Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matthew Cooper

5 talking points as Reece Topley leads England to stunning 100-run win over India

England levelled the ODI series against India with a stunning 100-run victory, Moeen Ali and David Willey leading a lower-order fightback before Reece Topley took 6-24 - England’s best-ever ODI figures.

After getting thrashed in the first ODI at the Oval, England bounced back at Lord's to post a decent total of 246 after falling to 102-5. Yuzvendra Chahal starred for India, picking up 4-47 and taking three massive early wickets in Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Ben Stokes.

However, Moeen shared crucial partnerships worth 46 with Liam Livingstone and then 62 with Willey, helping England reach a total that proved to be more than enough. With the ball, the hosts began brilliantly with Topley and Willey taking the new ball.

After starting with two maidens, Topley removed India skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck and India proceeded to lose regular wickets with no batter passing 30. Fittingly, Topley wrapped up the win for England with two wickets in his final over to set up a fascinating decider at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Roy's struggles continue

Made 23 off 33 balls, regularly beaten on the outside edge by Shami and his dismissal was soft, flicking a ball from Pandya straight to Yadav at deep square-leg. At the end of the 2019 World Cup, Jason Roy's ODI batting average was an impressive 42.79.

Since then, he has averaged just 29.68 in 19 matches, with the opener managing 452 runs and one hundred. With Phil Salt waiting in the wings after an impressive start to his international career, there have been suggestions Roy should be dropped.

However, James Anderson believes Roy should be backed by England, telling BBC Test Match Special: "Jason Roy is a player that does go through these dips of form but if you keep the faith with him, there is always a big score around the corner.

"And then if he gets into a run of form, he can go on and do some incredible things. We've talked about this in the past when Eoin Morgan was asked about Roy's batting but Morgan stuck with him, and he came good."

Mohammed Shami dismissed Jos Buttler for the fifth time in ODIs, more than any other bowler (Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

Shami vs Buttler

Mohammed Shami has an excellent record against the England captain and he dismissed him once again with a beautiful delivery that swung back in and bowled him for just four.

In ODI cricket, Shami has dismissed Jos Buttler on five occasions, more than any other bowler, with the 31-year-old averaging just 10.80 against him.

"We talked about Shami being unlucky and missing the edge but he didn't need them there," former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta told BBC Test Match Special. "Full, straight and Jos Buttler was just falling over his front pad."

Yuzvendra Chahal took four massive wickets for India (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Chahal shines for India

The leg-spinner bowled brilliantly for India, ripping the heart out of England's batting when he took the massive wickets of Bairstow, Root and Stokes early on in the innings. He then returned to dismiss Moeen for 47 in the 42nd over, denying him the chance to add some more crucial runs at the death.

It was an excellent display from Chahal, who became the first leg-spinner to take four wickets in an ODI at Lord's since the late great Shane Warne picked up for 4-33 against Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup final.

Chahal's 4-47 was also the best bowling figures by an Indian in an ODI at the home of cricket, breaking a 39-year-old record held by Mohinder Amarnath. Amarnath picked up 3-12 at Lord's in the 1983 World Cup final.

Moeen Ali led England's lower-order fightback alongside David Willey (Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

Moeen and Willey lead fightback

England had fallen to 102-5 when Moeen came to the crease, with the likes of Roy, Bairstow and Stokes all getting starts before being dismissed. And with Moeen regularly batting at number seven in ODI cricket, he is used to having to score quick runs at the death.

However, this time he came out to bat in the 22nd over and had to dig in and apply himself, sharing two useful partnerships with Livingstone and Willey worth 46 and 62 respectively as he top scored with 47. Willey, meanwhile, made an important 41 after getting dropped early in his innings by Prasidh Krishna.

"What an innings from Moeen Ali," Dasgupta said of the all-rounder's efforts. "An innings of substance. When England were struggling, Moeen was there."

Topley gets six

Following on from an impressive display in the T20I series, Topley picked up his first ever five-wicket haul in an England shirt. He also became the first Englishman in 25 years to take five wickets in an ODI at Lord's, ending with 6-24 from 9.5 overs.

"It's an outstanding story, the way he's gone through the ups and downs, the stress fractures," former England captain Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports. "He's bowled well in white-ball cricket of late and as well in that T20 game at Trent Bridge when everyone else was going around the park.

"It's his place now and when you get figures like that, with so many big games coming up and England are looking for bowlers with a long list of injuries...if some bowler can stand up and continue to put in performance after performance then you're almost saying 'you can't leave me out'."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.