ISLAMABAD: Joe Root produced a match-winning unbeaten 99 as England defeated India by four wickets in the second One-Day International at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Thursday, levelling the three-match series 1-1.
Chasing a modest target of 234, England recovered from the early loss of Ben Duckett on the first ball of the innings to reach 235-6 in 44.1 overs with 35 balls to spare.
Root anchored the chase with a composed 99 off 133 deliveries, striking nine boundaries, and shared crucial partnerships throughout the innings. Gus Atkinson provided the finishing touch with an unbeaten 23 off 16 balls as England completed the chase.
Harry Brook contributed 16, Sam Curran scored 26, Jos Buttler made 17 and Will Jacks added 30 before Atkinson joined Root to seal victory.
For India, Gurnoor Brar claimed 2-67, while Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel picked up one wicket each.
Earlier, India were bowled out for 233 after opting to bat, despite half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer.
Kohli struck 65 off 66 balls with eight fours, while Iyer top-scored with 66 from 71 deliveries, including five boundaries and two sixes. The pair steadied the innings after India slipped to 44-1, but regular wickets in the middle and lower order prevented the visitors from posting a bigger total.
Captain Shubman Gill made 31 and Rohit Sharma scored 26, while only Jasprit Bumrah's unbeaten 20 down the order offered late resistance.
England's pace attack shared the wickets, with Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson taking three wickets each. Saqib Mahmood claimed two wickets, while Sam Curran and Will Jacks picked up one apiece.
The result leaves the three-match series tied at 1-1, setting up a winner-takes-all decider in the final ODI.
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