India led this series 1-0 with two matches to play. They had their two biggest legends back in whites for what could be a farewell 50-over tour of England. And they still lost. Ben Duckett smashed the highest individual ODI score ever recorded at Lord’s, England chased down the series with a 27-run win in the decider, and suddenly a squad built around Kohli and Rohit’s comeback became a squad that couldn’t defend a genuinely competitive final total.
Here’s the complete breakdown of how India’s ODI squad performed across all three matches.
India’s ODI Squad: Who Made the Cut
India named a 15-member squad for the three-match ODI series in England, led by Shubman Gill with Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain. The squad marked the much-anticipated return of both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to the 50-over format after extended breaks, alongside Jasprit Bumrah’s comeback from injury.
India ODI Squad for England Tour 2026
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Shubman Gill (c) | Batter |
| Rohit Sharma | Opener |
| Virat Kohli | Batter |
| Shreyas Iyer (vc) | Batter |
| KL Rahul (wk) | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Ishan Kishan (wk) | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Washington Sundar | Allrounder |
| Axar Patel | Allrounder |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | Allrounder |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Spinner |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Bowler |
| Prasidh Krishna | Bowler |
| Harshit Rana | Bowler |
| Arshdeep Singh | Bowler |
| Gurnoor Brar | Bowler |
Here’s where things go wrong for anyone assuming this squad list stayed fixed throughout the tour. Harshit Rana was ruled out with a hamstring injury before the series and replaced by Prince Yadav, while Shivam Dube was later added to the squad as cover.
What most people miss when they scan a pre-series squad announcement is how often these mid-tour changes end up shaping the actual results Prince Yadav ended up playing multiple matches, including the series decider, a role nobody would have predicted when the original squad was first announced.
England ODI Squad for the Series
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Harry Brook (c) | Captain, batter |
| Jos Buttler (wk) | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Joe Root | Batter |
| Ben Duckett (wk) | Opener |
| Jacob Bethell | Batter |
| Sam Curran | Allrounder |
| Will Jacks | Allrounder |
| Jofra Archer | Bowler |
| Adil Rashid | Spinner |
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1st ODI (Edgbaston): India Draw First Blood
India won the toss and were sent in to bowl by England, who posted 258 all out in 47.5 overs, with Joe Root and Liam Dawson sharing a crucial 121-run seventh-wicket stand to rescue the innings from an early collapse. India’s bowling attack, led by Axar Patel’s four-wicket haul, restricted England to a below-par total.
England Innings: 258 all out (47.5 overs)
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liam Dawson | 68 | 83 | Key middle-order partnership |
| Joe Root | 76 | 76 | Not out, top-scorer |
Bowling: India
| Bowler | Overs | Wickets | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axar Patel | 9.5 | 4 | 62 |
| Prasidh Krishna | 10.0 | 2 | 50 |
Chasing 259, India got home by 6 wickets, with Shubman Gill scoring 80 (retired hurt) and half-centuries from Washington Sundar and Axar Patel sealing a comfortable win.
What people think happened here is that this comfortable opening win signaled a straightforward series ahead for India. The reality, as the next two matches proved, is that a single dominant performance against a below-par England total doesn’t guarantee anything once the hosts find their real form.
Turning point: Axar Patel’s four-wicket haul broke England’s momentum after the Root-Dawson stand, ensuring India never had to chase a genuinely daunting total in the series opener.
2nd ODI (Cardiff): England Level the Series
England captain Harry Brook won the toss and chose to bowl at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. India were bowled out for 233 in 44 overs, with Virat Kohli’s fighting innings the standout contribution.
India Innings: 233 all out (44 overs)
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 65+ | 64+ | Anchored the innings before eventual dismissal |
| Shreyas Iyer | 42 | 37 | Key supporting partnership |
England chased down the target, reaching 235 for 6 in 44.1 overs to win by 4 wickets and level the series at 1-1.
This is a common mistake worth correcting directly: many assumed India’s total of 233 was simply too low, but the reality is this was a genuinely tight, low-scoring contest decided by fine margins rather than a batting collapse.
Turning point: England’s disciplined bowling restricted India well below their Edgbaston total, and their own chase, though not dominant, was composed enough to level the series ahead of the decider at Lord’s.
3rd ODI (Lord’s): Duckett’s Record Seals the Series
England won the toss and elected to bat first in the series decider at the home of cricket. What followed was one of the most explosive innings in ODI history at this venue. Ben Duckett smashed 141 off 135 balls, the highest individual ODI score ever recorded at Lord’s, and his fourth century in the format.
Jacob Bethell added 91, Joe Root finished unbeaten on 74, and Jos Buttler blasted an unbeaten 41 off just 13 balls, propelling England to a mammoth 387 for 3.
England Innings: 387/3 (50 overs)
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Duckett | 141 | 135 | Highest individual ODI score at Lord’s |
| Jacob Bethell | 91 | — | Player of the Match |
| Joe Root | 74 | — | Not out |
| Jos Buttler | 41 | 13 | Not out, explosive finish |
Here’s a genuinely counterintuitive idea worth stating directly: India’s returning veterans delivered exactly when it mattered most in this chase, yet it still wasn’t enough. Rohit Sharma smashed 138 off 110 balls, Shubman Gill scored 77, and Virat Kohli added 74, but India were eventually bowled out for 360, falling 27 runs short of the target.
India Innings: 360/7 (50 overs)
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 138 | 110 | Top-scorer, fell attempting to accelerate |
| Shubman Gill | 77 | 84 | Fell lbw, key foundation innings |
| Virat Kohli | 74 | 60 | Fell to a well-set Sam Curran spell |
What people think happened here is that India’s chase was a batting failure. The reality is 360 in a run-chase is a genuinely outstanding total that would win the vast majority of ODI matches England simply set a target so large that even three individual fifties-plus-centuries from India’s best batters couldn’t complete it. Sam Curran’s crucial spell, dismissing Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, and Kohli in the space of seven balls when India were 303 for 2 and needing 84 from 39 balls, was the moment that actually decided the match.
Turning point: Sam Curran’s seven-ball spell that removed three set or new batters in quick succession, right when India looked genuinely capable of chasing down 388, single-handedly swung the momentum back to England and sealed their 27-run win.
Player Performance Breakdown
| Player | Team | Series Contribution | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Duckett | England | 141 at Lord’s | Highest individual ODI score at the venue, series-defining innings |
| Jacob Bethell | England | 91 at Lord’s, Player of the Match | Central to England’s series-clinching total |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 138 in the decider | Proved returning veterans could still deliver under pressure |
| Sam Curran | England | 4 wickets in the decider | Seven-ball spell that broke India’s chase |
| Axar Patel | India | 4/62 in the 1st ODI | Set up India’s only series win of the tour |
| Virat Kohli | India | 65+ (Cardiff), 74 (Lord’s) | Consistent across the middle order despite the series loss |
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An original observation worth stating plainly: Ben Duckett’s 141 deserves recognition as one of the most significant individual ODI innings of the year, not just because of the runs, but because it came in a series decider against a genuinely strong bowling attack featuring a fit-again Jasprit Bumrah. Records at Lord’s, one of cricket’s most historic and demanding venues, carry extra weight, and this one directly decided a bilateral series between two major cricketing nations.
What This Series Reveals About Both Squads
India’s squad selection, built around the emotional weight of Kohli and Rohit’s ODI comeback, delivered individually strong performances from both veterans, yet the series result shows England’s broader squad depth, particularly Sam Curran’s crucial death-overs bowling and the Bethell-Duckett top order, mattered more than any single returning star. The Harshit Rana injury and subsequent reshuffling of India’s bowling attack likely played a quiet but real role in the extra runs conceded across the series, especially in the decider where death-bowling execution was the difference.
Going forward, India’s team management should prioritize finalizing a settled death-overs bowling unit well before major series rather than relying on late injury replacements, since this exact gap proved costly against a well-drilled England side.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who was in India’s ODI squad for the England tour 2026?
Ans. India’s squad included Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Gurnoor Brar.
Q2. Who won the India vs England ODI series 2026?
Ans. England won the three-match series 2-1, winning the decider at Lord’s by 27 runs after India had won the opener and England leveled it in Cardiff.
Q3. What was Ben Duckett’s score in the 3rd ODI at Lord’s?
Ans. Ben Duckett scored 141 off 135 balls, the highest individual ODI score ever recorded at Lord’s.
Q4. Why was Harshit Rana replaced in India’s ODI squad?
Ans. Harshit Rana was ruled out of the England ODI series due to a hamstring injury and was replaced by Prince Yadav.
Q5. Who was Player of the Match in the India vs England 3rd ODI decider?
Ans. Jacob Bethell was named Player of the Match for his innings of 91, which helped England post 387 for 3 in the series decider.
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