England beat India by 27 runs as Duckett and Curran seal ODI series at Lord’s

England vs India ended with a 27-run victory for the hosts at Lord’s on Sunday, 19 July 2026, after Ben Duckett’s career-best 141, Jacob Bethell’s 91 and a destructive late assault carried England to 387 for three from 50 overs. India mounted a serious pursuit through Rohit Sharma’s 138, Shubman Gill’s 77 and Virat Kohli’s 74, but a decisive spell from Sam Curran broke the middle order and restricted the tourists to 360 for seven, giving England the three-match ODI series 2–1, The WP Times reports.

The contest remained open deep into the Indian innings. Rohit shared a 147-run opening partnership with Gill and then added 113 with Kohli, taking India to 260 for one during the 39th over. However, Jacob Bethell dismissed Rohit before Curran removed Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Kohli and Axar Patel during the closing stages. India entered the final ten overs needing 121 runs and ultimately finished 27 short, despite late resistance from Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar.

England vs India final cricket score at Lord’s

England’s total was the highest recorded in a men’s ODI at Lord’s, surpassing the previous ground record of 334 for four, made by England against India during the 1975 World Cup.

Ben Duckett’s 141 gives England control of the ODI decider

Ben Duckett produced the central batting performance of the match, scoring 141 as England established a platform that India’s bowlers were unable to contain. The left-handed opener combined with Jacob Bethell for 192 runs before the first wicket fell. Their partnership carried England through 30 overs and allowed the middle order to attack with almost the entire batting line-up still available. Duckett reached his century before accelerating further, using the width offered by India’s seamers and scoring heavily through the off side. He was eventually caught and bowled by Prince Yadav with England on 294 for two, but his innings had already placed the hosts in command. His 141 became the highest individual men’s ODI score at Lord’s. The previous benchmark had been Viv Richards’ unbeaten 138 for West Indies against England in the 1979 World Cup final.

The innings was particularly significant because it was delivered in a series decider. England had lost the opening ODI before winning the second match in Cardiff, meaning the Lord’s contest determined the outcome of the three-match series.

Duckett did not have to attack every delivery. He and Bethell rotated the strike during the early stages, punished loose bowling and prevented India from building pressure through dot balls. Once established, Duckett increased his scoring rate while Bethell provided control at the opposite end. The opening pair ensured England reached the final 20 overs with nine wickets remaining and a score already approaching 200.

Jacob Bethell makes 91 and later removes Rohit Sharma

Jacob Bethell fell nine runs short of a century but made one of the most important all-round contributions of the match. He scored 91 from 93 balls, hitting 11 fours before being caught by Rohit Sharma from the bowling of Prasidh Krishna. His dismissal ended England’s 192-run opening partnership, but the innings had given the hosts both stability and momentum. Bethell’s value became even clearer during India’s chase. With Rohit and Kohli rebuilding after Gill’s dismissal, England captain Harry Brook introduced Bethell’s slow left-arm bowling. Rohit had reached 138 from 110 balls, including 17 fours and five sixes, when Bethell bowled him during the 39th over. The wicket ended a 113-run partnership between Rohit and Kohli and changed the structure of India’s pursuit.

Bethell completed seven overs for 49 runs and one wicket. Those figures were particularly valuable because India were required to attack during the period in which he bowled. His spell reduced the burden on England’s specialist bowlers and allowed Brook to preserve overs from Jofra Archer and Curran for the decisive closing phase.

Joe Root extends remarkable ODI form with unbeaten 74

Joe Root continued his outstanding run of ODI scores by finishing unbeaten on 74. Root entered after Bethell’s dismissal and ensured England did not lose control of the innings. He initially worked the ball into gaps, maintained the run rate and allowed Duckett to continue attacking. After Duckett was dismissed and Harry Brook made 14, Root combined with Jos Buttler for a powerful finish. England scored 62 runs from the final three overs, converting a strong position into a record total. Root’s innings also gave him a sixth consecutive score of 50 or more in men’s ODIs, making him the first England batter to achieve the sequence. The achievement reflected both his consistency and his adaptability. His recent innings had included a century, several unbeaten scores and a 99 not out in England’s successful chase during the second ODI in Cardiff.

At Lord’s, Root’s role changed as the innings progressed. He began as the stabilising batter after the opening partnership and finished as part of the late acceleration.

He found boundaries through reverse ramps, pulls and precise off-side placement. India’s bowlers were further restricted by a slow-over-rate penalty in the final over, which allowed only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle.

Jos Buttler hits 41 from 13 balls in decisive late assault

Jos Buttler transformed England’s total during a brief but damaging innings of 41 not out from 13 deliveries. The former England captain entered after Brook’s dismissal at 323 for three and immediately targeted India’s death bowling. Buttler struck boundaries against Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna and Prince Yadav, including consecutive sixes and a six from a free hit after a high full toss was called a no-ball.

England scored 23 runs from the 48th over and another 23 from the 49th before adding 16 in the final over. The final three overs therefore produced 62 runs. That late surge materially altered the chase. Without it, India would have been pursuing a target closer to 330. Instead, the tourists required 388, forcing them to maintain a rate approaching eight runs per over from the beginning. Buttler’s acceleration also meant that India’s strong opening partnership was not enough to bring the required rate under control. Even when Rohit and Gill reached 147 without loss, India still had to score at close to ten runs per over during the second half of the innings.

Rohit Sharma’s 138 keeps India in the contest

Rohit Sharma responded to England’s record total with an accomplished 138 from 110 balls. He struck 17 fours and five sixes and shared substantial partnerships with both Gill and Kohli. His innings gave India a realistic opportunity of completing one of the largest successful run chases in ODI history. Rohit began with restraint, allowing Gill to score more freely during the powerplay. He then accelerated against England’s change bowlers, particularly when Brook turned to spin.

He reached his century from 84 balls by sweeping Adil Rashid for four. At that stage, India were 206 for one after 31 overs and required 182 from the remaining 19. The required rate remained demanding, but India had nine wickets in hand and two of their most experienced ODI batters at the crease. Rohit’s dismissal was therefore the first decisive moment of the chase. Bethell found a way through his defence and bowled him for 138, leaving India 260 for two.

India still had Kohli established, but Rohit’s departure removed the batter most capable of matching England’s required boundary rate.

Shubman Gill provides strong foundation with 77

India captain Shubman Gill scored 77 from 84 balls and helped produce a 147-run opening partnership. Gill struck ten fours and one six before being trapped leg before by Adil Rashid. The opening stand ensured India avoided the early collapse that would have ended the contest quickly.At the end of the first ten overs, India were only narrowly behind England’s score at the equivalent stage. Rohit and Gill had judged the new ball carefully and prevented Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue from making an early breakthrough.

However, the size of the target meant India could not rely only on a conventional opening partnership. By the halfway stage, they needed 239 from the final 25 overs. Gill’s dismissal shortly before that point increased the pressure on Rohit and Kohli to maintain the chase.

Virat Kohli scores first Lord’s ODI fifty but falls at crucial stage

Virat Kohli made 74 from 60 deliveries, including four fours and three sixes. It was his first ODI half-century at Lord’s and his highest score at the ground. Kohli initially played a supporting role to Rohit before increasing his aggression after the 40th over.

He struck Will Jacks for two sixes in one over and reached 50 as India attempted to reduce a required rate that had climbed beyond 11 runs per over. After Rohit’s dismissal, Kohli became India’s most important batter. He was still at the crease when the tourists reached 300 for two after 43 overs, requiring 88 from the final 42 balls.

The match then changed rapidly. Curran dismissed Kishan and Shreyas Iyer in the 44th over before removing Kohli for 74. Kohli attempted to attack through the off side but was caught by Brook, leaving India 315 for five. The wicket effectively ended India’s realistic chance of maintaining the required rate.

Sam Curran’s four wickets decide the match

Sam Curran finished with four wickets for 75 runs from ten overs and produced the spell that settled the match. His first wicket came when Kishan was caught by substitute fielder Rehan Ahmed. Shreyas Iyer followed for a duck from another slower delivery, also caught by Rehan. Curran then removed Kohli and Axar Patel, breaking India’s middle and lower order during the final seven overs. The decisive sequence began with India on 300 for two. Within a short period, the tourists fell to 319 for five and then 329 for seven.

Curran used changes of pace rather than relying entirely on conventional seam movement. His slower deliveries forced India’s batters to generate their own power while attempting to score at more than 12 runs per over. The method was effective because the batters could no longer take time to assess each delivery. Kishan and Iyer both attempted aggressive shots almost immediately, while Kohli was dismissed when trying to maintain the required boundary rate.

Curran’s figures were expensive by conventional ODI standards, but the match situation made wickets more important than economy. His four dismissals removed the players capable of supporting Kohli and exposed India’s tail before the final overs.

Jofra Archer removes KL Rahul as India’s chase collapses

Jofra Archer took the important wicket of KL Rahul during the 47th over. Rahul had struck two boundaries but was bowled for 12 when Archer hit the off stump. The dismissal left India 327 for six and completed a collapse of four wickets for 23 runs across three overs.

Archer’s return was well timed by Brook. England’s captain had preserved two of his overs for the final stages, when India would be forced to attack. Although Archer conceded boundaries, Rahul’s wicket ensured India had two new batters at the crease with 61 runs required from fewer than four overs.Axar was then dismissed by Curran, leaving Arshdeep and Gurnoor to complete the innings. The pair added late runs and ensured India reached 360, but the contest had already moved beyond them.

How England won the third ODI at Lord’s

England’s victory was built through four distinct phases:

1. Duckett and Bethell added 192 for the first wicket, giving England complete control of the first 30 overs.
2. Root maintained the innings after the opening partnership ended, preventing India from taking wickets in clusters.
3. Buttler’s 41 from 13 balls produced a record finish, with England scoring 62 from the final three overs.
4. Bethell and Curran broke India’s chase, removing Rohit and then four middle-order batters during the closing phase.

The contrast between the two innings was clearest at the death. England entered the final ten overs with wickets in hand and two established batters available. India reached the equivalent stage requiring 121 runs and depending heavily on Kohli. When England lost wickets, another experienced batter was able to continue the attack. When India lost Rohit, the required rate immediately placed pressure on each new arrival.

England recover from opening defeat to win ODI series 2–1

England’s victory completed a comeback after India won the opening match of the series. The hosts responded in Cardiff, where Root scored an unbeaten 99 as England successfully chased 234 and levelled the contest. The Lord’s decider then produced England’s most complete performance of the series. Their top order supplied three substantial scores, Buttler dominated the final overs and the bowling attack recovered after India’s opening pair reached 147 without loss.

The result gave Brook a significant series victory as England’s captain and provided evidence of the batting depth available ahead of the next ODI World Cup cycle. Bethell’s performance was especially important because he contributed in both disciplines. His 91 established England’s platform, while the wicket of Rohit interrupted India’s strongest period of the chase. Duckett reinforced his position at the top of the order, Root extended a historic run of consistency and Buttler demonstrated that he remains capable of changing a match within a small number of deliveries.

What the England vs India result means

The series exposed both the strength and the vulnerability of the two sides. England’s batting showed the capacity to build conventionally and then accelerate dramatically. Their final total was not based only on early aggression; it was constructed through a long opening partnership, an experienced middle-order innings and a calculated finish. India’s response demonstrated similar batting quality. A score of 360 for seven would win most ODIs, and their top three produced 289 runs between them.

The difference was England’s ability to take wickets at the moment the required rate became most severe. India also missed Jasprit Bumrah, who was unavailable for the deciding match because of a knee injury. Without him, the attack struggled to contain England during the final overs. That absence does not fully explain the result, but it left India without their most reliable death bowler when Root and Buttler accelerated. England, by contrast, had several different options during India’s chase. Rashid removed Gill, Bethell dismissed Rohit, Curran broke the middle order and Archer removed Rahul.

England vs India player scores and key figures

England batting

India batting

England bowling highlights

England’s 387 for three proved just beyond India despite one of the strongest unsuccessful ODI chases at Lord’s. The tourists remained competitive until the final phase, but Curran’s four wickets turned a contest that had been finely balanced into a 27-run England victory.

This article was prepared using match scorecards and reporting from ESPNcricinfo, The Guardian, The Indian Express, Lord’s, Reuters and other published match materials.

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