Root Stranded on 99 but England Level the Series: India 233 All Out, England 235/6 in the 2nd ODI at Cardiff

By Marcus Reyes · July 17, 2026 · 6:46 am

Joe Root stranded on 99 as England score 235/6 to beat India 233 all out in the 2nd ODI at Cardiff to level the ODI series with Root falling agonizingly short of a century in a thrilling match. — Heartbreak for Root but joy for England! Joe Root was left stranded on a gut-wrenching 99 as England chased down India's 233 all out with 235/6 to level the ODI series at Cardiff.

Cardiff — Joe Root produced a masterclass in the art of the ODI chase, guiding England to a four-wicket win over India in the second ODI at Sophia Gardens on 16 July 2026 and levelling the three-match series 1-1. The only thing missing was the fairytale finish: Root was left stranded on 99 not out, denied a 21st ODI hundred when Gus Atkinson pulled the winning runs with three needed and the game already won.

Scorecard at a glance

India: 233 all out
England: 235/6 in 44.1 overs (won by 4 wickets, 35 balls to spare)
Player of the Match: Joe Root — 99 not out

India stumble to a below-par total

Having won the opener in Birmingham, India were unable to build on that momentum with the bat. Virat Kohli (65) and Shreyas Iyer (66) both reached fifty and looked set to anchor a competitive score, but neither could convert into the big innings the situation demanded, and no other batter offered meaningful support. India lost wickets at inconvenient moments and were bowled out for 233 — a total that always looked 40 or 50 runs short on a decent Cardiff surface.

Jofra Archer led England’s bowling effort with figures of 3 for 47, using his pace to break partnerships just as India threatened to accelerate. It was a disciplined, incisive display that kept England firmly in control of the contest.

Root’s chase masterclass

Chasing 234, England turned to the most reliable pair of hands in their line-up. Joe Root was in his element, pacing the pursuit with the calm, low-risk excellence that has made him one of the finest chasers of his generation. He rotated the strike, punished anything loose and never allowed the required rate to climb, absorbing whatever pressure India’s bowlers tried to apply.

The one cruelty was the ending. With England needing just three to win and Root stuck on 99, Atkinson — unbeaten on 23 — pulled behind square to seal the four-wicket win with 35 balls to spare, leaving Root marooned one short of a landmark 21st ODI century. He will not mind too much: the job was done, and the series was level.

Analysis: where the game turned

This was a match India lost with the bat rather than one England won with a flourish. In the opener, India’s all-round depth carried them home; here, the top order got starts but the middle and lower order failed to add the 40-50 runs that separate a defendable score from a below-par one. Two set batsmen falling in the fifties — Kohli and Iyer both getting in and getting out — was the difference.

England, by contrast, executed a professional chase. Archer’s new-ball threat set the tone, and Root’s experience took the nerves out of the pursuit. For India, the concern will be a batting line-up that looked one big innings short; for England, the reassurance of knowing that when Root bats through, they rarely lose.

Series level — decider at Lord’s

With the series poised at 1-1, everything now rests on the third and final ODI at Lord’s on Sunday, 20 July — a straight shootout for the trophy. India will want their batting unit to convert starts into a total worth defending, while England will look to Root and Archer to repeat the roles they played so well in Cardiff. After a tour that began with a T20I whitewash and swung India’s way in the first ODI, a fitting decider at the home of cricket awaits.

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