The China Mail - Ton-up Duckett leads England to 387-3 in India ODI decider

England scored 82 runs in the last five overs as Joe Root and Jos Buttler followed Duckett and Bethell to demolish India's wayward attack.

England's 50-over total was the highest in an ODI at Lord's, surpassing the 334-4 they made against India in 60 overs on the opening day of the inaugural 1975 World Cup.

And it was also England's highest at this level against India, topping the 366-8 they posted at Cuttack in 2017.

Duckett and Bethell's opening partnership of 192 also rewrote the record books, surpassing the 186 shared by Eoin Morgan and Root at Headingley in 2018 as England's highest for any wicket in an ODI against India.

Root's 74 not out was his sixth successive ODI fifty.

It was also the former England captain's third unbeaten half-century of this three-match series following his 76 not out in India's six-wicket win in Birmingham and 99 not out in England's four-wicket success in Cardiff.

Buttler, meanwhile, faced just 13 balls in his 41 not out.

- Revamped attack -

India, the world's number one-ranked ODI side, were without key fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah because of a knee injury, while all-rounder Washington Sundar was sidelined by hamstring trouble.

Their revamped attack of four seamers and spinner Axar Patel struggled for line and length after England captain Harry Brook won the toss, with Gurnoor Brar (0-97 in 10 overs), Prince Yadav (1-79) and Arshdeep Singh (0-72) particularly expensive.

This is Bethell's first series as an ODI opener and he arrived at Lord's following low scores of 14 in Birmingham and four in the opening two matches.

But the 22-year-old showed his class by flicking Singh off his pads for four and driving left-arm spinner Patel for a magnificent straight six.

Bethell went into the 90s in style, lofting Yadav over mid-off for four.

But in sight of his second ODI hundred, Bethell fell when he holed out off Krishna to Rohit Sharma at deep backward square-leg to end a 93-ball innings featuring 11 fours and two sixes.

Fellow left-hander Duckett, completed his fourth century in 37 ODIs with a violent pull off Brar.

The 31-year-old had made 133 when he backed away to cut Singh to deep cover, only for KL Rahul to step over the boundary rope as he conceded a six.

Duckett's 135-ball innings ended when he gave a simple return catch to Yadav after being deceived by a slower ball.

Both teams wore black armbands in memory of West Indies legend Garry Sobers, whose death aged 89 was announced on Friday.

H.Ng--ThChM