India had a good chance to win the second ODI, but England chased down 234 with four wickets in hand.
The bowlers fought hard, but India’s batting left too much work for them. Several Indian batters failed to make their chances count.
Rohit Sharma spent time at the crease and scored 26 runs from 47 balls. But what was the plan after getting set?
India needed one experienced batter to play a long innings, yet Rohit couldn’t stay till the end.
Ishan Kishan got an unexpected chance after KL Rahul missed the match. It was a big opportunity, but he scored just one run before getting out.
If Ishan had stayed with Shreyas Iyer for a few more overs, could India have reached 250?
Shivam Dube came in when India still had wickets in hand. Even 20 or 25 quick runs could have made a difference, but he was dismissed for a golden duck. Yes, he picked up a wicket later, but did he do enough after failing with the bat?
The lower order also couldn’t add valuable runs. Washington Sundar scored just 2, while Axar Patel managed only 1.
Cricket is a team game, and one player alone doesn’t lose a match. But when the top order, middle order and lower order all fail to contribute, questions are always going to be asked. India will now hope for a much better show in the series decider at Lord’s.
