This was a 100-over match that lasted just 44 – and England were thrashed, continuing the awkward start to Jos Buttler’s captaincy.
England were rumbled for 110, which India chased down without losing a wicket. There was 77 from 57 balls for skipper Rohit Sharma in the chase, but it was the genius of Jasprit Bumrah that undid England. He took six for 19 as England were routed batting first.
England were well beaten in the T20 series, too, with India winning at the Ageas Bowl and Edgbaston, before resting their bowling attack at Trent Bridge and still coming close to a win. England’s batting was beefed up here, after some post-Test rest, but India’s bowling was still too good.
It was promptly clear that winning the toss and bowling, as Rohit did, was a huge boon. The pitch had a tinge of green and on a muggy south London day, there was plenty of zip off the surface and movement in the air. India, in Bumrah and Mohammad Shami, had just the bowlers to take advantage.
England’s start was unapologetically disastrous – and things barely got better. England recorded four ducks, all of them in the top six, and made their lowest ODI total in eight years (and lowest against India ever). It took a lower order revival to even get them to 110, and their only six was hit by Reece Topley, the No11.
Minus the retired Eoin Morgan, of course, England’s fearsome batting order was reunited for the first time since the World Cup final three years ago. Jason Roy (five balls), Joe Root (two) and Ben Stokes (one) all made ducks, while Jonny Bairstow limped to seven. Morgan’s replacement, Liam Livingstone, made an ugly eight-ball duck, too, and suddenly England were 26 for five.
Bumrah was the architect of their downfall, producing an opening five-over spell of four for nine that included five wides and a dropped catch of Moeen Ali (on nought, naturally). It was a stupendous spell, that picked up Roy and Root in its first over, Bairstow in its third and Livingstone in its fourth. Livingstone’s was the most desperate shot, bowled behind his legs stepping across to the offside.
Between times, Shami found a beauty to get through Stokes. It was Rishabh Pant who dropped Moeen down the legside, but he took a couple of brilliantly catches of Stokes and Bairstow.
Buttler came in at seven for three, and was off the mark with a pair of boundaries. He held England together for a while, scoring 30 and doubling the score in Moeen’s company. But they fell in quick succession either side of drinks to truly cook England’s goose. First, Moeen was caught and booked by Prasidh Krishna (it was a surprise this had not happened sooner), then Buttler took on the short boundary – but hit into the wind – and was caught on the fence off Shami.
Shami’s second spell was even better than his first. Having picked up Buttler, he skittled one through Craig Overton’s defences to leave England reeling at 68 for eight, still 18 shy of their lowest ever ODI score, set 21 years ago against Australia.
David Willey and Brydon Carse helped them avert that, and took them past 100. But the return of Bumrah brought about the end of the innings. He bowled both men and, despite Topley’s six, the innings was over two balls past the halfway mark.
At full strength, England would not have defended 111 – and they are far from full strength, with Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Adil Rashid, to name a few, absent. So the chase was a formality.
Bairstow missed a run out from close range from the first ball and Rohit, who launched five sixes, was soon flying. Shikhar Dhawan ticked along in his wake and the game was done by 5pm, long before the lights were required and just four hours after the game had begun.
