In Pics: ICC World Cup 2019 England beat India by 31 runs

In Pics: ICC World Cup 2019 | England beat India by 31 runs

Rohit Sharma continued his magnificent run in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 as he blasted his 25th century and third in the tournament to keep India in the hunt in their chase of 338 against England in the clash in Edgbaston on Sunday. Rohit had smashed centuries against South Africa and Pakistan in the 2019 tournament but he had endured a tough run in the last couple of games, falling cheaply in the games against Afghanistan and West Indies. Rohit is now joint-second in the all-time list of most centuries in a single edition of the tournament, with Kumar Sangakkara creating a record four consecutive centuries in the 2015 edition of the tournament.

In Pics: ICC World Cup 2019 | England beat India by 31 runs

The win for England will give them massive relief after the game was brilliantly set by Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy after England chose to bat.

In Pics: ICC World Cup 2019 | England beat India by 31 runs

Bairstow and Roy, playing his first game after suffering a hamstring injury, galvanised the top order brilliantly as they began aggressively. The powerplay yielded 47 runs as the platform was built for an onslaught. Roy blasted Hardik Pandya for a boundary and a six and that opened the floodgates. Both batsmen found the boundary every over with India’s spinners coming under pressure.

In Pics: ICC World Cup 2019 | England beat India by 31 runs

The 160-run stand was broken when Roy mistimed the lofted shot off Kuldeep only for Ravindra Jadeja, the substitute for KL Rahul who injured himself to take a splendid catch. Bairstow continued on his merry ways and notched up his maiden World Cup century.

In Pics: ICC World Cup 2019 | England beat India by 31 runs

However, India’s bowlers varied the pace in the middle overs and managed to restrict England. The hosts looked like scoring in excess of 350 but in the middle period, they managed just 65 runs in 14 overs, with Mohammed Shami wreaking havoc again. Ben Stokes, though, had other ideas and he flayed the bowling to all parts of the ground and he was given good support by Jos Buttler. Stokes notched up his fifty.

In Pics: ICC World Cup 2019 | England beat India by 31 runs

Chasing 338, India had started disastrously when KL Rahul fell for 0 to Chris Woakes. England’s bowlers bowled in the right areas and did not give the Indian players easy runs. Rohit survived a dropped chance on 4 by Joe Root off Jofra Archer and the batsman capitalised with a boundary. Kohli looked in good touch with two boundaries off Archer but England ensured they never got going.

In Pics: ICC World Cup 2019 | England beat India by 31 runs

Rohit and Kohli looked to break the shackles but the asking rate mounted. Both batsmen went past fifties and they opened up. Rohit smashed three consecutive boundaries off Ben Stokes while Kohli found the boundaries consistently. However, once Plunkett got Kohli, all hopes hinged on Rohit and the middle order.

In Pics: ICC World Cup 2019 | England beat India by 31 runs

Rohit reached his 25th century and third in this tournament but Woakes dealt the killer blow when Rohit miscued a slow off-cutter to Jos Buttler.

In Pics: ICC World Cup 2019 | England beat India by 31 runs

Hardik Pandya held the key and he immediately looked to keep India in the game and he blasted three boundaries off Woakes in the 39th over. However, Plunkett continued to dent India and England were rewarded when Pant miscued a hoick to long leg only for Woakes to dive to his left and take a brilliant catch near the boundary. Pandya kept the fight going but in Plunkett’s final over, the all-rounder miscued the lofted shot and was caught at long on.The chase fizzled out after that and India tamely lost the game with MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav unable to score freely in the death overs.