phase of the game also included a perfect yorker length delivery executed by the newcomer Prasidh Krishna to disturb Buttler’s stumps. Since, the run-rate was never an issue for the English like the previous match, it was just a matter of time and a few runs that took them home. The debutant Liam Livingstone smacked two sixes off Bhuvi in the 40th over to release some pressure and that was when the game was decided to a large extent.

Earlier in the day a hundred from Rahul and a selfless fifty from Rishabh Pant guided India’s score to 336. As the openers were dismissed early, Virat came out to bat in the first few overs and he too, crossed fifty by scoring 66 runs which was largely dominated by rotation of strike in a partnership with Rahul untill he was dismissed by Rashid, who’s got the better of the Indian captain in recent times.

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