England beat India to force ODI series decider at Lord's

England levelled the ODI series at 1-1 by beating India by eight wickets on the DLS method in a rain-shortened second match at Lord’s, turning the contest into a winner-takes-all decider. Amy Jones finished unbeaten on 46 and Tammy Beaumont made 34 as England reached 116-2 in 21 overs, 18 balls ahead of the revised target of 115.

India were restricted to 143-8 in their 29 overs after rain reduced the match to 29 overs a side. Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 42, but England kept India on a tight leash through the middle and late overs, with Sophie Ecclestone returning 3-27 to lead the attack. England’s response was controlled rather than hurried, a marked improvement in composure after the pressure of the opening game.

The chase was the part of the performance that will matter most to Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side. Jones and Beaumont absorbed the adjustment to a reduced-overs target, avoided a collapse and made sure the asking rate never became a problem, restoring stability to an innings that could easily have been disrupted by the weather and the shortened format. England’s finish, with 18 balls to spare, left no doubt about the margin once the revised target was set.

The result also sharpened the wider context around the series. India had not lost an ODI series in England since 2007, so England’s win at the Home of Cricket carried significance beyond one match at Lord’s. It kept the series alive and shifted the momentum back towards England heading into the third and deciding ODI.

That decider was scheduled for Chester-le-Street on Tuesday at 13:00 BST, with both sides carrying clear pressure points into the next match. England had found control with the ball and calm in the chase, while India will need more support around Mandhana if they are to end the series on top.