Rohit Sharma proved his critics wrong and silenced retirement talks as he scored his 32nd ODI century. He helped India win the 2nd ODI in Cuttack on 9th Feb 2025 by 4 wickets. India now 2-0 up in the 3 match series just before the Champions Trophy.

Match Overview

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, England set a tough target of 305 runs by getting all out for 304 runs in 49.5 overs. The Indian bowlers played a key role in limiting England's score, especially left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who took 3 wickets for 35 runs.

Rohit Sharma responded with a brilliant 119 off 90 balls. His innings was a great batting display, 12 fours and 7 sixes. Rohit’s innings not only helped India chase the target but also got him back in form just before the Champions Trophy. His form had been questioned lately.

Rohit Sharma's Innings

Rohit started well, getting into the zone by hitting a boundary off the first ball of Gus Atkinson. He was in his usual self by hitting a six over mid-wicket and a beautiful shot over cover off Saqib Mahmood. Even when there was a floodlight failure and he was on 29, Rohit didn’t lose any rhythm and showed he could take the bowler on.

He scored his 50 runs in just 30 balls and kept going fast, reaching his century in 76 balls, which is his second-fastest ODI hundred. This innings not only showed that he was back in form but also allowed him to pass Rahul Dravid's total of 10,889 runs, putting him among the top 10 ODI run-scorers ever. Rohit is now only 13 runs away from reaching 11,000 runs in ODIs..

Rohit’s innings was marked by skill and style. He hit pull shots accurately, cut the ball with flair, and even played a reverse sweep against Adil Rashid, showing his control during the innings. He got out after hitting a full toss, which was caught well by Rashid, but by that time, he had already set up India for victory.

Supporting Contributions

Shubman Gill gave strong support at the start, scoring a smooth 60 runs off 52 balls and helping to create a strong opening partnership of 136 runs with Rohit. However, most of the attention was on Rohit, whose innings outshone Gill’s performance. After Rohit got out, Shreyas Iyer added 44 runs, but the middle order struggled, with KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya both getting out for just 10 runs each.

Even though India lost some wickets, Axar Patel (41 not out) and Ravindra Jadeja (11 not out) made sure the team reached the target easily, finishing the chase with 33 balls left. They completed the innings in 44.3 overs.

England's Innings

Earlier England got off to a good start with Ben Duckett (65 off 56) and Joe Root (69 off 72) but their innings fell apart thanks to Jadeja’s bowling which broke down their middle order. Jadeja took timely wickets of Duckett and Root and didn’t let England cash in on their good start.

Even with help from captain Jos Buttler (34 runs off 35 balls) and a late push from Liam Livingstone (41 runs off 32 balls), England had trouble gaining momentum. They were eventually bowled out for 304, and three run-outs in the last few overs showed their failure to take advantage of their earlier strong position.

Conclusion

Rohit Sharma’s powerful century confirmed his place as one of the top batsmen in ODI cricket and gave a big boost to the Indian team before the Champions Trophy. With a mix of experience and youth energy India look all set to make a big impact in the tournament especially with Rohit back in form. The Ahmedabad ODI should be a good game as both teams gear up for the big tournament.