Duckett's sublime century inspires England's series-clinching win over India

LONDON: Ben Duckett’s record-breaking 141 paved the way for England’s 27-run victory over India in the third one-day international at Lord’s on Sunday as the hosts won the three-match series in blistering style.

The opener’s innings was the highest individual score in any men’s ODI at Lord’s beating West Indies great Vivian Richards’s 138 in the 1979 World Cup final against England.

On a day when the teams wore black armbands in memory of West Indies legend Garry Sobers – who died aged 89 earlier this week – both sides produced an array of attacking shots worthy of arguably cricket’s greatest all-rounder.

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England’s 50-over total of 387-3 was the highest in an ODI at Lord’s, surpassing their 334-4 against India in 60 overs back in the inaugural 1975 World Cup.

Duckett shared an opening partnership of 192 with Jacob Bethell (91), topping the 186 shared by Eoin Morgan and Joe Root at Headingley in 2018 as England’s highest for any wicket against India in ODI cricket.

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.

Root’s 74 not out was also his third unbeaten half-century of this 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 astonishing 41 not out.

Sublime Sharma

India had a chance of chasing down a huge target of 388 while opener Rohit Sharma was making a sublime 138 – the first ODI century by an Indian batsman at Lord’s.

He shared stands of 147 with skipper Shubman Gill (77) and 113 with fellow veteran batsman Virat Kohli (74).

But those slim hopes evaporated when Sharma was bowled by left-arm spinner Bethell to leave India 260-2.

Several batsmen holed out to Sam Curran (4-75) with a stiff run-rate against them before India, the world’s number one ranked ODI side, finished on 360-7.

India 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.

Sharma, amid reports denied by India cricket chiefs that this could be his last ODI, struck trademark front-foot pulls for six off Josh Tongue and Curran.

Kohli walked out to huge cheers from India fans in what could be the 37-year-old star batsman’s final international innings in England.

Sharma went to his century when he slog-swept Adil Rashid to deep midwicket – his 11th four in an 86-ball innings also featuring four sixes.

After Sharma fell, Kohli reached fifty in style by driving spinner Will Jacks for six before he holed out off Curran.

Earlier, Bethell showed his class following scores of 14 and four in his first two matches as an opener at this level.

The big-hitting 22-year-old was denied a hundred when he holed out off Prasidh Krishna.

Duckett completed his fourth century in 37 ODIs with his 15th four in 108 balls, before he was caught and bowled by Prince Yadav.