Topley powers England to thumping 100-run win over India to keep series alive

Reece Topley registered the best figures by an Englishman in ODI cricket as the hosts hit back in the second ODI at Lord’s, thrashing India by 100 runs to level the series at 1-1. After Moeen Ali and David Willey dragged them to a modest total of 246, England put in an inspired performance with the ball, bundling out India for 146 in 38.5 overs thanks to a terrific spell of 6 for 24 from Topley to keep the series alive.

Defending a below-par score of 247, England were on the money with the new ball as the hosts extracted plenty of movement from the Lord’s surface to challenge the Indian top order. Willey and Topley began the innings with a maiden each, and the captain Rohit Sharma departed for a ten-ball duck after being trapped on the pads by an inswinger from the Surrey seamer. Topley later strangled his opening partner, Shikhar Dhawan, down the leg side for a 26-ball nine before Rishabh Pant tamely chipped a full toss from Brydon Carse to short mid-on.

Virat Kohli looked positive in his short stay at the crease, but the former skipper’s poor run continued as he chased a wide delivery and edged behind against David Willey, who was rewarded for his excellent opening spell of six runs from five overs.

From 31 for four, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya weathered the storm for India, but Topley returned to cause more havoc for the Men in Blue. The left-armer got one to bounce steeply and make Yadav chop onto his stumps in the 21st over before Hardik Pandya picked out the man in the deep against Moeen Ali to depart on 29. Jadeja and Shami shared a brief entertaining 39-run partnership until the left-hander was bowled over by Livingstone to dispel any hopes of an unlikely Indian victory. Topley dismissed Shami with a dipping slower delivery and proceeded to pick up the final two wickets in the space of four deliveries to register his maiden five-wicket haul and career-best figures in ODI cricket.

Earlier, England managed to survive the new ball barrage from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in the powerplay but were undone by the spin of Yuzvendra Chahal through the middle overs. Jonny Bairstow smashed six fours in his fluent innings of 38 but lost his leg-stump after misreading the length against the leg-spinner. Chahal also trapped Joe Root and Ben Stokes lbw while Mohammed Shami castled Jos Buttler with a full delivery, leaving the hosts in a spot of bother at 102 for five.

However, despite another early collapse, England recovered in the back half of the innings to finish with a more respectable total of 246. Liam Livingstone attacked his way to a run-a-ball 33 while Moeen Ali and David Willey scored a pair of 40s each to give the hosts something to bowl at in the run chase. In the end, it proved to be more than enough.