Second ODI, Cardiff

India 233 (44 overs): Iyer 66 (71); Archer 3-47

England 235-6 (44.1 overs): Root 99* (133); Brar 2-67

England won by four wickets

Scorecard

England needed a Joe Root rescue act once again as his 99 not out led a gritty chase of 234 against India in Cardiff to level the one-day international series against India.

With wickets falling around him regularly, Root provided a masterclass in adapting to tricky conditions and led England to their target with 5.5 overs to spare, but was denied a century as Gus Atkinson hit the winning boundary with three runs needed to win.

Root was immediately tasked with rebuilding a chaotic start to the chase after Ben Duckett was dismissed from the first ball of the innings.

Duckett nicked behind off Jasprit Bumrah, Jacob Bethell fell in the same way to Prasidh Krishna for four and after a third-wicket stand of 45, the frenetic captain Harry Brook was out in calamitous fashion trying to ramp over the keeper for 16.

Root was chanceless and held firm after the departures of Sam Curran and Jos Buttler, before he found valuable support in partnerships with Will Jacks and Gus Atkinson to get England over the line in a gripping contest between bat and ball throughout.

Earlier, Virat Kohli had looked in ominous form for his 65 but England’s bowlers fought back brilliantly to take the last seven wickets for just 55 runs as India were bowled out for 233 and crucially left six overs of their innings unused.

The visitors looked on course for an imposing total as Kohli steered them to 178-3 in the 32nd over, but his top edge to deep third off Jofra Archer proved decisive.

The dismissal sparked life into England’s seamers as Saqib Mahmood removed Washington Sundar in the following over, and Archer added Axar Patel and Shivam Dube to his tally to finish with 3-47.

Shreyas Iyer threatened a late rally with his 66 but Atkinson took two wickets in three balls to complete a fine all-round bowling performance – Atkinson finished with 3-50 and Mahmood 2-52.

The series decider takes place at Lord’s on Sunday after England dominated the preceding T20 series 4-0.

Root’s 76 at Edgbaston was in vain but again he was a class above the rest of England’s line-up as their top-order concerns remain.

Though Duckett played unnecessarily at Bumrah, Bethell fell victim to a beauty that lifted off the surface from Krishna. Curran was promoted to five and played nicely for his 26 before he poked behind, and Buttler was bowled trying to slog Axar Patel.

At times, Root struggled to contain his frustration, most visibly when Jacks was caught at cover for 30 with just 37 runs to get, but crucially remained unfazed with the bat.

His 76-ball fifty was the third-slowest of his ODI career, indicative of the conditions and consistency of India’s bowling, but in trademark style he played the ball late and gave his team-mates a lesson in discipline and reading the situation.

In the partnership with Brook, he was the captain’s antithesis. When Brook was swinging, missing, ramping and falling, Root was solid. When Brook wafted, Root left it alone.

He had four from 20 balls at one point before starting to accelerate once he was settled in an innings – and a game – which resembled a far more traditional ODI than the recent trend of run-fests.

Though Atkinson’s late flurry of runs denied Root a 21st century in the format, he finally broke into a smile and leapt to the air in celebration with typical unselfishness as Atkinson pulled Krishna for four.

England needed a response after a poor opener at Edgbaston, but after choosing to bowl first it was an unthreatening start.

Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill added a steady 44 for the first wicket, and a sense of foreboding crept in when the former was dropped on five by Atkinson off Archer’s bowling at fine leg.

Sharma’s curious knock of 26 from 47 balls was eventually ended by Jacks as he top-edged a sweep, which was the only wicket of the innings to fall to spin, and Gill looked in good touch again before Duckett redeemed himself with an excellent catch off a crisply-timed drive at cover.

Ishan Kishan only managed one and the innings was teetering at 111-3 but it was perfectly set up for Kohli to absorb the pressure, rotate the strike and set a platform for his side’s destructive middle to lower order to attack.

But Archer thwarted their plan, as Brook turned back to his strike bowler to make an impact with the game in the balance.

Archer bowled noticeably shorter and one lapse in concentration cost Kohli, who had looked destined for three figures, as he was deceived by the extra bounce, and the same tactic worked for Washington and Axar as they were also caught behind fending away.

Bumrah whacked a six and three fours in his cameo of 20 not out as he showed promise in keeping Shreyas company, but the latter softly prodded behind to Atkinson for a tame end.

Each innings saw two greats of the game master the conditions when few else could, but it was England’s who came out on top.