ODI Showdown: Key moments from India vs England series

India clinched the ODI series against England on a high note as they won the series by 3-0. This victory will definitely pump up the confidence of the Indian Cricket Team as they will soon head to Dubai for the mega ICC event- Champions Trophy 2025. 

Head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Rohit Sharma tried and tested all the plausible combinations in these three matches and now when they play their first league match against Bangladesh on 20th February, they will certainly have the clarity in their minds. 

Today, in this article by ZAP cricket, we will highlight what basically happened in the three match ODI series. 

Match 1: 6 February, 2025 at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium

After a dominating T20 series, Men in Blue just had to replicate their performance in One Day cricket as well. After winning the toss, England chose to bat and a powerful show was displayed by their skipper, Jos Butler- 52(67), and middle order batsman Jacob Bethell- 51(64). Some traits of ‘Bazball’ cricket were visible by the openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett but none of them converted the good starts into a milestone. In the bowling department, it was debutant Harshit Rana and India’s most reliable spinner Ravindra Jadeja who clinched three wickets each. By the end of the first innings, England had posted 248 on board.

When India came down to chase the target, it was Shubhman Gill’s perseverance and Shreyas Iyer’s counter attack that had set the tone. They both scored fine fifties and later it was Axar Patel who finished off the innings in style by registering a fifty by his name as well. Ultimately, it was India who won the match by 4 wickets as they chased down the target in 38.4 overs, sparing 68 balls. 

Match 2: 9 February, 2025 at Barabati Stadium

The second match was a crucial one for the visitors as they had to win this one to stay alive in the series. However, Rohit Sharma had different plans as he spoiled their party by scoring a magnificent hundred. It is good news for Indian spectators as the skipper returned to form just in time. His touch looked impeccable. Apart from him, Shubhman Gill,  Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel carried their purple patch as they scored 60(52), 44(47) and 41(43)* respectively. 

From England’s dugout, it was Ben Duckett and Joe Root who provided a perfect start by scoring 65(56) and 69(72) respectively. Small cameos were played by the middle order batsman and with their contributions the team managed to surpass 300. But eventually it was the home team that won by 4 wickets. 

Match 3: 12 February, 2025 at Narendra Modi Stadium 

The series was already sealed as India had won both the matches with full authority. Hence, this final clash was a chance for both sides to test their combinations. Just like Rohit Sharma returned to his form in the second ODI, this time, it was Virat Kohli who announced his resurgence in style. He scored 52 off 55 deliveries. The star of the night, though, was Shubhman Gill as he made the opponent’s bowlers dance to his tunes. His knock of 112(102) comprised 3 sixes and 14 fours. Later, Shreyas Iyer scored 78(64) as well. By the end, India sprinted to 356. In reply, none of the English batsmen scored as wickets were falling in regular intervals, kudos to the combined bowling effort of Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya. 

Next assignment: Champions Trophy 2025

With collective brilliance, India made Bumrah’s absence less pronounced. But the real deal is, will they be able to do the same in Champions Trophy 2025?

Recently, the BCCI made a couple of amendments in the squad. Harshit Rana will replace injured Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy comes in place of Yashasvi Jaiswal. Now, with this dominance, can India clinch another ICC title?