Delhi: There was a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma’s retirement before the third ODI, but the Hitman gave a befitting reply to the critics by scoring a brilliant century against England at Lord’s. Meanwhile, the hosts performed brilliantly by defeating India by 27 runs in the deciding ODI to win the series 2-1. After defeating the number one Indian team in the ICC ODI rankings, England captain Harry Brook said that the entire team played unitedly and that is why they got this big victory.

The opening batsmen laid a strong foundation

The biggest reason for England’s victory was its excellent batting. The team scored a huge score of 387 runs. The foundation of this innings was laid by Jacob Bethel and Ben Duckett, who put the Indian bowlers under complete pressure by adding 192 runs for the first wicket.

Harry Brook said that both the openers batted according to the strategy that the team had discussed beforehand. Making big partnerships in the initial overs without taking unnecessary risks proved to be the turning point of the match. After this, Joe Root fulfilled his responsibility, while in the end Jos Buttler batted fast and took the team to a strong score.

Bowlers broke India’s hopes of comeback

Chasing a huge target, Rohit Sharma from India tried to make the match exciting by scoring a brilliant century. However, due to continuous fall of wickets from the other end and slowing down of run pace, the team kept moving away from the target.

Brook told that at one time he talked to head coach Brendon McCullum and decided that Jacob Bethel would be bowled continuously. Bethel kept the pressure on India by bowling long spells, while Sam Curran also did not give the Indian batsmen a chance to play freely with his accurate bowling. According to Brook, the entire team followed the plan with discipline and maintained patience even in difficult circumstances.

Joe Root said the team is moving in the right direction

Joe Root, who played innings of 99 not out, 76 not out and 74 runs in the series, was chosen as the Player of the Series. He said that winning the series against the world number one team is a big sign of the team’s development. According to him, defeating a strong team like India after the success of the Sri Lanka tour is proof that England is continuously moving in the right direction in its World Cup preparations.