ENG vs IND 2026: England vs India, 2nd ODI - Who Said What?

England defeated India by four wickets in the second ODI at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, on July 17 to level the three-match series 1-1.

After winning the toss, England elected to bowl first and bundled India out for 233 in 44 overs. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer top-scored with half-centuries, while Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson claimed three wickets each. Saqib Mahmood also impressed with two wickets.

In reply, England chased down the target in 44.1 overs, finishing on 235/6. Joe Root anchored the innings with a superb unbeaten 99, guiding his side to victory. For India, Gurnoor Brar picked up two wickets, while the remaining bowlers shared one wicket each.

Virat Kohli once again showcased his class with a composed 65 off 66 balls, striking eight boundaries. Batting at No. 3, he stitched together two important partnerships—first with Rohit Sharma and then with Shreyas Iyer, who also contributed a valuable 66 off 71 deliveries—to help India recover and post a competitive total.

England's bowling attack delivered a disciplined performance, picking up wickets at regular intervals to prevent India from building sustained momentum. Jofra Archer led the charge with figures of 3/47, while Gus Atkinson matched him with 3/50. Saqib Mahmood also made a key contribution, claiming 2/52 as England restricted India to 233.

India's bowlers kept the contest alive by striking at regular intervals, but Joe Root held the innings together with a magnificent unbeaten 99 off 133 balls, including nine fours. He forged a crucial 72-run partnership with Will Jacks before calmly steering England to a four-wicket victory with 35 balls to spare.

Quite disappointing to be honest. We were at a good position after 25 overs, but we lost too many wickets. We know our tail-enders the best batsmen, but we expected a lot more from them. We will try to build small partnerships next time. Sundar is a key part of our team, he got injured while batting. We had to bowl our main bowlers, so I don't think it would've made a big difference. There was a bit of momentum loss for us. Root is the master of chasing such kind of totals.

We are still in the series, looking forward to Sunday. It was a phenomenal effort by our bowlers. When Sam and Jacks were bowling, they held the innings really well. To bowl them to 230 was ridiculous. We will pick the XI based on the conditions. He (Root) is a phenomenal player, can always learn from him. He has been one of the best in the world for many years. He is remarkable. He is a phenomenal rotator of strike, that's a major part in ODI cricket. We just take everyday as it comes. Looking towards Sunday now, and see what the conditions there are.

That's what the game is all about. Getting the job done, is the best thing. That's not what you play for, you play to win games. This was a big game. It was difficult to bat, our bowlers did a good job. That gave us the opportunity. We now go to Lord's with everything to play for. We lost the first game and learnt. They are the number 1 ranked team in the world. I think it's a different place where we are.