Joe Root finished unbeaten on 99 as England claimed a four-wicket win over India in Cardiff to level the Metro Bank ODI series.
Root was denied his 21st ODI century having made batting look easy after others had both struggled and flattered to deceive, but celebrated Gus Atkinson’s match-winning boundary as if he had claimed his extra run.
The Yorkshireman had been stranded on 76 in India’s opening win at Edgbaston on Tuesday and that was in danger of happening again as England chased down a modest target of 234.
In reply, England slipped to 125 for five but eventually won with 35 balls to spare to take the three-match series to a Lord’s decider on Sunday.
India should have posted a far healthier total with Shreyas Iyer (66) and Virat Kohli (65) providing a solid platform, but their last seven wickets fell for 55 runs as England paceman Jofra Archer (three for 47) and Atkinson (three for 50) excelled.
Although England were short on confidence having lost 14 of their previous 20 matches, their ODI record at Sophia Gardens was impressive with 10 wins in 14 completed games.
England were reduced to eight for two as their chase endured a nightmare start.
Ben Duckett nicked Jasprit Bumrah behind to became the first English opener to get out first ball against India in an ODI, and wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan was the grateful beneficiary again as Jacob Bethell edged Prasidh Krishna.
Harry Brook came to grief with an injudicious scoop shot after making a run-a-ball 16 and Kishan claimed a fourth catch standing up to medium-pacer Shivam Dube, Sam Curran dismissed for 26 having put on 41 with Root.
Jos Buttler dispatched Axar Patel into the River Taff with a straight six but the spinner had the last laugh by bowling him for 17.
With the required run rate around a feasible five per over, the key for England was keeping wickets in tact.
The winning line was hovering into view when Will Jacks, having made 30 from 44 balls, slapped Gurnoor Brar to Kohli at extra cover, but Atkinson ensured Root’s remarkable work would not go to waste with an unbeaten 23.
England had chosen to field after winning the toss with skipper Brook targeting early swing and seam movement at a venue that has often produced 300-plus totals.
Shubman Gill was over cramp that had forced him to retire hurt on 80 at Edgbaston and found instant rhythm at his former Glamorgan home.
Gill had plundered 31 from 30 balls before driving Atkinson hard to Duckett at cover, the India captain so bemused by his dismissal that he was almost reluctant to leave the middle.
Rohit Sharma, dropped in the deep on five by Atkinson, made a scratchy 23 and Kishan was also undone by the toe of the bat as Curran’s accuracy slowed India mid-innings.
Kohli had failed at Edgbaston but ODI cricket’s second highest run scorer produced an array of delightful strokes either side of the wicket.
The fourth wicket had brought 67 from as many balls when Kohli, having been reprieved when Buttler was unable to get his gloves under a bottom edge, made a hash of Archer’s next delivery and picked out Adil Rashid at third man.
A stricken seagull hit by a ball in the outfield was carried off the pitch by Bethell, and Washington Sundar also needed treatment for a tender hamstring.
Sundar could not get out of the way of Saqib Mahmood’s next ball and gloved behind, and Archer soon had India in a pickle by removing Patel and Dube with successive deliveries – the latter a sharp return catch taken at hip height.
Bumrah provided late – and unexpected – clout to post an unbeaten ODI best 20 on his 91st appearance, but Ijer’s departure meant India did not even use six of their 50 overs.
