Talking points: Root’s certainty, India’s fragility

Talking Points: Root's Certainty, India's Fragility

England levelled the series with a painstaking chase of 234, headlined by Joe Root. He walked off on 99* in Cardiff, re-emphasising his place in England's ODI setup. India were hurt by a middle-order collapse and their bowling falling flat against Root.

Shubman Gill vs Rohit Sharma

Gill was intent-driven, creaming deliveries through covers. Rohit was largely disengaged, with his first real scoring shot in the 12th over. He played 29.1% false shots, his slowest 25+ score in ODIs by strike-rate, and was out trying to sweep Will Jacks.

Kohli's ODI Form Continues

Kohli now has seven 50+ scores in his last nine ODIs. His running between the wickets was the engine of the knock, but after no fours in 21 balls, he fell to an Archer short ball.

Archer Stings Middle Order

Brook brought Archer back in the 31st over, dismissing Kohli. From 178/3, India fell to 193/7. Questions over the middle order persist, with KL Rahul absent.

Bumrah's Early Spell

Bumrah bullied England's top order, finishing with 1-17 from his first four overs. Prasidh Krishna supported from the other end.

Gill's Aggressive Captaincy

Gill attacked with bowling changes, bringing back Krishna and Bumrah when Buttler started hitting. Axar Patel got sharp drift, but Root kept chipping away with a faultless approach.

Short-Ball Plan Came Too Late

Gill held Bumrah back until the 41st over. A short-ball plan nearly worked against Jacks but came too late. When Atkinson top-edged Bumrah for six, questions remained about earlier tactics.