Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes launch six-hitting blitz to tie the series with India

• India vs England, second ODI: full scoreboard​

This was a savage England batting performance and run chase, led by Ben Stokes, that could have implications well beyond the levelling of this series.

Stokes made 99 before gloving behind, and as he walked off, he appeared to look to the heavens in a gesture of apology to his late father, Ged, who died in December. He had no reasons to be sorry: his innings was a sledgehammer performance from one of the world’s best hitters of a cricket ball. His 10 sixes, six of them in 11 balls as he blitzed his way from 50 to 99, sent a clear message about his role in Twenty20 cricket.

Stokes bats down the order and looks a little lost in England’s Twenty20 side. But promoted to three here he took his chance, and showed what he could do at the World Cup later this year if given more balls to face.

Dawid Malan is a fine No3 for England so it is a good dilemma to have but they cannot waste Stokes’s talent and ability to intimidate by holding him back too long.

He even overshadowed Jonny Bairstow, who made an outstanding 124, setting England on course to victory with his 13th century opening stand with Jason Roy. A late wobble, with three wickets in 10 balls, could not stop England cruising home by six wickets with 39 balls to spare in their 12th successful run chase over 300, the tenth since their batting revolution in 2015. With the series at 1-1, a long tour will have a meaningful end on Sunday.

England have been “average” in 50-over cricket since their World Cup win according to Eoin Morgan. This was a batting performance of old, as they maximised a good pitch. Whereas India like to sit in and go for it later on led by their IPL six-hitters in the lower-middle order, England approach 50-over batting like a cycling time trial - bursting off the blocks and always steadily increasing the tempo to the finish line.

It is the method that brought World Cup success, even if they had to play a different game in the final, and why Morgan defended their defeat in the first ODI when they continued to play big shots that did not come off and let slip victory when cruising.

There is no other way. England just keep going. “We could have reined ourselves in but we expressed ourselves,” said Stokes. “The most pleasing thing is we did not go away from our values as a team.”

Set 336, England were 59 for no wicket off 10 overs, 87 from 15 and 167 for one off 25. India, by contrast, were 112 for two at the halfway point. England smashed 141 from their last 13 overs, pedalling hard all the way to the line.

Bairstow was hitting powerfully down the ground, striking almost half of his runs between long off and long on. He brought up his fifty and hundred with sixes, with crisp clean strokeplay, sending the white ball flying through the night sky like a rocket.

The only blot was a run out of Roy, who hesitated on a quick single to the leg side with Bairstow just running past his partner. A check from the umpires confirmed the batsmen had crossed. An 80-year-old former Yorkshire opener would have been nodding in appreciation at Bairstow’s survival instinct.

There was no blame on Bairstow for the run out and he played a strong (bottom) hand in the power surge with Stokes. It took them only 117 balls to add 175 for the second wicket, with poor old Kuldeep Yadav’s left arm wrist spin clattering into the empty bleachers. He was belted for eight sixes, including three in a row as he was caught in the crossfire as Stokes exploded after reaching fifty.

Bairstow reached his 11th ODI hundred off 95 balls, but Stokes was lucky to be given not out on 31 when apparently run out after he lazily ran his bat in as a direct hit from the boundary surprised everyone by hitting the stumps. It was the closest of calls and after moaning about third umpire decisions in the Test series, England will feel the luck has evened out because Stokes looked to be millimetres short of breaking the line.

Stokes targeted the spinners as his “match up” and followed his three sixes off Kuldeep with three more off Krunal Pandya. He moved to 99 hammering Bhuvneshwar Kumar to long off for four. A hundred beckoned but Stokes was surprised by a leg side bouncer and gloved behind.

Bairstow clipped to midwicket, and Jos Buttler was bowled by a yorker but it was too late for India as stand-ins Liam Livingstone and Dawid Malan took their chance with a 50-run stand to see England home. Livingstone showed his prowess with two sixes in a neat 27.

It was not a day to be a bowler. And England were milked easily by India’s top three as they prepared the scene for the Pandya brothers and Rishabh Pant.

KL Rahul cupped both his ears, a message to his critics after a lean run, when he reached his hundred but the entertainment came courtesy of Pant and Hardik, the IPL stars in full on six hitting mode.

This was weakened attack. Only Adil Rashid survived from the World Cup final (not including Stokes) and without Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes England lacked pace. The Curran brothers struggled and were expensive but Reece Topley found swing early on and bowled cleverly at the end. Buttler’s two dropped catches were costly and he should have given Topley his full allotment of overs.

England were without Wood, Archer and Woakes for various reasons - from fitness to rotation - but the one man they have not replaced since the World Cup is Liam Plunkett. How they needed his lifters in to the ribs, slower balls, cutters and slower ball bouncers. You need wickets against an India team set up like this and Plunkett has proved a hard man to live without. Could Topley be a successor?

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04:23 PM

Jos Buttler speaks

I'm delighted with the response of the guys. I thought we put in a very good bowling performance as well to restrict India to that total. Look at how well they played in the last 10 overs, so I thought the guys in the middle overs did well to restrict them.

And then the guys came out and played fantastically well, the intent and partnerships from the start made it a brilliant chase. The openers have been a pillar of our strength for a long period of time. Delighted for Jonny and that partnership with Ben Stokes was brilliant to watch.

Some of the strokes they played and the commitment to play that way. Some people talked about our way and if we need to be smarter - of course we want to play smart cricket but it's important to commit to our style of play when the conditions suit.

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04:11 PM

The series decider is on Sunday

Absolute carnage this from Bairstow and Stokes. Power hitting of the highest quality. Lot to ponder for Team India. Using only 5 bowlers against this batting lineup too risky?? Series nicely poised. #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/dzfDfzg8fw

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) March 26, 2021

VVS is right. Five bowlers seems such a lame strategy.

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04:08 PM

Ben Stokes speaks

The most pleas thing for us is that we didn't go away from our values as a team. We were bitterly disappointed after the first game.

It was a great chase and we managed to get over the line relatively easily given India set such a challenging target, It was a better wicket than the first game.

We have chased big totals over the years, we don't fear them, we play positive and if we get stuck we always encourage our players to take the positive option.

It was great we were able to go out and express ourselves in the way we always try to do.

If the spinners come on that is my match-up to take the risk and let Jonny do his thing. He's in unbelievable form. The way Jonny and Jason score is amazing, they're the best in the world in my opinion, to have those twos is fantastic.

Always good to go to the last game with the series on the line.

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03:57 PM

OVER 43.3: ENG 337/4 (Malan 16 Livingstone 27)

One giant leap - five runs - towards a trouncing come when Thakur's bouncer climbs over the keeper and goes for four byes. No ball on height.

Malan pulls the next short ball for two - should have been one but poor Kuldeep misfields and England win by six wickets with 39 balls to spare.

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03:52 PM

OVER 43: ENG 330/4 (Malan 14 Livingstone 27)

England inch closer to the series-tying victory with a Prasidh wide. Malan works a single through midwicket. Stokes, Roy and Bairstow have given them the gift of time and there's no need to rush. Good yorkers from Parsidh who finishes with 10-0-63-1.

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03:47 PM

OVER 42: ENG 328/4 (Malan 13 Livingstone 27)

Bhuvi will bowl out. Livingstone drills a drive down to long on for a single, Malan uses his edge again to pick up a four through third man after flashing hard. Malan whips two off his pads and then one off his shoelaces.

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03:45 PM

OVER 41: ENG 320/4 (Malan 6 Livingstone 26)

Prasidh hits Livingstone in the box with a short ball and he limps a leg-bye. Only another single off the over, Malan fiddling one off the edge through third man.

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03:39 PM

OVER 40: ENG 318/4 (Malan 5 Livingstone 26)

Kumar belatedly returns and it's too much, too little, too late. His first two balls are deposited into the stands. Livingstone takes a stride down and drives a length ball to long on for six. Kumar goes for the bouncer that did for Kumar and Livingstone pulls him high for another. Didn't roll his wrists. Didn't have to. LL of Lanky, Lanky, Lanky, Lanky Lancashire, then works single to long on. Malan clips a single off the top edge to point, Kohli lets Livingstone's back-foot drive through cover for a single.

Big appeal off the last ball and India review when Malan is struck on the back leg in front of middle and off. But it pitched outside leg.

England need 20 off 60.

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03:33 PM

OVER 39 ENG 302/4 (Malan 4 Livingstone 12)

Virat is now going to give Kuldeep his final over. Seems a bit lax by the captain. This match is not going to last 50 overs whoever wins it. Livingstone swivels on to the short ball and pulls it hard for four and they sensibly nurdle and nudge three more singles after the boundary.

Bizarre tactics from Kohli.

England need 35 off 66 balls.

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03:30 PM

OVER 38 ENG 295/4 (Malan 3 Livingstone 6)

Kohli has taken Kumar off and brought back Krunal Pandya. India have taken their foot off the throat and the two new batsmen milk the expensive left-arm orthodox spinner for five singles and a two.

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03:27 PM

OVER 37 ENG 288/4 (Malan 1 Livingstone 1)

Two wickets in four balls should not spook England too much. India may think they have a glimmer of hope but they still have six overs of left-arm spin to get through and Thakur's been expensive too. Famous last words after Tuesday's collapse ...

Livingstone, on debut, defends his first off the front foot and fends the last ball off the over round the corner for a single.

India need 48 off 78.

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03:23 PM

Wicket!!

Buttler b Prasidh 0 Brilliant yorker, Quite unplayable, reverse swinging into off stump. FOW 287/4

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03:20 PM

Wicket!!

Bairstow c Kohli b Parsidh 124 Good catch. Bairstow nailed the drive but the captain was perfectly placed to take it to his left. FOW 287/3

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03:18 PM

OVER 36 ENG 287/2 (Bairstow 124 Malan 1)

Stokes walks away after his 52-ball 99, raising his eyes to the heavens. Shrewd delivery from India's wiliest and best bowler. Huge laughing appeal from India. Enter Malan who gets off the mark with a single off a leading edge.

Kumar, by contrast with the carnage around him, has 8-0-40-1.

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03:14 PM

Wicket!!

Stokes c Pant b Kumar 99 Slow legside bouncer. Stokes is surprised by the pace, perhaps, and gloves it through when he went for the hook. FOW 285/2

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03:13 PM

Rohit Sharma has hurt his shoulder

He was trying to stop a boundary and seems to have jarred his left arm.

After treatment he seems all right.

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03:12 PM

OVER 35 ENG 281/1 (Bairstow 123 Stokes 95)

Jonny has his eye in, though, and the formerly comparatively miserly Prasidh erves up a bouncer but had overstepped. Bairstow slices the free hit over cover for six, his seventh. Prasidh tries for the yorker again, doesn't land it and Bairstow torpedoes the full toss back over the bowler's head for four. He tries the slow bouncer next and Bairstow pulls it for four.

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03:12 PM

NOT OUT

Bairstow chiselled the ball into the blockhole before it jumped up for Pant to catch.

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03:11 PM

Third umpire check for a catch

Looked like a bump ball.

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03:07 PM

OVER 34 ENG 266/1 (Bairstow 109 Stokes 95)

Now it's Krunal's turn to take his medicine. He has gone from 37 off his first four overs. Stokes sits deep in his crease and thrashes the left-arm spinner's first ball for six, watches a wide go by then carves the next ball over cover for four. Too short, too wide. Krunal keeps tossing it out wide, Stokes hammers two off one that would have been called had he left it, leaves the next one, which is called wide and then ... when Krunal comes round the wicket, Stokes slog sweeps it and Kuldeep tips it over the bar for six at deep fine leg. The fifth ball is flayed to cow corner for the third six of the over and he gleans two off the last one off an edge through Pant's legs.

Krunal Pandya has 5-0-65-0. Stokes has 95 off 50 balls, with 10 sixes and three fours.

India turn back to Kumar who has three overs left.

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03:00 PM

OVER 33 ENG 238/1 (Bairstow 109 Stokes 69)

Poor Kuldeep, who bowls too slow for this pitch, continues and Stokes drops to one knee and hammers him for a sky-scraping six, his fifth. Kohli's face is a picture as he goes to talk to Kuldeep. All the field adjustments make no difference as Stokes again drops to one knee to nail another one over long on. Make that three in three. This is a career-ending tonking for Kuldeep who tosses another up and Stokes stays on his feet to thrash it back over the bowler's head.

Somehow, after long consultations with Virat and KL, he gets out of the over with only a single off the last two balls by bowling wider. Stokes slaps it for a single to cover.

England need 99 off 102.

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02:53 PM

OVER 32 ENG 218/1 (Bairstow 108 Stokes 50)

Bagchi here after that interlude from Marcus. On come the drinks at the end of the 31st over. England have 19 overs, 114 balls to knock off 126. Only three or four wickets can save India now.

Thakur resumes with his seventh over. Rohit led the huddle at the break. Bairstow taps a single through the covers, Stokes brings up his 50 off 40 balls with a straight drive that hits the bowler in his followthrough and deflects enough to allow a tight single.

Thakur drops short and Bairstow fetches it from a fifth-stump line and absolutely collared it through midwicket for four.

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02:44 PM

OVER 31 ENG 211/1 (Bairstow 102 Stokes 49)

What a way to bring up your ton and the team's 200! Jonny Bairstow sniffs a half-volley from Yadav and hoiks it far over midwicket for the maximum. Wonderful innings from Bairstow, he's been relentless and bullied India's bowlers. That's his 11th ODI century.

Next shot he goes again and it was in the slot, but he mistimes this one and it's just a single. Then Stokes goes big back over Yadav's head for six. Two balls later, it's four more through midwicket to bring up the 100 partnership.

England need 126 off 114 balls and are starting to accelerate as the Kohli/Hardik brain trust looks concerned.

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02:38 PM

OVER 30 ENG 194/1 (Bairtsow 95 Stokes 39)

Change of bowling, on comes Thakur. Stokes edges one down the third man attempting a wild cut shot, but he gets four anyway. Bairstow then chips a half-shot back to Thakur but it drops just short of the bowler.

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02:33 PM

OVER 29 ENG 188/1 (Bairstow 94 Stokes 34)

Yadav continues and after a couple of tight deliveries, tosses up a pie which Bairstow promptly swats away into the seats over midwicket.

England are a touch behind the run rate at this stage, but won't panic, knowing they still have north of 20 overs and nine wickets in hand.

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02:30 PM

OVER 28: ENG 180/1 (Bairstow 82 Stokes 33)

Kumar serves a rare one up in the slot and Jonny Bairstow gorges on it, pumping it through mid-off for four. Bhuvneshwar chastises himself and resumes normal service with four dot balls.

Marcus will be here for the next couple of overs.

England need 157 from 132 balls.

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02:27 PM

OVER 27: ENG 175/1 (Bairstow 82 Stokes 33)

No wonder Virat Kohli grimaces. The third umpire apparently said he couldn't be sure that the bat was not grounded behind the line. A bit of ODI mid-innings torpor sets in, Bairstow's demolition job of a pull for four off Kuldeep notwithstanding. The wrist-spinner ends the over by fizzing one past Stokes's edge and he growls uncharacteristically at Stokes. Where's Peter Sellers? The mouse that roared.

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02:21 PM

OVER 26: ENG 170/1 (Bairstow 77 Stokes 33)

India's best bowler starts with four dot balls giving Bairstow no freedom to drive or pull. Then there's a glimmer of width and Bairstow cracks a drive to the cover sweeper and walks a single. Stokes ends the over by closing the face on a drive. Kuldeeep throws down the stumps from long on. Where's Stokes' bat? Looks on the line rather than behind it. He was worried about the throw hitting him and just plonked his bat down rather than sliding it in aggressively.

It's given not out. I think he was out.

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02:16 PM

OVER 25: ENG 167/1 (Bairstow 76 Stokes 31)

If Hardik isn't fit enough to bowl, Kohli is stuck with the five he has already used. He shuffles the same old pack again and plumps for Thakur who rewards his captain with a tight over, beating Stokes with the kind of cutter that left-handers hate. Earlier in the over Bairstow whisked two off his legs and drove a single through cover.

Kohli is forced to bring Bhuvneshwar Kumar back.

England need 170 from 150 balls (6.68 per over).

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02:10 PM

OVER 24: ENG 164/1 (Bairstow 73 Stokes 31)

Krunal ties England down with a couple of dot balls meaning only four runs come off the first five deliveries, Bairstow taking two of them with a one-handed pull to deep midwicket. But with one bound Stokes is free, snapping the manacles by latching on to the shorter ball, delivered because the bowler was afraid of the slog sweep. Stokes stays tall, pivots and flogs it over midwicket for six.

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02:06 PM

OVER 23: ENG 154/1 (Bairstow 70 Stokes 24)

Excellent again from Bairstow who pulls Prasidh off his hips with a dainty little piriouette for four then murders a straight drive for another.

England need 183 from 162 balls.

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02:02 PM

OVER 22: ENG 142/1 (Bairstow 59 Stokes 23)

Krunal continues and England continue to hustle singles, one also coming off a wide, until Stokes ends the over by climbing into Krunal's drag down and firing it into orbit over midwicket for six with a monstrous pull.

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01:56 PM

OVER 21: ENG 130/1 (Bairstow 56 Stokes 16)

Kohli has had enough of the spin twins, at least in tandem. He brings back Prasidh and he begins his second spell with three dot balls to Stokes. These two batsmen are like impalas and they turn a single into the tightest of twos when Stokes cuffs it through midwicket off the back foot.

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01:52 PM

OVER 20: ENG 128/1 (Bairstow 56 Stokes 14)

Stokes finds his range, withdrawing his front leg to launch Krunal, turning in to the left-hander, over wide long on for a steepling six. He cuts and pulls singles either side of Bairstow's push to mid-on for another.

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01:50 PM

OVER 19: ENG 118/1 (Bairstow 54 Stokes 6)

Left-arm spin from both ends, one turning the ball away from the right-hander, the other turning it in. Bairstow is sent back by Stokes when calling for another homicidal single and they manage only two off the over.

England need 219 off 186 balls.

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01:47 PM

OVER 18: ENG 116/1 (Bairstow 53 Stokes 5)

Krunal comes on and Stokes throws the bat outside off. It takes a thick edge and flies where slip would normally stand down to third man for two. England regroup with three more singles.

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01:43 PM

OVER 17: ENG 111/1 (Bairstow 52 Stokes 1)

After slaking his thirst, Bairstow matches Roy by raising his fifty with a six, smashing it over long-on for six.

Rohit runs out Roy by, I think, stealth. The way Rohit took it made it seem as though the ball was past him.

Stokes pads up to Kuldeep's googly. India review - looked not at all close despite not playing a shot. And so it proves. India lose a review.

Nelson!

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01:37 PM

Wicket!!

Roy run out 55 Superb from Rohit at short midwicket. Bairstow called it, Roy hesitated and they just about crossed by the time Rohit had lobbed it to Pant to dislodge the bails. FOW 110/1

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01:34 PM

OVER 16: ENG 102/0 (Roy 55 Bairstow 44)

Bairstow begins the 16th over with a pair of sixes, clearing his front leg to chip a lofted drive with little followthrough over long-on and then flicking a good length ball on middle over deep backward square with a flick of his right wrist. They bring up their 13th century stand with a Bairstow drive to long on for one. There is no partnership like it.

On come the drinks.

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01:28 PM

OVER 15: ENG 87/0 (Roy 54 Bairstow 30)

Fifty for Roy off 48 balls when he doesn't pick the googly but collared it anyway, carting it over midwicket, no' but just, for six. Four singles follow as England follow the winning template in a chase of a boundary early in the over followed by a milking session.

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01:25 PM

OVER 14: ENG 77/0 (Roy 46 Bairstow 28)

Blimey! Bairstow is understandably beaten by one from Thakur that takes off from back of a length and sears away from his bat as he tried to thrash it through cover but the very next ball is deposited for six over long-on. Roy began the over with two filched off his pads and a streaky single off a leading edge through point as he closed the face too soon.

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01:21 PM

OVER 13: ENG 68/0 (Roy 43 Bairstow 22)

England milk three singles off the first four balls of Kuldeep's second over. But that's their lot, barring a wide which he disputes, arguing that Bairstow gloved it when trying to sweep.

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01:15 PM

OVER 12: ENG 64/0 (Roy 41 Bairstow 21)

Thakur starts by spraying a wide down the legside, then finds a good length, short of good. Bairstow eases an in-drive for a single to long-on, Roy biffs one through cover.

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01:11 PM

OVER 11: ENG 61/0 (Roy 40 Bairstow 20)

Spin. Kohli has two left-armers and plumps for the wrist-spinner Kuldeep first. Roy hammers a single off the back foot through mid-off. Bairstow is trapped on the right leg when sweeping but the ball was missing off and Kuldeep's high-pitched appeal dies in his throat. Bairstow pinches the strike for once, pulling Kuldeep's regulation, one-per-over short ball to deep backward square for a single.

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01:05 PM

OVER 10: ENG 59/0 (Roy 39 Bairstow 19)

First change for India. Shardul Thakur, who bamboozles the left-handers with his cutters and slower balls, comes on to the right-handed openers. He starts with three dot balls because Bairstow's attacking shots are too close to the fielders. Thakur then gift-wraps a flaccid short ball and Bairstow pulls it witheringly over midwicket for four. The last ball, too, is dispatched to the rope by Bairstow off a lovely back-foot punch, smeared through the covers.

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01:01 PM

OVER 9: ENG 51/0 (Roy 39 Bairstow 11)

Prolonged lbw appeal from Kumar when he pins Bairstow coming forward. Michael Atherton thinks it was close but India do not review and ball-tracking shows it would have been umpire's call had they done so. Bairstow follows up with a boundary, tickling Bhuvi's inswinger for four.

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12:56 PM

OVER 8: ENG 46/0 (Roy 39 Bairstow 6)

The short-arm pull has been a productive shot for Roy today and he he uses it to cuff another single off Prasidh. Bairstow plays tip and run to mid-off's right and Roy ends the over by larruping the ball over cover for four. He just leant back and smashed it, giving it more vertical distance than horizontal, so much so that it plugged on landing and crept over the rope.

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12:50 PM

OVER 7: ENG 40/0 (Roy 34 Bairstow 5)

Roy is being mean to keep Bairstow keen, having nicked the strike off the last ball of the over. Bhuvi serves up a big inswinger that is called wide - smart stop by Pant - and bangs the next one in. Roy leans back and uppercuts it brilliantly for four. Kumar pitches the next one up and Roy plays an even better stroke, a stand and deliver punch through mid-on for four more. Roy flicks the last ball round the corner to farm the strike once more. Bairstow has faced 34 balls, Jonny eight.

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12:44 PM

OVER 6: ENG 30/0 (Roy 25 Bairstow 5)

Roy decides Parsidh must go, pulling his first ball through midwicket for four and his second, arrowed into his thigh, through square leg for another. England's opener wears the next, his third pull in succession, when it comes off the bottom edge and hits his thighpad. Prasidh sticks with the shorter stuff and Roy, having lined him up, pulls again, with more control and much finer for his third four.

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12:40 PM

OVER 5: ENG 17/0 (Roy 12 Bairstow 5)

Bairstow gets off the mark with a blacksmith's pull, rolling his wrists and clubbing it from outside off between midwicket and mid-on for four. He works a single off his pads and next ball says to Roy, 'It's OK mate, it's a good shot', when he drills a drive to mid-off for no reward.

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12:37 PM

OVER 4: ENG 10/0 (Roy 10 Bairstow 0)

Roy, again, beaten all ends up by movement, pops one off the leading edge that falls just short of a diving Kohli at cover. After another attempted strike-rotator is thwarted by good fielding at midwicket, Roy creams a straight drive for four then advances and has to improvise hastily by shovelling the ball to mid-off for a single, having almost yorked himself. Again he takes on Hardik's arm and would have been out had there been a direct hit.

Now it's Bairstow's turn to be thwarted as a thunderous drive hits Prasidh's foot in his followthrough and deflects to cover, stopping him nicking even a single.

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12:32 PM

OVER 3: ENG 5/0 (Roy 5 Bairstow 0)

England have begun in the fashion of India, constrained by very good bowling and not, as yet, risking any of their habitual expansive blows at the start of the innings. Bhuvi's movement is causing all sorts of problems for Roy, beating him twice on the drive with one that angles in and straightens, the other tempts him on to the back foot but he swishes and misses. Once again, a single off the last ball is England's only gleaning and that was tight, a tip and run to mid off that would have sawn Roy off had Hardik hit the non-striker's stumps.

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12:27 PM

OVER 2: ENG 4/0 (Roy 4 Bairstow 0)

Prasidh Krishan, who fought back cleverly after an early mauling in the first ODI, takes the other new ball. He starts with five dot balls as Roy is stymied by the offside ring. Good length, verging on the full. It's only when he drops short with the last ball that Roy gets away, tucking a single off his hip.

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12:23 PM

OVER 1 ENG 3/0 (Roy 3 Bairstow 0)

Jason Roy gets off the mark first ball by closing the face on an outswinger and running two to square leg. Bhuvneshwar Kumar swings it both ways and Roy clips an inswinger for a single to mid-on. Bairstow is cramped by the infield and plays out the last three balls of the over with pushes, no width, as yet, to climb into.

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12:02 PM

Good morning

England are going to need Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy, who have been in 46 ODI partnerships together, averaging 57.08, to go big from the start, targeting a 13th hundred stand, I think, to have any real chance here. They do look better balanced at No5 and 6 with two right-handers in Buttler and Livingstone following Stokes and Malan, but England depend so much on their openers I doubt they can climb Everest without a flying start.

Reece Topley did well on his overdue return, Rashid's figures were ruined by Buttler dropping Kohli early but the Currans and Stokes bowled poorly.

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11:51 AM

England need 337 to win

A textbook innings from India's batsmen there, they built slowly before accelerating in the final 15 overs. Rishabh Pant's 77 off 40 deliveries produced fireworks, while Rahul's methodical 108 provided India with a much needed anchor.

England will have to start well as this presents a formidable challenge to hunt down at a run rate of 6.74.

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11:48 AM

OVER 50 IND 336/6 (Krunal 12* Thakur 0*)

Topley will take the ball for the final over, using the slower ball to good effect, keeping the brothers to singles from the first three deliveries. However, Hardik eventually times one and cracks it through the covers for four.

Thakur emerges without a helmet as Krunal gets two from the final ball. Credit Topley he managed to put a plaster on the knife wound delivered by India's middle order in his last two overs.

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11:47 AM

WICKET!!

Hardik Pandya c Roy b Topley 35. A knuckleball into the surface for the penultimate delivery of the innings sees Hardik skew one up to deep mid-off and Roy collects. Second wicket from Topley, he's bowled well. FOW 334/6

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11:43 AM

OVER 49 IND 327/5 (Hardik 30* Krunal 8*)

Tom Curran will bowl out. Hardik bops him over mid-off, six more. Krunal then gets him for four through the covers.

Expensive from Curran today, particularly at the death despite his two wickets. He's conceded 83.

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11:38 AM

OVER 48 IND 313/5 (Hardik 23* Krunal 2*)

England are sorely missing their regular death bowlers today, the Curran brothers can't find their length. In comes Topley and he gets Hardik to edge the first ball. It carries to Buttler but he fumbles and then can't gather the rebound. Another drop for the keeper that could prove costly if Hardik gets another ten or so runs.

Good over from Topley, just 4 off it.

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11:32 AM

OVER 47 IND 309/5 (Hardik 21* Krunal 0*)

How has Pant found the boundary with that?! He slices a shot one-handed a mile wide of off stump, but he's so strong that it just keeps carrying all the way over backward point. 300 up for India and they're showing no sign of slowing down.

Hardik then pulls one away for six more, his third in five deliveries. The poor Curran brothers look a little bereft of ideas, despite getting Pant. Three overs to enjoy the Pandya brothers together.

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11:31 AM

WICKET!!

Pant c Roy b T Curran 77. So ends a wonderful innings from Rishabh Pant. He slices another towards backward point and this time he can't muscle it all the way. Jason Roy seems to misjudge the flight a bit and has to make a sliding catch but he hangs on. After review, he clearly got his hands under the ball. Pandya brother to centre stage FOW 308/5

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11:26 AM

OVER 46 IND 294/4 (Pant 70* Pandya 13*)

Curran and Curran in the attack. Sam bowls one short to Hardik Pandya and the big hitter wastes no time, dispatching the first delivery he faces into the midwicket seats. Curran bunces back well with a nice yorker.

Pant then goes one-handed for six over mid-off, some ridiculous power on that slower ball to send it that far.

Pandya then flicks a low full toss off his pads over midwicket for six more. Sixes and singles, 21 from the over.

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11:19 AM

OVER 45 IND 273/4 (Pant 63* Hardik 0*)

It's a switch of ends for Tom Curran as England look desperate to stop the bleeding. They need three rapid wickets here really to keep this score down, as the hard hitting Pandya brothers are still lurking with their pads on.

England have lost their length in recent overs, too many full tosses or in the slot. Curran eventually gets Rahul, but the run rate keeps climbing

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11:18 AM

WICKET!!

Rahul c Topley b T Curran 108. What a wonderful knock from Rahul, a pleasure to watch that. He tries to go big again with a hook and he was half a beat late. Topley waiting on the rope has an easy catch down his throat. Here comes Hardik, I don't see the run rate slowing down despite that wicket. FOW 271/3

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11:12 AM

OVER 44 IND 267/3 (Rahul 106* Pant 59*)

Sam Curran comes on to replace brother Tom and is promptly nudged away for a single by Rahul to bring up his ton. Outstanding innings, he's back to form after a tough T20 series. He began his innings methodically, providing a good ballast for Pant and Kohli but he's accelerated his scoring in the last seven overs.

Later in the over, Rahul drills one right under Curran's feet for four more. That's 63 runs in the last 30 balls.

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11:06 AM

OVER 43 IND 257/3 (Rahul 99* Pant 57*)

Pant's 50 has come from just 28 balls. Stokes to continue despite leaking runs as India are nudging the run rate up to near 6 an over now.

Stokes has changed his line and looks to go wide of off stump, but he's a fraction off with his length and Pant destroys it for six more over mid off. Another powerful maximum, India are well set for at least 300 again.

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11:01 AM

OVER 42 IND 247/3 (Rahul 97* Pant 50*)

Tom Curran to continue. England's bowlers have gone for 10.25 in the four overs prior to this one.

This time, it's Rahul who clears the rope over cover, before pulling one past square leg for four. Pant looks to pull Tom Curran away but misses it and it spoons straight in the air. Buttler takes the catch but Pant reviews immediately again and DRS shows it's come off his forearm. Not out.

Pant capitalises on his reprieve and smashes one over the rope over midwicket. Pant then goes down to fine leg for four more and he reaches 50.

Another extremely expensive over 22 from it.

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10:53 AM

OVER 41 IND 225/3 (Rahul 86* Pant 40*)

Stokes back into the attack as we enter the third powerplay. Pant hoiks him down to backwards square leg and it flies like an arrow over the top of the turf for six. He goes again over mid-on and goes back-to-back.

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10:49 AM

OVER 40 IND 210/4 (Rahul 84* Pant 27*)

Tom Curran returns to the attack after a strong first spell earlier in the day. Pant cuts him away through cover for four, he's starting to move through the gears now. That shot brings up the 50 partnership in just 44 balls for these two. Pant then takes a wild hack at one wide of off stump and nearly nicks one to Buttler. Next ball, he goes to reverse sweep one and it runs away for four. The umpire thinks he's missed it and gives him out LBW but the review shows he clearly hit it. However, due to the review being used, it's been called a dead ball and no runs given. Confusing set of decisions there.

10 overs left, this is where Pandya and Rahul stamped on the gas and posted over a ton in the first game.

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10:42 AM

OVER 39 IND 203/3 (Rahul 82* Pant 22*)

Rahul tries to pull Topley away, but mishits it. Pant times the final ball down to midwicket for four.

The run rate is now comfortably up above 5 an over as India cross 200 with 11 overs left. That's the quickest of the four 50s for India, coming in just 47 deliveries.

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10:38 AM

OVER 38 IND 194/3 (Rahul 79* Pant 17*)

Pant tries to take Rashid on down to long-on but mistimes it and it drops short of the fielder down there. He does get him on the final ball of the over, getting down on one knee and smashing one over midwicket for six.

Slightly expensive today Rashid but he won the battle against Kohli once again. He'll be relatively pleased with his work.

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10:34 AM

OVER 37 IND 184/3 (Rahul 77* Pant 9*)

Topley back into the attack, you'd expect he'll sling some bouncers down to Pant and try and unnerve him early. Rahul pulls him away and it lands right at the base of the boundary rope. It goes upstairs to the third umpire and it's four runs.

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10:28 AM

OVER 36 IND 176/3 (Rahul 71* Pant 7*)

Rashid on for his penultimate over, he too will bowl out by the looks of it. With the Pandya brothers still left to come, you'd expect India will look to stamp on the gas in the next five to ten overs to get themselves to 280/300 if they go early.

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10:22 AM

OVER 35 IND 173/3 (Rahul 68* Pant 6*)

Ali will bowl out. Pant and Rahul are following much the same strategy as when Kohli was at the crease, working singles through the leg side in particular. That brings up the final drinks break of the innings.

Decent day at the office for Ali, no wickets but, he's only gone for 4.7 an over.

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10:18 AM

OVER 34 IND 169/3 (Rahul 67* Pant 4*)

Wicket taker Rashid back on for his eighth straight. A full toss on Pant's legs isn't punished and it's an economical over.

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10:14 AM

OVER 33 IND 164/3 (Rahul 65* Pant 1*)

Ali on for his ninth over as he looks to dig out some turn against the new batsman. Slip in as England chase a second wicket. Rahul smacks one through extra cover for four, the first boundary Ali has conceded so far today.

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10:10 AM

OVER 32 IND 158/3 (Rahul 60* Pant 0*)

Rahul comes trotting down the track and absolutely cracks one back over Rashid's head for a maximum, his first of the afternoon. That brings up the 150 for India.

But the big man falls on the final ball of the over and out strides the big hitter Rishabh Pant.

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10:09 AM

WICKET!!!

Kohli c Buttler b Rashid 66. Big break-through at last for England! It's a very similar ball and shot that saw Buttler drop Kohli about ten overs ago, but this time he snares the outside edge and Kohli walks. England were in desperate need of that and Rashid finally has his man.

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10:05 AM

OVER 31 IND 149/2 (Rahul 52* Kohli 65*)

Rahul works a single down to mid-on for his 50. Despite just three boundaries, he's worked a methodical innings to provide an anchor for Kohli. Good knock, he hasn't scored slowly either, as it comes off 66 balls.

His 50 to 100 conversion rate is 40 per cent, with 10 half centuries and 4 centuries to his name in ODIs.

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10:01 AM

OVER 30 IND 142/2 (Rahul 49* Kohli 61*)

Rashid continues, Buttler thinks the spin is the way to go in the middle overs still. Three singles from this one

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09:58 AM

OVER 29 IND 139/2 (Rahul 47* Kohli 60*)

Ali continues for the 11th straight over of spin. Buttler must be thinking about changing things up here as these two have looked relatively untroubled in that time.

The 100 partnership is now up off 119 balls.

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09:55 AM

OVER 28 IND 135/2 (Rahul 45* Kohli 58*)

Kohli punished a poor ball down leg from Rashid for the first maximum of the day, a hoik down to cow corner that finds the seats. Rahul looks happy to keep the runs flowing from the other end via the single.

India now approaching 5 an over, with the partnership up to 98.

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09:52 AM

OVER 27 IND 126/2 (Rahul 44* Kohli 50*)

Ali continues in the middle overs. Kohli and Rahul are happy with singles here, while England are starting to like a modicum tetchy in the field. They can feel the pressure after a strong start.

Kohli brings up his half century with a single down to mid on, the 62nd 50 of his ODI career. He goes on to make a ton about 2/3rds of the time, as he's hit 43 centuries in his ODI career.

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09:49 AM

OVER 26 IND 121/2 (Rahul 42* Kohli 47*)

Rashid for his fourth, England could really do with a wicket here to break India's creeping momentum. Rahul chops the final ball of the over through backward point for four, the first boundary in six overs.

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09:46 AM

OVER 25 IND 112/2 (Rahul 36* Kohli 44*)

Ali on for the fifth of his spell. Both batsmen are using their feet well to navigate a turning pitch. Neither has looked particularly troubled aside from that one edge from Kohli three overs back.

India are set up nicely for the second half of their innings here although that run rate will need to accelerate.

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09:42 AM

OVER 24 IND 108/2 (Rahul 34* Kohli 42*)

Rashid continues for his third. The run rate is now nudging up above 4.5 as we get close to the halfway stage. You'd think these two will now look to start to accelerate in the next five overs or so, they have their eye in and both are moving towards half centuries.

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09:39 AM

OVER 23 IND 103/2 (Rahul 32* Kohli 39*)

Ton up for the hosts. These two keep rotating the strike well against the spin.

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09:37 AM

OVER 22 IND 99/2 (Rahul 31* Kohli 36*)

Kohli looks to keep attacking Rashid, but Buttler has his field well placed and the India skipper can't find the boundary through the covers. Rashid comes back by sneaking a straighter one past Kohli's outside edge. The India captain nicked it but Buttler's reactions were dreadful and he doesn't get close to it. That was a big chance to halt India's momentum, and Rashid looks irritated.

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09:34 AM

OVER 21 IND 94/2 (Rahul 29* Kohli 33*)

Kohli with some aggressive running as he gets Rahul to scramble back for two when a single looked the only option.

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09:30 AM

OVER 20 IND 90/2 (Rahul 26* Kohli 32*)

Rashid comes in for Tom Curran, as Buttler looks to double up the spinners for a spell. Rahul crashes a cover drive to the boundary to bring up the 50 partnership off 65 deliveries.

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09:27 AM

OVER 19 IND 83/2 (Rahul 20* Kohli 31*)

Kohli comes down the track to Ali and goes with the spin to work it through the leg side. The partnership for these two is approaching 50 as they've stabilised the India innings. With some big hitting to come down the middle order, this match is well poised.

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09:23 AM

OVER 18 IND 77/2 (Rahul 17* Kohli 28*)

Tom Curran into his fifth over of his spell. He continues to cramp Rahul up by bowling into the body, not much to work with. Outstanding spell from Curran, he's gone for less than four on over. Rahul is struggling to score here, his strike rate is hovering around 50.

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09:21 AM

OVER 17 IND 75/2 (Rahul 16* Kohli 27*)

Moeen Ali into the attack after drinks. Kohli has ditched the helmet and looks to work Ali through the leg side but another disciplines over from England.

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09:12 AM

OVER 16 IND 72/2 (Rahul 14* Kohli 26*)

Tom Curran continues into the fourth over of his spell. Kohli and Rahul starting to find their rhythm and rotate the strike nicely now.

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09:08 AM

OVER 15 IND 66/2 (Rahul 11* Kohli 23*)

Wild full toss from Stokes, up round Kohli's hip outside the off stump. It surprised Kohli so much, he barely wafted at it. Rahul then digs a yorker out from under his bat to squirrel one away, splitting Buttler and Bairstow at first slip. No dot balls in that over from Stokes, India starting to get moving again.

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09:02 AM

OVER 14 IND 56/2 (Rahul 5* Kohli 20*)

Kohli comes charging down the wicket again and Curran switches the line at the last second. It catches Kohli by surprise and he nicks one off the inside edge that evades the stumps and Buttler and somehow runs away from four. Very fortunate for the India skipper, he was caught in no man's land.

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08:57 AM

OVER 13 IND 50/2 (Rahul 4* Kohli 16*)

Aside from one loose Topley over, England's seamers have so far done an outstanding job of bowling a disciplined line and are varying their length superbly. Very little for Rahul and Kohli to hit here.

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08:53 AM

OVER 12 IND 47/2 (Rahul 2* Kohli 15*)

Kohli comes down the wicket to Tom Curran, he's looking to try and take the short ball out of the equation and get this run rate moving a bit. No boundary in the last 18 deliveries for India as the run rate dips below 4.

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08:49 AM

OVER 11 IND 45/2 (Rahul 1* Kohli 14*)

Stokes into the attack replacing Sam Curran. Good fielding from Roy at backward point prevents a boundary.

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08:44 AM

OVER 10 IND 41/2 (Rahul 0* Kohli 11*)

Tom Curran comes on to replace Topley and is promptly dispatched to the boundary by Kohli with an on-drive. That's the end of the power play, advantage England you'd say.

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08:40 AM

OVER 9 IND 37/2 (Rahul 0* Kohli 7*)

Sam Curran comes back on for his fifth. He finds an absolute gem that *just* misses Kohli's outside edge before taking Rohit's wicket.

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08:37 AM

WICKET!!!

Rohit c Rashid b Curran 25. Rohit looks to flick another one off his pads, but he gets under it slightly and this time Rashid is waiting at backward square leg to take a relatively easy catch. The good start from England continues. FOW 37/2

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08:34 AM

OVER 8 IND 36/1 (Rohit 25* Kohli 6*)

Lovely shot from Rohit, he catches a Topley half-volley off his feet and flicks it away past deep midwicket for four. He then cuts a bouncer outside off for four more through point. After a wonderful start, Topley's last few deliveries have been loose, he's lost his length slightly. A third four of the over comes via the pull, as Topley's bouncer drifts down leg this time.

Expensive over, 12 from it.

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08:30 AM

OVER 7 IND 24/1 (Rohit 13* Kohli 6*)

Curran continues, Kohli flicks one off his pads for four down to fine leg. According to Sky, Kohli has scored 17 per cent of his boundaries sine 2016 using that little flick. He's only scored more four's via the cover drive.

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08:26 AM

OVER 6 IND 18/1 (Rohit 12* Kohli 1*)

Topley continues to vary his length, mixing in the occasional yorker around the short balls. A big LBW appeal on Rohit is turned down by the umpire and England decline to take it to DRS. Pitching a fraction outside leg and probably sliding down as well, good decision.

The final ball is the first loose delivery of the over, a full toss outside off which Rohit spanks away through the covers for four.

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08:22 AM

OVER 5 IND 13/1 (Rohit 8* Kohli 0*)

Rohit punches a beautiful off drive away for four, the first boundary of the day. Excellent start from Curran and Topley with the ball so far, the run rate is just 2.6.

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08:19 AM

OVER 4 IND 9/1 (Rohit 4* Kohli 0*)

England's change of approach to Dhawan with the ball has worked a treat and they take an important early wicket through Topley. Just two of the over as well

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08:18 AM

WICKET!!

Dhawan c Stokes b Topley 4. Topley finally tempts Dhawan into a swing outside off and he can't pick the late movement off the seam. He edges one to Ben Stokes at second slip who takes a good catch from a rising, fast-moving ball. The dangerman from the first innings is gone with minimal damage. FOW 9/1

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08:12 AM

OVER 3 IND 7/0 (Rohit 3* Dhawan 4*)

The two English left-handers have a clear tactic against Dhawan today, bowling short, moving the ball in with in-swing before moving it off the seam away outside his off-stump. The top scorer from the first match hasn't been tempted so far. Curran gives up just a single.

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08:08 AM

OVER 2 IND 6/0 (Rohit 2* Dhawan 4*)

Reece Topley will partner Curran from the Pavilion End to start. He continues using is partner's tactic, banging in deliveries wide of off-stump. Two singles off the over.

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08:03 AM

OVER 1 IND 4/0 (Rohit 1* Dhawan 3*)

We're underway in sunny Pune, Sam Curran to open things up for England with the ball.

Curran looks to get Dhawan fishing outside his off stump with some tasty swing, but the opener won't bite. The final ball is much closer to his bat and he punches it through the covers for three.

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07:41 AM

A reminder of the teams

Three changes for England, two forced upon them by injury. Eoin Morgan with his right hand and Sam Billings with his collar bone are both out, replaced by Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone, who is making his ODI debut. Mark Wood is also out of the side today, he is replaced by Reece Topley.

One change for the hosts as Shreyas Iyar is out after damaging his shoulder, he is replaced behind the stumps by the lethal Rishabh Pant.

India: R Sharma, S Dhawan, V Kohli (c), KL Rahul, R Pant (wk), H Pandya, K Pandya, S Thakur, B Kumar, K Yadav, P Krishna

England: J Roy, J Bairstow, B Stokes, D Malan, J Buttler (c & wk), L Livingstone, M Ali, S Curran, T Curran, A Rashid, R Topley

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07:36 AM

England win the toss

The tourists will bowl, looking to chase again and try to advantage of the 'dew factor' that will descend later in the evening.

You can read more about how dew effects run chases in white ball day/night cricket here.

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07:30 AM

Good morning!

Rise and shine world! Welcome to our live coverage of the second ODI between India and England from Pune. This is the second of three in this series, and England must win the remaining two to claim victory, after a dramatic middle order batting collapse on Tuesday.

The task will be made all the harder after England received news that captain Eoin Morgan will be out for the rest of the ODI series after suffering a freak injury to his hand. Morgan required stitches after splitting the webbing between his right thumb and index finger during the defeat, and will be replaced as skipper by Jos Buttler. Sam Billings has also been ruled out after spraining his collar bone. He is likely to be replaced by Lancaster’s Liam Livingstone.

“There’s nowhere to hide on the field in international cricket these days, especially in limited-over formats, so it didn’t require any great thought to make myself unavailable,” said Morgan. “It was a freak injury and it’s extremely frustrating but there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s now just a case of letting the cut heal. I have every confidence in Jos and the rest of the squad coping without me.”

England are aware that defeat today and in the series finale would see them fall off their perch as the world’s number one ODI side, a spot they have held for more than three years.

“We look at it from a series point of view and we’d be bitterly disappointed to lose it,” said Ben Stokes. “We deserve to be No 1 because of our results and it’s obviously a fantastic thing to have next to your name as a team, but it’s not our driving force. Our driving force is the way we go about it and our attitude towards playing the game.

“We know we’re a much better team than [Tuesday], but one thing we’ve been very good at is putting previous games to bed quickly, whether that be a successful game or a poor game.”

India set a challenging total of 317 to chase down in the first match. England had kept India’s run rate down well until the final 10 overs when KL Rahul and debutant Krunal Pandya both smashed 50s, Pandya’s in just 26 deliveries. Added on top of Dhawan’s 98 posted in the early overs and India had a formidable position to defend.

Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow appeared to be making light work of that total, as they raced out to 135-0 in the opening 14 overs, playing with belligerence and England’s chase of 318 shaped up to be a breeze. Indeed it was - only for India, as the pulsating opening stand gave way to England losing all ten wickets for only 116 runs.

So prolific has the ODI opening partnership between Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy been in recent years that a century stand between them now seems wholly unremarkable. That England had scored a smidge under 10 runs an over for the first 14 overs of their innings was hugely impressive, but not that out of the ordinary. It is just what Bairstow and Roy do. The eye-watering rate at which they score runs led our very own Ben Bloom to call Roy and Bairstow “probably the best opening pair in ODI history”.