Rohit’s Heroic Century Goes in Vain as England Clinch ODI Series with 27-Run Victory

Veteran batter Rohit Sharma delivered a memorable century under intense scrutiny, but his valiant effort was not enough to save India from a 27-run defeat against England in the third and final ODI at Lord’s , as the hosts sealed the series 2-1 on Sunday.

Chasing a daunting 388-run target , India finished at 360/7 despite a magnificent 138 from Rohit Sharma , alongside valuable contributions from captain Shubman Gill (77) and Virat Kohli (74) . England’s imposing total was built on a career-best 142 by Ben Duckett , 91 from Jacob Bethell , and a late blitz from Jos Buttler , whose unbeaten 41 off just 13 balls helped England add 82 runs in the final five overs.

With speculation surrounding his future in international cricket, the 39-year-old Rohit responded in trademark fashion. His 110-ball century, featuring 17 fours and five sixes , became the first ODI hundred by an Indian batter at Lord’s . He stitched together a 147-run partnership with Gill and a 113-run stand with Kohli , keeping India in contention for much of the chase.

However, England all-rounder Sam Curran turned the game in the hosts’ favour. His clever variations at the death earned him crucial wickets, including those of Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and Kohli , effectively ending India’s hopes of a remarkable comeback.

Earlier, India’s inexperienced pace attack struggled in the absence of injured spearhead Jasprit Bumrah . The quartet of Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar found it difficult to contain England’s aggressive batting. Duckett and Bethell dominated the middle overs, while Joe Root’s unbeaten 74 off 48 balls provided further momentum.

The defeat exposed India’s bowling vulnerabilities without Bumrah, while Rohit’s innings served as a timely reminder of his enduring class and ability to perform on the biggest stages.