India 356 (Gill 112, Iyer 78, Kohli 52, Rashid 4-64) beat England 214 (Atkinson 38, Axar 2-22, Rana 2-31) by 142 runs
If India’s four-wicket wins against England in the first and second ODI didn’t reflect the gulf between the two sides, the 142-run victory in the third at the Narendra Modi Stadium made up for it. As does the final series score of 3-0.
Both teams arrived in Ahmedabad looking to use this last ODI before the Champions Trophy to finetune; or in England’s case, tune outright. India’s trio of changes were as much about experimentation as Jos Buttler’s decision to bowl first after England had batted in the first innings in Nagpur and Cuttack.
Gill relished the opportunity to go first this time. After 87 and 60 in the first two matches, he was pristine throughout his jaunt to three figures, and broke a “slump” of 14 innings without a century.
There’s an argument to say the best it ever got for England on Wednesday was when Mark Wood pocketed Rohit Sharma with his first delivery of the match. Fresh from a devastating 32nd ODI century, Rohit lasted just two balls as Wood angled one into off stump that nipped off the surface, taking the edge through to a tumbling Phil Salt.
Gill and Kohli emerged from the powerplay with intent, which was only curbed when Rashid was introduced in the 15th over. The legspinner’s removal of Kohli, after the 36-year-old ticked off a 123rd fifty-plus ODI score in 50 deliveries, spoke of what was to come. Dip brought the right-hander forward, and grip and rip provided another nick for Salt.
Shreyas arrived and immediately settled into a quick groove, a century stand with Gill brought up in 85 deliveries, split evenly between the two. By then, Gill had crisply struck Wood through midwicket to bring up his century from 95 balls.
Gill freed himself up a little more after the milestone, lifting Rashid down the ground for six, but was bowled by the same bowler attempting an ungainly hack to a straight delivery. And Rashid was in the act again when Shreyas, looking to launch after reaching a half-century from 43 deliveries, lazily tickled down the leg side for another fine take from Salt.
Hardik Pandya was bowled with a pristine leggie, though only after striking Rashid for consecutive sixes down the ground. Having extended his arms into the stroke, the allrounder played it safe to see out the 41st over, but was undone by a slower delivery that again spun sharply from a middle-and-leg line, this time beyond the bat, and into the middle-and-off bail. India were eventually bowled out, losing three wickets for three runs off the last seven deliveries of the innings.
For what it’s worth, England were up with the required rate of 7.14 for a good chunk of the chase. The problem was the regular ticking of the wicket column as the last eight fell for just 88 runs.
Ben Duckett, having left the field in the first innings nursing a thigh injury, raced out of the blocks with four fours against both Harshit Rana and Arshdeep. Those off the former came in successive deliveries, but the left-armer had the last word, flummoxing Duckett for 34 with a knuckle ball that was skewed high to Rohit at mid-off.
A start of 60 in 6.2 overs had given England the framework of platform, though Salt’s cuffing of an Arshdeep slower ball to backward point meant both openers did not emerge from the first ten overs. Joe Root and Tom Banton were able to thatch together a partnership, the latter making his first international appearance in just over a year as he replaced Jamie Overton in the XI.
Fresh from leading the ILT20 run charts for MI Emirates, Banton showcased his impressive strokeplay with reverse-swept sixes off both Washington and Axar Patel. He enjoyed two bits of good fortune, avoiding a stumping after charging and edging Washington on 7, then surviving a run-out on 24 as Axar, fielding at point, missed his overarm throw from five yards when an underarm would have sufficed.
Kuldeep was the one to prise Banton out, caught behind off a wrong ‘un – the first of England’s last five recognised batters to fall for just 48 runs. Root was yorked by Axar, then Rana returned for a second spell to pick up Buttler and Harry Brook, both playing on.
A torturous 23-ball stay for Liam Livingstone came to an end as he ran past a delivery from Washington, before Pandya flattened Rashid’s off stump via the batter’s misjudged pull. Lusty blows from Wood and Atkinson were barely streaks of silver in the mushroom cloud of this match the and white-ball tour as a whole, as England eventually folded with all of 94 balls left in their innings.
It leaves Buttler’s team nursing wounds as they head to Pakistan for their Champions Trophy opener against Australia on February 22. India begin their campaign two days earlier against Bangladesh in Dubai in far better shape, having shown why they are the outright favourites for a second ICC trophy in the space of a year.
Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
