England delivered a batting masterclass at Lord’s on Sunday, posting a record-breaking 387 for 3 in the third and final ODI against India to seize control of the series decider.
The hosts rewrote the record books with the highest List A total ever recorded at Lord’s, eclipsing the previous mark with a dominant display led by Ben Duckett. The left-hander smashed a sensational 141, the highest individual ODI score at the iconic venue, registering his fourth century in the format.
Duckett’s explosive knock also sparked massive interest online, with Google search volume for the England opener crossing 1,00,000 and recording a 1,000% surge in trend.
He found an ideal partner in Jacob Bethell, who continued to justify his promotion to the top of the order with a fluent 91. The duo stitched together a 192-run opening stand, the highest partnership for any wicket against India in ODIs and England’s first century opening stand since Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow added 115 against Bangladesh during the 2023 ODI World Cup.
England’s 387 for 3 is also their highest ODI total against India, putting the visitors under immense pressure in the series decider.
After winning the toss, England captain Harry Brook opted to bat first, a decision that paid rich dividends. India captain Shubman Gill admitted he would have preferred to bowl but the visitors’ depleted attack struggled throughout the innings.
India were without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the match with a knee injury suffered during the second ODI in Cardiff. Washington Sundar was also unavailable because of a hamstring injury. India handed opportunities to Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav, while KL Rahul returned in place of Shivam Dube for the game.
The decision to field four seamers and rely solely on Axar Patel as the frontline spinner backfired. Axar emerged as India’s most economical bowler, conceding runs at just 6.1 an over, while the pacers endured a torrid outing.
England finished with a flourish after Duckett’s dismissal, hammering 94 runs from the final 39 deliveries. Joe Root remained unbeaten on an elegant 74 off 48 balls, while Jos Buttler provided the late fireworks with an unbeaten 41 from just 13 deliveries, his highest score in eight ODI innings.