IND vs ENG, 3rd ODI as it happened: India hold nerve in thriller after Curran’s stunning knock

11.20 pm: So, after months of international cricket for the Indian men’s team, we move to the Indian Premier League. From Sydney to Pune, it’s been a exhilarating season filled with some sensational story-lines.

Virat Kohli post-match quotes (via BCCI match-center): “As I mentioned, when top-two teams battle, you get exciting games. England will not throw in the total at any stage, Sam played well, but we kept taking wickets to put enough pressure on them. The mindset shifted in the last couple of overs. Hardik and Nattu were brilliant to finish it off. Most disappointing for the guy to drop the catch. Everyone wants to do the best for the team on the field, but catches do get put down. But as individuals there’s no lack of intent and we eventually ended up crossing the line. I mean I’m surprised that he wasn’t the Man of the Match. Four wickets and scoring 30 runs and Bhuvi another contender for Man of the Series. These guys were the difference in middle overs and powerplay. Prasidh and Krunal were impressive, but the most pleasing thing is the depth of our batting. Very exciting times ahead for us. It has been an amazing season for us and we wanted to finish on a high. This tour has been sweet, winning every series. Enjoy the IPL and back again with this group of guys. It is a bit of a respite for the support staff. Scheduling is something that needs to be looked at in these times; I’m sure things will be discussed and things will change in the future.”

Jos Buttler post-match quotes (via BCCI match-center): “Yeah, fantastic game. Both times made mistakes and played some brilliant cricket. Unbelievable innings from Sam Curran...congratulations to India. We’re disappointed, we came here and we wanted to win, but there have been great learnings throughout the process. The white-ball leg has been fantastic and close and today was no different. I think playing cricket in India is always a learning experience - the guys who made their debuts in this series. Guys will go away as better cricketers. It was a fantastic wicket and we didn’t bowl as well at the top but we dragged it back fantastically in the end. We pegged Hardik and Pant back to that total. A few guys are missing out, but the talent pool in white-ball cricket is growing and we’ll continue to strive to do that. It was an amazing effort from Curran to take a lot of ownership and take most of the strike. I know Sam will be disappointed but he showed a lot of character and we are all proud of him.”

Player of the series: Jonny Bairstow. When was the last time the series decider saw the losing team win player of the match and the player of the series, we wonder.

Third ODI: India survive a scare from Sam Curran to beat England by seven runs, clinch series 2-1

Player of the match: Sam Curran. That’s a decision we can get behind. (Could have been Bhuvi too)

End of the match, end of the series: Take a bow, Sam Curran! That was a brilliant innings. Didn’t get the result he wanted but what fight.

49.6: Take a bow, Nattu. But more importantly, take a bow Curran. India win a thriller by 7 runs.

49.5: Full ball outside off, slapped over cover for four. But he needs to just bowl a legal ball now. Curran goes to 95.

49.4: LOW FULL TOSS. Dot ball to long off. 12 needed off 2 balls.

49.3: That is Natarajan. Full, wide. Nailed that. Curran doesn’t run of course. 12 off 3.

49.2: Natarajan to Topley. And the classiest of singles to deep point. England need 12 off 4. Curran on strike, he’s on 91.

49.1: WICKET! HARDIK PANDYA! Has he redeemed himself? Sam Curran slips while turning back for a second and Mark Wood has to turn back. Bullet throw from the deep. RUN OUT!

ENG 316/8: Sam Curran takes a single off the last ball. England need 14 runs with 6 balls remaining. Natarajan to bowl!

48.4: DROPPED AGAIN! Curran gets a life now and two runs too. A tough chance but two drops in two balls. Natarajan the fielder. That was perhaps Pant’s catch.

48.3: DROPPED! Thakur drops one now. What is happening? Wood survives, gets a life and a single.

48.2: A smart misfield by Prasidh Krishna? Sam Curran off strike. 18 off 10.

Hardik Pandya’s dropped catch is why we are here quite possibly. He comes on to bowl. 19 runs with 12 balls remaining

Bhuvi finishes his 10th as Wood lets go. England’s game now surely? 10-0-42-3 for Bhuvi.

Over 47.5: GIVEN OUT LBW! Bhuvi’s plea works but it looked not out. It is not out. Reminder that India have no reviews. Crucially it was a dot ball. Anil Chaudhary being very generous there.

Over 47.4: Slappoed down the ground. Hardik does well to stop the ball and England just manage one run. Poor running.

Even Bhuvi is under pressure. Couple of wides. Ravi Shastri on his feet.

Bhuvi comes on for his last over. You could say, Bhuvi or bust for India.

England 307/8 after 47 overs: SAM CURRAN IS DOING A MADNESS! Moves on to 85 off 70 balls with a boundary through cover off the last ball, a massive six over long on earlier in the over and another four. What an over for England. 18 runs from the Thakur over. England need 23 runs in 18 balls.

Shardul Thakur comes on... his last. Can he get a five-for?

England 289/8 after 46 overs: Almost a yorker but whipped away! That four off Hardik Pandya through square leg was top three shots of the night. Unlucky not get a no ball for height off the last ball, Hardik finishes a decent over. 7 from it.

Lengthy break between overs. England require 48 runs with 30 balls remaining, Hardik comes back.

England 282/8 after 45 overs: After playing an innings that has been filled with great clarity, that over Sam Curran was a bit all over the place. Too much confusion over running between the wickets. Wood is a decent bat, mind you. Smashes one through cover for a double. Curran denies a single off the last ball. Three runs in that over.

Shardul back. CSK vs CSK (and former CSK).

England 279/8 after 44 overs: Oh, Sam Curran! First ball of the over from Natarajan is in the slot and he launches it into the stands for six. Nine runs from the over and keeps strike too.

England need 60 runs with 42 balls remaining

England 270/8 after 43 overs: Smart cricket. Bhuvi comes back, no risks taken at all. Just one run.

England require 61 runs with 48 balls remaining.

England 269/8 after 42 overs: Did we say it has not been Natarajan’s night? Yes we did. A bouncer, Wood pulls, top edge for four. The team management did not seem happy with that.

HALF CENTURY: Sam Curran gets to his first fifty in ODIs — just 45 deliveries. He has somehow kept England in the game! What an innings. Not over yet, this match.

England 261/8 after 41 overs: Hardik gets another over, perhaps one take out of Prasidh / Natarajan’s spell.

England 259/8 after 40 overs: 71 needed off 60 balls, all eyes on Sam Curran.

WICKET! VIRAT KOHLI WITH A SCREAMER! He is a taker of great catches. At first glance, it looked like he walked in a bit too eagerly but he is agile enough to put a dive to his left and complete a superb catch. Shardul Thakur, the wicket-taker again! His 4th. ENG 257/8.

England 256/7 after 39 overs: Good over by Bhuvi though.

REVIEWS LOST: First of all, it was Nitin Menon’s decision. Second of all, it is NITIN MENON. Third of all, over the wicket to a left-hander with two stumps visible. India lose all their reviews, pitching outside leg from Bhuvi to SCurran.

Bhuvi comes back. Make or break perhaps? He has three overs remaining, England have three wickets remanining.

England 253/7 after 38 overs: Two runs from Prasidh’s over. He needs a good finish, has gone for plenty today.

England need 79 off 78 balls...

England 251/7 after 37 overs: Hardik comes on to bowl his sixth and possibly his last of the night (the fifth bowler quota of 10 is done). And it is another great over for England. Sam Curran finishes with a four as 250 comes up as well as the 50-run stand.

England 242/7 after 36 overs: Shardul’s over goes for 7, without a risk taken. That’s ideal for England. We are just getting into nervy territory for India, surely?

If India (Pandya) had taken the catches, we might have been having the presentation ceremony at the moment. As things stand, the match is definitely not over yet as a contest. Shardul comes on.

England 235/7 after 35 overs: Not been Natarajan’s night either. 12 runs from that over, with a boundary each for Rashid and Curran. England 95 off 90 balls. Interesting?

England 223/7 after 34 overs: Prasidh just hasn’t found a rhythm today (6 overs, 60 runs) and a wicket would have helped but Hardik dropped a catch off the fifth delivery. Curran got four runs instead. Prasidh wants to be a ‘hit the deck’ kind of bowler but he has been stuck in an in-between length today. Early days in his career though.

England 214/7 after 33 overs: Lovely on-drive for four by Rashid in the last over. Despite that four, just 5 runs from the over. Bhuvi keeping things simple.

England 209/7 after 32 overs: The result seems pretty much out of the question now. England need a further 121 runs from this point on.

England 200/7 after 30.3 overs: Bhuvi back into the attack and he sends back the dangerous Moeen Ali (29 off 25). Hardik Pandya, who had dropped a catch earlier in the game, makes no mistake this time to complete a fine catch.

England 196/6 after 30 overs: Hardik once again doing a good job with the ball. Steady over.

England 192/6 after 29 overs: Prasidh’s horror day continues. He has leaked more than 50 runs in the five overs he has bowled. Despite losing wickets, England have still scored 36 runs in the last 5 overs.

England 184/6 after 28 overs: Natarajan has had his radar a bit all over the place today. A couple of wides in that over and a six plus a four for Moeen Ali. England keep going at a good rate, time for a drinks break.

REPLUG: Shardul Thakur’s cricket is driven by his competitiveness

England 169/6 after 27 overs: Hardik comes back into the attack with a tidy over.

Over 25.4: WICKET! SHARDUL THAKUR! A bit of a Shoaib Akthar in his celebration there as he gets Malan to pull a bouncer (like that shot that went for four) and this is straight to Rohit at midwicket. Malan out for 50, Thakur has three.

HALF CENTURY FOR DAWID MALAN: The first of his ODI career. Gets there with a pull shot past midwicket as he reads the bouncer nice and early.

England 164/5 after 25 overs: A six for Moeen Ali off Krunal Pandya.

Shardul Thakur deserves the credit for a different kind of a slower delivery it looked like. A single-finger-behind-the seam type slower delivery (and he might tell you he fully meant the full toss too!)

WICKET! It’s the day of the dreaded full toss. First KL Rahul, then Ben Stokes, now Liam Livingstone. Caught and bowled. Shardul Thakur strikes, England lose their fifth. 156/5 after 24 overs.

England 152/4 after 23 overs: 7 runs in that Krunal over.

Is that a bit of self-troll from BCCI?

England have gone from 100 to 150 in 36 balls. Good little partnership this and the rate is still within reach for the visitors.

England 145/4 after 22 overs: Thakur comes back and slows things down for now at least.

ENGLAND 142/4 after 21 overs: Livingstone has raced to 30 off 21 balls. Two boundaries in Prasidh’s over followed by a six down the ground off Krunal.

ENGLAND 119/4 after 19 overs: NITIN MENON STRIKES AGAIN! We honestly thought we had jinxed Nitin Menon and that was plumb after the initial replays as Krunal beat the inside edge of Malan. What do we know!!

England 115/4 after 18 overs: A couple of boundaries for Livingstone in Thakur’s over.

England 101/4 after 17 overs: Good over from Hardik, almost set Livingstone up with a 1-2 punch.

DEJA VU: A splitscreen of Buttler’s LBW dismissals in the first and third ODIs are eerily similar. (Except Nitin Menon gave it out first match, and he was not the umpire so a review was needed!)

England 98/4 after 16 overs: Shardul Thakur finishes the over with a bouncer and it might just go down as the point in the match where India decisively swung the match in their favour. Malan and Livingstone in the middle.

Over 15.1: WICKET!! Well, well, what’s that about over-rates? Shardul Thakur with a big wicket again in this series and it’s a brilliant review by India too. Jos Buttler is hit in front, India are convinced and Kohli goes upstairs. No inside edge like they thought and it is plumb. Buttler gone. (It was not Nitin Menon, of course).

England 95/3 after 15 overs: Hardik starts off with a four and then bounces back well enough. India’s first five bowlers are all pacers. 15 overs bowled in 80 minutes. If this match goes till the 50th over, we are in for a long evening.

DRINKS: Time for a break. India have done well to take three wickets in the early going but England bat deep. Another wicket here, and India will feel really good about their chances.

England 86/3 after 14 overs: Jos Buttler is due a big score in this series and after missing out on a full toss earlier, he gets going with a delightful cover drive in Shardul’s first over.

When pictures tell you a story:

Shardul time.

England 79/3 after 13 overs: India don’t have a frontline spinner tonight, just to remind you. Just Krunal Pandya. Interesting though to see Natarajan bowl his off-pace cutters (evidently) in that over. Might see more of that from the pacers.

England 76/3 after 12 overs: Malan’s uppish cut evades Kohli at point (what is he doing at point one wonders!) and England keep the scoring rate steady. Not quite happening for Prasidh in the first spell, which probably means a few wickets in the 2nd?

Over 10.3, WICKET!!! Well, which was worse: KL Rahul’s dismissal or Ben Stokes? Natarajan bowls a full toss and Stokes pulls it straight to Dhawan at square leg. Hardik Pandya is relieved! England 68/3.

End of first powerplay, England 66/2 (10): Well, England are going EXACTLY at the rate they need. 66 from the first, now 264 runs needed from 40 overs. Malan ends the PP with a four.

Over 9.1: SIX! Oh well. A bouncer that had Stokes under trouble but the top edge carries over the keeper’s head for six. Prasidh started another over with a bouncer to trouble Stokes but nothing to show for it.

England 51/2 after 9 overs: Bhuvi giving nothing away at the moment. 14 runs off the first 5 balls he bowled, 11/2 in 4.1 overs since then. Just one run in that over.

England 50/2 after 8 overs: Oh, chance! Rahul misses a direct hit from a good distance, the ball bounced to him perfectly too. More than half a chance that and Stokes again survives. A boundary down the ground earlier in that Prasidh over.

Prasidh Krishna comes on

England 43/2 after 7 overs: Not taking chances against Bhuvi but another close call for a single in that Bhuvi over.

England 41/2 after 6 overs: After a couple more wides, Natarajan bowls a peach to Stokes that beats him on the outside edge. Stokes and Malan going steady at the moment.

England 37/2 after 5 overs: DROPPED! If ever pictures on air could tell a story. Bhuvneshwar Kumar could have had the wickets of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes in his 1st, 2nd and 3rd overs. Could have. Stokes put down by Hardik Pandya on 15 at midd off. High catches are never easy and what not but nope, that was a sitter.

Ashish Magotra: It is fascinating to watch Bhuvneshwar run in and bowl in the mid-130s and cause so much trouble for the batsmen. Swing, slower balls and the brains to know when to bowl what. Few bowlers in world cricket can consistently out-think the batsmen like him.

England 35/2 after 4 overs: Half chance!? Na, not quite. Ben Stokes slashes hard and the width on offer from Natarajan is enough to carry it over point for four. Natarajan too had the keeper up.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Bhuvi bowled with the keeper up in the previous over, to counter the English batsmen using the crease and coming down to counter the swing. Wonder how much of a role that played in pegging Bairstow back.

2.6: WICKET! Bhuvneshwar strikes again to send back the dangerous Bairstow. Another over ends with a wicket. Again the inswinger that does the trick as the opener moved across and missed the ball. And Bairstow thought he could challenge Nitin Menon’s call. The audacity, we tell you! Two overs and two in-form batsmen back in the dressing room. Eng 28/2 after 3 overs

England 22/1 after 2 overs: Didn’t quite get is radar right, did Natarajan in that over. A couple of wides to Bairstow and then one short and wide to Stokes, hit for four.

England 14/1 after 1 over: WOW. WHAT A START! That’s one way to start. Cover drive, check drive down the ground, and a flick past square leg. Three boundaries for Jason Roy. And then off the last ball, Bhuvi gets one to swing in and hit the top of off! Timber!

Breaking the brilliant Bairstow-Roy partnership holds the key for India you’d think. Bhuvneshwar to start off.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Not ideal to be bowled out before 50 of course, but I think this 329 all out is a tad better than the 336/6 in the second ODI. At least gave themselves a real shot at 350-plus for large part of that innings. Take this approach and reduce one or two of the soft dismissals that we saw today, then I think India have it sorted on pitches like this one in my opinion.

INNINGS BREAK: India are bowled out for 329 before their quota of 50 overs but that’s a solid recovery all said and done. The last four wickets fell for just eight runs, and England will need to chase down 330 to seal the series. Scoreboard pressure in a decider? We’ll see.

Q: Will we get to see you bowl? 

 Hardik: Absolutely yes!  

End of innings 329 all out (48.2 overs): Bhuvneshwar is out caught, Topley gets the last wicket so we can say India get topleyed out for 329.

WICKET! Mark Wood has his third and Bhuvi should have perhaps farmed the strike there. Prasidh is out for a 3-ball duck, bowled by fast, straight bowling.

47.2: WICKET! Jason Roy takes an exceptional catch to end Krunal Pandya’s stay in the middle. He ran back a fair distance before taking it. Has been England’s best fielder this series. Krunal made 25 off 34, and India now in danger of being bowled out before 50 overs.

India 326/7 after 47 overs: Krunal has not able to get his timing right when he got the placement, and vice versa today. Been bit of a struggle for him, but he is keeping the scoreboard ticking.

WICKET! Well, end of a lovely cameo from Shardul Thakur. Mark Wood with the breakthrough and he barely has any energy to celebrate. A slog attempted, caught behind. Another 140k delivery. What a hard-working bowler he is. India 321/7 after 46 overs.

India 318/6 after 45 overs: Shardul Thakur hits one down the ground for a six! Off Ben Stokes. The allrounder cheekily checks the bat of his fellow allrounder. Game recognises game.

India 308/6 after 44 overs: Another six for Shardul! Bouncer from Topley, top edge alright but timed well enough to clear fine leg.

Ind 300/6 after 43.2 overs. How many more runs will they go on to get?

India 297/6 after 43 overs: DROPPED! Krunal, on 11, survives. A tough chance but Rashid fails to hold on after running hard to get there. Stokes the bowler. But that is another great over by the allrounder though. 1/32 in his 5 so far.

India are 294/6 after 42 overs: What are we talking about playing out till the 50th over! Shardul Thakur is no mug with the bat and he plays a superb flick through midwicket for four for his second boundary off Topley. Stokes with a three-run over before this.

Into the final 10 we go. If India don’t get bowled out, there is a good target possible here.

India are 283/6 after 40 overs: Shardul Thakur, channeling his inner Viv Richards as Ashwin spoke about his batting in Australia, starts with a pull shot for six! Off Mark Wood no less.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: There is a chance India might not finish their quota of 50 overs and that is never ideal, but this has been a refreshing batting approach (something we are starting to see in series deciders. WI in 2019, the T20Is before this etc. Maybe can happen earlier going forward?)

WICKET! Four and out! Not that there is a good time to get out, but heading into the last 10 India would have dearly loved to have a well-set Hardik. One ball after crunching one through cover, he walks across and gets bowled around the legs by Ben Stokes. Out for a superb 64. India 276/6 after 39 overs:

India 267/5 after 38 overs: Mark Wood comes back into the attack, he had been off the field for a while after his trademark slipping on the followthrough business early on. And he bowls a pretty special over too. Always a 100%. Bowls a peach to Hardik off the last ball that seemed to shape away late. Muffled appeal for caught behind, but might have hit the thigh.

That Jos Buttler catch gets better with every viewing. A superb catch to end a superb innings.

HALF CENTURY FOR HARDIK PANDYA: He has his brother in the middle for a memorable moment and he looks up to the heavens after appreciation from Krunal. It’s been a great innings so far from Hardik, helped India recover from a sticky situation. Finishes the over with a big six as if to celebrate. India 265/5 after 37 overs. Hardik 57 (38). Rashid finishes on 2/81.

WICKET! Short and then full from Sam Curran and it works! A near yorker, gets a leading edge from Pant and it’s a sensational reflex catch by captain Jos. End of another fabulous innings by Pant, gone for 78 off 62. He wanted more. 256/5 after 36 overs.

Highest ODI score for 2nd match in a row: Hardik Pandya cuts one short-third, Rishabh Pant follows suit. It’s his career best again, going past the mark set in the previous match.

India 243/4 after 35 overs: Oh, what a hit down the ground. Rishabh Pant has been so good against Adil Rashid today. Great match-up cricket.

Ashish Magotra: Pant and Pandya make six-hitting look ridiculously easy.

India 230/4 after 34 overs: Sam Curran comes on and it is a boundary each for Pant and Hardik. The LHB first nonchalantly flicks one through square leg and then the RHB pulls a short ball between keeper and short-fine.

India 221/4 after 33 overs: A 2-run over for Adil Rashid, India not taking chances in that over after drinks. Sunny G must be glad.

DRINKS, India 219/4 after 32 overs: Well, we all need a break! It’s been that sort of an innings so far. Eventful pretty much all the way.

HALF CENTURY FOR RISHABH PANT: What a cricketer. Gets to a landmark with another six, taking on Rashid with great effect again. He is on 54 off 45 balls at the moment. Three fours and three sixes. 216/4 after 31 overs.

End of 30 overs, India 206/4: That is a superb scoring rate for the Indians. Plenty of time left in the innings but the question now is how much of it will be faced by these two? The 50-run partnership comes up too.

India 198/4 after 28 overs: A boundary for Pant in that Livingstone over. Was it a dropped catch last ball? Looked like LL did not pick up the trajectory of that leading edge but it fell short in the replays just shown.

India 190/4 after 27 overs: BIG OVER! Three sixes in one Moeen Ali over for Hardik Pandya! India are going hard here, despite the loss of wickets. No let up in the intent.

India 170/4 after 27 overs: Just your regular one-handed six by Pant! That is followed by a brutal hit past cover. Livingstone being dealt with like a part-timer by Pant.

India 160/4 after 26 overs: A penny for Shastri and Kohli’s thoughts at the moment.

WICKET! Oh dear! Liam Livingstone gets a wicket in his first over! And it is a full toss on his pads that KL Rahul sweeps to the fielder at short fine leg. How soft was that dismissal! Rahul out for 7. India 158/4 after 25 overs.

India 151/3 after 23 overs: Rishabh Pant just played this shot for four off Adil Rashid. We are not sure what to call this! Was followed by another cheeky scoop for four. Good over for India.

India 141/3 after 22 overs: Four runs in that Ali over. Onus on Rahul and Pant to take India to at least the 30-over mark here you’d think? Will be interesting to see if Pant keeps going after Rashid.

India 137/3 after 21 overs: OH RISHABH PANT! Spinners dictating tempo and the left-hander goes big against Rashid for his first six of the day. Entertainer.

India 128/3 after 20 overs: The match, quite literally, turned in that 10-over phase.

India 126/3 after 19 overs: Wonder what India are thinking about picking only one spinner today.

Over 17.4: WICKET! VIRAT KOHLI GONE! The 71st international century is going to have to wait for a few more months, folks. The Indian captain cannot believe it, he has missed an off-spinner from Moeen Ali and the ball hits the leg stump.

Rishabh Pant is in at No 4. Left-right combo.

16.4: WICKET! One brings two for England! Shikhar Dhawan’s good innings comes to an end as he gives a return catch to Adil Rashid, India 117/2 (16.4)

14.4, WICKET! BOWLED! Rohit done in by the googly from Rashid. Superb delivery. Rohit walking back after making 37. A rare ODI series without a century at home for Rohit, we would think. India 103/1

REVIEW LOST: England lose a review. Rashid thought he had Dhawan out LBW but the ball pitched outside the leg stump. Nitin Menon after all! 100/0 (14.1)

India 100/0 after 14 overs: CENTURY PARTNERSHIP! A boundary for Dhawan at the start of the over as he cuts one past point off Stokes. The 100-run stand comes at the end of the over.

A brave new world (or something):

India 92/0 after 13 overs: The introduction of Adil Rashid has not slowed down India either. It is the spinners who choked the run-flow in the previous match, will be interesting to see how they go here.

HALF CENTURY FOR SHIKHAR DHAWAN: The 32nd half century for Dhawan in ODIs and the second of the series. Gets there with a powerful pull off Adil Rashid. Pounced on a short ball.

India 84/0 after 12 overs: Rohit Sharma finishes the Stokes over with four and this partnership has a new miletsone!

India 76/0 after 11 overs: No signs of slowing down yet from the Indian openers. A boundary each for Dhawan and Rohit in Wood’s over. The bowler with the record of falling over the most in the followthrough (perhaps) does it thrice in that over!

India 65/0 after 10 overs: SOLID POWERPLAY-1 FOR INDIA, Stokes came on to bowl the 10th over.

Shikhar Dhawan 38* Rohit Sharma 24*

India 61/0 after 9 overs: Another glorious punch through the offside for four by Dhawan. A sensational fielding effort in the deep prevents a second four in that Wood over. Livingstone with a terrific dive.

India 53/0 after 8 overs: ANOTHER BIG OVER! Reece Topley has been dealt with severely here. Three boundaries for Shikhar Dhawan and then Rohit helps himself to a flick four. The third of Dhawan’s boundaries was a punch through cover that is usually a danger sign for opponents.

India 36/0 after 7 overs: Wood starts off with a maiden over. Typically fiery stuff. Serious 140k fireballs to start off.

India 36/0 after 6 overs: Another short and wide gift to Dhawan, and cut away for four. Good start for India. They are already going at 6 RPO. Wood comes into the attack now.

India 31/0 after 5 overs: BIG OVER! Rohit Sharma starts off with two boundaries back-to-back in that over, first a lofted off drive and then a casual flick over midwicket. Then Shikhar Dhawan with an uppish cut over point. Maybe Collingwood would have cut that. Three boundaries in Sam Curran’s over!

India 16/0 after 4 overs: A gift from Topley to Dhawan, full on the pads and flicked away for four. Too easy. Just when there was some pressure developing on Dhawan.

India 11/0 after 3 overs: Sam Curran digs it in short to beat Shikhar Dhawan on bounce. Not sure the left-hander was expecting that as he tried dancing down to take the ball on full. Good over for England.

If you are just joining in: England won the toss and opted to field against India in the third and final ODI. India replaced spinner Kuldeep Yadav with pacer T Natarajan in the playing XI. England also made one change to their playing XI, bringing in pacer Mark Wood in place of Tom Curran. The three match series is tied at 1-1, with India winning the lung opener by 66 runs while England won the second game by six wickets.

India 10/0 after 2 overs: The first boundary of the day is a delightful cover drive by Rohit Sharma. Topley goes full and Rohit doesn’t hold back.

A quicker start on the cards for India?

1st ODI: After 6 overs, India were 15/0 

2nd ODI: After 6 overs, India were 18/1  

India 5/0 after 1 over: Good running between the wickets early on, perhaps a conscious attempt to have a better rate in the first 10? Remains to be seen.

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are in the middle and the series decider is all set to begin.

1.20 pm: What should India’s approach be today?

Read: While England push the envelope in ODIs, are Kohli’s India doing the same?

Playing XI:

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, T Natarajan

England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Dawid Malan, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley

TEAM NEWS:

One change for England: Mark Wood in, Tom Curran out

One change for India: T Natarajan in, Kuldeep Yadav out

TOSS: HEADS IT IS! (We have heard that a lot haven’t me?) England have won the toss again and will be bowling first.

STAT ALERT: Virat Kohli is set to become the *eighth man to lead his country in 200 international matches.

12.50 pm: Will we see Hardik Pandya bowl today? Will India make changes to their bowling unit that came unstuck on Friday?

“We need to manage his (Hardik) body. Need to understand where we need this skill set. (We) did utilise him in the T20Is but in the ODIs, it’s about managing his workload,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation.

A recap of the first two ODIs:

Feature: While England push the envelope in ODIs, are Kohli’s India doing the same?

Feature: Prasidh Krishna, Krunal Pandya, and Indian cricket’s IPL-powered evolution

12.30 pm: The Test series was alive till the final match of the series. The T20I series was alive till the final match of the series. And fittingly, the ODI series is also alive till the final match of the series. It’s been a good battle over the past few weeks between these two top sides.

Second ODI as it happened: England complete brilliant chase after Stokes, Bairstow madness

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the third ODI between India and England at Pune. The series stands tied at 1-1 after Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes launched a six-hitting feast in the second ODI as England chased down 337 with home skipper Virat Kohli admitting “We didn’t have a chance” once they got going in sensational fashion.

Bairstow (124) and Stokes (99) put on 175 for the second wicket and smashed 17 sixes between them as England romped home in 43.3 overs with six wickets to spare in Pune.

The three-match series is now level at 1-1 with the decider on Sunday.