Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has criticised India’s batting performance in the second ODI against England, insisting that the primary objective in one-day cricket should always be to bat through the full 50 overs. Kaif believes India’s dramatic collapse in Cardiff cost them the match despite having plenty of batting depth in the playing XI.
India made just one change for the second ODI, bringing in Ishan Kishan for the unwell KL Rahul. The visitors once again fielded a long batting lineup, with Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube extending the batting until No. 8. However, the trio failed to justify that depth, contributing only three runs between them.
Their dismissals left Shreyas Iyer running out of partners as India were bowled out for 233 in just 44 overs, six overs short of the allotted quota.
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Speaking on Cricbuzz, Mohammad Kaif said batting the full 50 overs remains the foundation of successful ODI cricket, regardless of the final score.
“The first thing we learnt from our seniors about ODIs was that we have to bat for 50 overs. If you score 20 or 30 runs after playing those overs, that’s another matter, but you have to bat through the entire innings. Nowadays, everyone talks about batting depth, but despite batting till No. 8, India couldn’t complete 50 overs. That will disappoint the team,” Mohammad Kaif said.
India’s top order also struggled to build momentum. Rohit Sharma managed a slow 26 off 47 deliveries, while Virat Kohli (65) and Shreyas Iyer (66) were the only batters to make meaningful contributions on a challenging Cardiff surface.
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England made the chase look far more controlled despite losing early wickets. Joe Root anchored the innings with an unbeaten 99, stitching together a crucial 72-run partnership with Will Jacks for the sixth wicket after England had slipped to 125/5. Their stand guided the hosts to a four-wicket victory in the 45th over, levelling the three-match ODI series at 1-1 ahead of the decider at Lord’s.
