India vs England 2017, 2nd ODI: Rating the Indian cricketers

Following their sensational run chase in the opening game, a buoyant Indian team arrived at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. England won the toss and had no hesitation in bowling first or rather prevent their opponents from chasing again.

Chris Woakes got them off to the perfect start by removing the home team‘s top-order in a jiffy. At 25/3, the Indians were tottering and required something special to resuscitate their innings. The two old war-horses provided just that by combining together to take the game away from England’s grasp.

Extra Cover: SK Turning Point – Vintage Yuvraj Singh-MS Dhoni partnership rescues India in Cuttack

Facing a daunting target of 382, the visitors rode on the back of skipper Eoin Morgan’s commendable century to come incredibly close. Despite having to tackle the issue of dew, India managed to complete a tense 15-run victory to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Let us take a close look at who contributed what to India’s thrilling triumph in the second ODI.

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Yuvraj and Dhoni put on 256 runs for the fourth wicket

Yuvraj Singh – 9.5

At any point in a cricketer’s career, comebacks are never easy let alone for a 35-year old veteran. Looking fitter and hungrier, Yuvraj vindicated his selection by registering a career-best score. With the team struggling to stay afloat and Dhoni taking a bit of time to get his eye in, the onus was on him to land the return punch.

Taking the attack to the England bowlers, the southpaw revived India’s fortunes and subsequently imposed himself with a belligerent 150. This was his 14^th ODI century and his first since the memorable 2011 World Cup.

MS Dhoni – 9

The wicket-keeper batsman’s expansive shot in the previous match drew plenty of flak. Once again coming into bat with India in a precarious position, Dhoni was in his groove this time around. He began watchfully, got himself in and bludgeoned the England bowlers towards the latter part of the innings.

One particular six cannoned onto the highest stand beyond the long-on boundary. The muscle in his shots and smartness with which he built the game-changing partnership rolled back the clock. Free from the mentally-tiring captaincy duties, Dhoni showed his experience in emphatic fashion. However, it was a mixed bag behind the stumps with a neat stumping followed by a missed run-out opportunity.

Ravichandran Ashwin – 9

Despite conceding 65 runs, Ashwin delivered one of his most impactful spells in the 50-overs format. In a far cry from the shockingly defensive tactics in the opening match, the Tamil Nadu off-spinner looked to pick up wickets by bowling mostly from over the wicket. While searching deep into his bag of tricks, he never veered away from his stock ball. The end result – vital wickets of Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler in the middle-overs.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 9

Replacing the normally expensive Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar did not allow the England top-order to get off to a powerful start. He also displayed his prowess as a dependable death overs bowler by getting rid of Moeen Ali before further damage. Conceding just six runs in the final over, the 26-year old‘s temperament stood out during the business stages of the game.

Ravindra Jadeja – 7.5

There are very few better spinners currently than Jadeja when it comes to applying scoreboard pressure and squeezing the life out of potential run-chases. He was at it again in this game during the crucial middle overs phase. From his full quota of ten overs, the left-arm spinner gave away just 45 runs whilst also providing India with the key breakthrough of a well-set Jason Roy. But, his fielding was surprisingly appalling with a dropped catch reprieving Moeen Ali on 37.

Jasprit Bumrah – 7.5

Bumrah lured the dangerous Alex Hales into a false shot right at the start of England’s chase. His first 5 overs went for 37 runs but the business stages of the innings placed him under severe duress. In spite of the ball resembling a bar of soap, he held his nerve and kept targeting the blockhole.

Kedar Jadhav – 5

Sensing the need to keep the runs flowing, Jadhav continued India’s momentum with a few hefty blows. By combining deftness with brute power, he contributed a handy 10-ball 22 before holing out to Jake Ball near the mid-wicket fence. However, he conceded 45 runs from 5 overs at a time when his skipper turned to him for some control.

Hardik Pandya – 4.5

The standout bowler for India in the preceding game, Pandya came unstuck this time on a similar kind of pitch. His lengths were all over the place and England’s batsmen duly capitalised. In the batting department though, he ensured that the innings finished on a good note by smashing a few boundaries.

Virat Kohli – 3

Prior to the game, England harped on the importance of formulating and executing a precise plan to counter the Indian skipper. Despite starting off with a couple of remarkable straight-drives, Kohli showed that he was only human. A much fuller delivery from Woakes caught him by surprise and managed to take the coveted outside-edge. He wore his heart on his sleeve when the game got nerve-rackingly close in the dying moments.

KL Rahul – 2

Rahul kick started the match with a majestic cover-drive. However, the elegant batsman departed soon afterwards due to a delivery which was angled in and seamed away at the last moment. His problems with late movement do not augur well for India at the top of the order.

Shikhar Dhawan – 1.5

The other half of a misfiring opening combination, Dhawan gets rated below Rahul despite scoring six more runs than the right-hander. Following a couple of stylish cover drives, he gave a straightforward return catch to Woakes who was unable to hang on.

Though luck was with him, he could not capitalise and played a poor shot to a delivery that was not particularly threatening. It remains to be seen how long a rope the team management gives him with Ajinkya Rahane waiting on the sidelines.