The three-match One Day International (ODI) series between England and India has reached a thrilling crescendo. In the high-stakes second ODI at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on July 16, 2026, England bounced back in spectacular fashion to secure a comprehensive four-wicket victory. The win not only levelled the series but also set up a mouth-watering winner-takes-all finale. With the series hanging beautifully in the balance, both cricketing giants are now adjusting their sights toward the ultimate battleground of modern cricket for the deciding fixture.
Joe Root lauds Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as England prepare for the final ODI at Lord’s
Following England’s series-levelling triumph, the spotlight quickly shifted to the legendary status of India’s veteran icons, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Rumours have swirled that this bilateral tour could mark the final time the iconic duo features in an ODI series on English soil. Speaking at the post-match press conference, England’s anchor Joe Root offered a heartfelt tribute to his long-time rivals, acknowledging how they revolutionized modern limited-overs batting.
Root emphasized that Kohli and Rohit are arguably two of the greatest players to ever grace the ODI format. He noted that their ability to read game situations and consistently push boundaries has raised the bar for players worldwide. The English veteran expressed a sense of nostalgia, admitting he would miss competing against them and watching them dominate bowling attacks, even jokingly recalling times they hammered England. However, looking ahead to the series decider on Sunday, Root threw down a firm sporting challenge, stating that England’s primary tactical goal at Lord’s will be to keep these two modern-day legends quiet.
“You’re talking about two of the best players to ever play this format and, um, and, um, yeah, it—who knows if they’ll—they’ll be back here and get the opportunity to play here again, but um, incredible, um, legends of the game in in in this format. They they’ve sort of moved the bar and changed the goalpost for everyone, um, and have continually done things that no other players, or not many other players, have been able to do. So, um, you know, I watch them play and you try and learn and see how that they read the game and how they take on different situations and play different passages of play, um, and a lot of the time they’re miles ahead of it. So, um, yeah, it’s uh, in some ways it’d be sad that they won’t come back here, but um, I’ll miss playing against them and watching them smack us all around. So, hopefully we can keep them quiet on Sunday, um, but yeah, two brilliant players, legends,” Root stated during the press conference.
Root’s classy 99 powers England to a dominant win over India
Earlier in the day, it was Root’s masterful, unbeaten 99 that formed the backbone of England’s successful chase. After winning the toss and electing to bowl, the English bowling attack put on a clinical display. Jofra Archer dismantled the middle order with figures of 3 for 47, while Gus Atkinson ripped through the tail to claim 3 for 50. Despite resilient half-centuries from Kohli (65 off 66 balls) and Shreyas Iyer (66 off 71 balls), India collapsed from a steady position, losing their final four wickets for just 23 runs to be bowled out for a modest 233 in 44 overs.
England’s chase got off to a catastrophic start, collapsing to a precarious 8 for 2 within four overs after Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Ben Duckett for a duck and Prasidh Krishna removed Jacob Bethell. However, Root stepped up to anchor the innings with pure textbook perfection. Exhibiting immense composure, Root anchored crucial partnerships with Harry Brook, Sam Curran (26), and Will Jacks (30).
Even as wickets fell around him to debutant Gurnoor Brar (2 for 67), Root remained unperturbed, striking 9 boundaries during his 133-ball vigil. Alongside a brisk cameo from Atkinson (23* off 16 balls), Root guided England home to 235 for 6 with 35 balls to spare. Falling agonizingly short of a century on 99*, Root was rightfully named Player of the Match, having perfectly set the stage for a historic showdown at Lord’s.
