Root’s unbeaten 99 levels the series as England beat India in Cardiff
Joe Root carried England’s chase and finished stranded on 99 not out as the hosts beat India by four wickets in Cardiff to level the one-day series at 1-1.
Jul 17, 2026
Joe Root produced the innings of the night at Sophia Gardens and still walked off without the hundred he deserved. His unbeaten 99 steered England to a four-wicket win over India in the second ODI, chasing down 234 with more than five overs to spare and levelling the three-match series at 1-1. The decider is at Lord’s on Sunday.
England had lost the opener in Birmingham and arrived in Cardiff needing a response after India’s bowlers dictated that first game. They got it from their most dependable batter. Root came in early, saw off the new ball, then paced the chase so precisely that the target barely felt threatening once he was set.
India’s 233 never looked quite enough
Put in to bat, India were bowled out for 233. Shreyas Iyer top-scored with 66 off 71 balls and Virat Kohli made a composed 65 from 66, the pair rebuilding through the middle overs after a scratchy start. But India could not turn those platforms into a total that stretched England, losing wickets at the wrong moments and folding inside their 50 overs.
Jofra Archer was the reason the score stayed within reach. The quick took 3 for 47 in a hostile spell, removing India’s set batters and squeezing the run rate when the innings threatened to accelerate. England’s seamers shared the rest, and India’s lower order offered little.
Root controls the chase
The reply belonged almost entirely to Root. He was watchful early as India’s new-ball pair found movement, then opened up as the ball softened, working gaps and turning over the strike in the way that has defined his one-day batting. Gurnoor Brar picked up 2 for 67 and gave India brief hope, but no bowler could shift Root.
He was on 99 when the winning runs came from the other end, stranded one short of the century that would have crowned the innings. It made no difference to the result. England were home with plenty in hand, the series square, and their batting order looking settled after a nervy start to the white-ball leg.
A decider at Lord’s
The sides now head to Lord’s for the finale on Sunday, with India chasing the series win that looked on after their result in Birmingham. India will want more from their own top order and a plan for Root, who has now anchored England through the phase of this tour where their batting had come under the most scrutiny. For England, a T20I sweep followed by a shaky ODI start has been steadied at just the right time.