Top of the pops in Rajkot’s series opener, England came crashing down to earth in Kochi on Tuesday, when India’s resounding success saw the five-match series draw level at one win apiece.
The hefty margin of victory – a whopping 127 runs – reflected a thoroughly inadequate performance from the visitors, who replicated little to none of the professionalism and big match temperament displayed in the first ODI.
The recipients of two key wickets after the Indians’ choice to bat first backfired initially, England could not maintain their momentum, instead laid to waste by Mahendra Singh Dhoni (72) and Ravindra Jadeja’s onslaught.
Steven Finn and Jade Dernbach were solid enough in opening the attack in the absence of Stuart Broad and James Anderson, while Chris Woakes was a like-for-like replacement for the injured Tim Bresnan.
India’s innings was a familiar tale: failure for the openers, stop-start contributions from the middle order and the rescue act left to captain Dhoni and a willing sidekick.
The skipper, of course, obliged – and found outstanding support in Jadeja. Pushed down the order, below Ravichandran Ashwin, in the recent series defeat to Pakistan, the all-rounder assumed his rightful position at seven this time.
The promotion worked a treat, to the tune of a thrashing 61 not out from a mere 37 balls for the left-handed Jadeja. The perfect foil to the equally attacking Dhoni during their 96-run alliance, which spanned just 10 overs, the 24-year-old took a particular liking to the straight boundary.
Finn, Dernbach and Woakes’ return spells, meanwhile, couldn’t garner the miserly economy achieved at the start – and the expense duly followed. Conceding a heavy 184 runs from their combined 27 overs, the pace trio fetched too all corners of the Nehru Stadium. There was no hiding from Dhoni’s trademark ‘helicopter’ shot through midwicket and mid-on.
A final total of 285 for six presented a staunch chase for the English, but buoyed by their 320-plus tally last week – and a reasonably flat pitch – Alastair Cook’s men welcomed the stiff task.
Their ambition, however, was soon hurt by the early losses of Ian Bell and Cook amid a fine opening burst from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Pouncing on the opportunity afforded to him by the fickle selectors, the young right-armer continues to set himself apart from the nation’s other young seamers.
Kevin Pietersen’s 42 and Joe Root’s 36 threatened, but the former fell to Kumar and Ashwin removed Samit Patel and Craig Kieswetter in quick succession to have the visitors in deep trouble.
Woakes and James Tredwell’s status as all-rounders amounted to a mere one run between them, and the tail were predictably fruitless as the Indians tightened the noose, with the final throttle pulled at the turn of the 36th over.
With the third ODI set for Saturday, in Ranchi, England will do well to heed Root’s bid to bowl more. The part-time off-spinner bowled a couple of promising overs, and was a superb complement to first-choice slow bowlers Patel and Tredwell. India, though, have found a tight XI – one they will do well to stick with come the weekend, when a vital two-one series lead will be in the offing.
