The Sports Guru
England set a new record ODI total at Lord's to beat India and win the series, but the scoreboard hides how close India came to chasing it down. This article explains how Ben Duckett's innings built the record, why Rohit Sharma's reply nearly undid it, and what that tension says about the margins in this format.
England's highest one-day international total at Lord's should have settled this series long before the final over. Instead, Rohit Sharma spent much of the afternoon making 387-3 look distinctly beatable, and it took Sam Curran's four wickets to turn a nervy chase into a 27-run win. That gap between the record on the board and the contest that followed is the real story of England's 2-1 series victory over India.
Duckett rewrites the Lord's record book
Ben Duckett made 141 off 135 balls, the biggest individual score by a man in an ODI at Lord's, hitting 18 fours and a six before chipping a return catch to Prince Yadav in the 44th over. His opening stand of 192 with Jacob Bethell, who made 91 off 93, pushed England to 387-3, beating the previous highest ODI total at the ground, 334-4 by England against the same opponents back in 1975. Joe Root's unbeaten 74 off 48 balls and a late blitz of 41 not out from 13 deliveries by Jos Buttler turned a strong total into a daunting one, England's first century opening stand since the 2023 World Cup.
The numbers behind the innings tell their own story. Duckett and Bethell reached 27 in the first three overs, the highest a team has ever scored that early in an ODI at Lord's, and England lost no wicket inside the first 20 overs for the first time since their 2019 World Cup win. It became both England's highest opening stand at Lord's and their highest ever against India, a striking turnaround for a pairing that had managed just 63, 14 and 4 in the series' first two matches.
Rohit's possible farewell threatens the record
India, chasing what would have been the second-highest successful target in ODI history, were kept in the contest by a 39-year-old playing what is rumoured to be his final innings on the international stage. Rohit Sharma made 138 off 111 balls in his 514th match for his country, his 34th ODI century and eighth in England, second only to Root's tally there. He reached three figures in 84 balls and shared a stand of 147 with Shubman Gill, who made 77, only the second ODI on record in which both sides have posted an opening stand worth more than 140.
By the 38th over India had reached 253-1, ahead of where England stood at the same stage, and a genuine upset looked possible. "England's finest," was how the broadcast described Root's sixth successive ODI score of fifty or more, but it was Curran's bowling that finished the job India's top order had threatened to win.
Curran closes it out as Kohli's stand fades
Virat Kohli, at 37 possibly playing his last game at Lord's, made his first international half-century at the ground, 74 off 60 balls, but was caught in the covers off Curran, who took 4-75 and accounted for four India batters as the required rate climbed beyond reach. India's lower order kept the scoreboard moving but finished on 360-7, 27 runs short.
Why the margin matters more than the record
A record Lord's total against a chase built around a 39-year-old and a 37-year-old still in career-best touch says something about where this India side currently stands: capable of pushing a record score to the final overs, not yet able to complete the job. England's depth, Root's unbeaten streak, Bethell's twin contributions with bat and ball, Curran's control at the death, did the rest.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
England posted 387-3 from their 50 overs, the highest ODI total ever recorded at Lord's.
Duckett made 141 off 135 balls, the biggest individual men's ODI score at Lord's, before being dismissed in the 44th over.
Yes. Rohit Sharma's 138 and Shubman Gill's 77 kept India in the hunt before India finished on 360-7, 27 runs short.
The 27-run win at Lord's gave England a 2-1 victory in the three-match ODI series against India.
Rohit is reportedly rumoured to be retiring at the end of the series, though this was not confirmed at the time of the match.
Research: Our wider editorial research consults online reporting from BBC Sport, Sky Sports, The Guardian and other reputable sources. Story inspiration: BBC Sport's original report.
