Will Jacks picked up Rohit’s wicket. “Rohit does not get out a lot against off-spinners. But he got out because it looked like he was sort of stuck for runs. So more than skill, it’s the mind. But he is batting well, so I am not concerned,” Abhishek said.

“One thing that I have liked about him in this series and the recent past is that he is playing fearlessly. It is no longer that Virat, where he is only looking for singles. There are certain tactical nuances picked up which is very unique. He is being very intelligent with the way he wants to take bowlers down. Not necessarily by hitting shots, but also by using the crease,” he added.

“He is in a great space, and looking at his body language, you feel like there is a free-flowing, non-apologetic, non-caring sort of batter batting and that is when you are most dangerous, when there is nothing to prove. And you can see that in Virat Kohli. How many times have you seen him step out and take a fast bowler down when the ball is seaming? No. Normally, he buys his time. So he is in a great space. If he is going, he will not be concerned who he is playing against,” Nayar further said. 

The 26-year-old took over from Rohit as India’s ODI captain last October, inheriting a side that had already developed a clear identity. Under Rohit, India reached the 2023 World Cup final before winning the Champions Trophy in 2025. Instead of a rebuild, he’s had the more delicate task of taking over the team while looking to put his own imprint on it.

In the 11 games he has led in, India have won six and lost five. The numbers don’t suggest a struggling team, but neither do they point to a captain who has stamped his authority on the side so far.

Every successful captain has one early series that becomes the first reference point for his leadership. For MS Dhoni, it was the CB series win in 2008. For Virat Kohli, it was winning an ODI series in South Africa for the first time in 2018. Gill is waiting for a similar achievement.

Virat Kohli in action. (FILE photo)

England may have slipped to seventh in the ODI rankings, but the series has underlined why they still remain a dangerous side. Jofra Archer has bowled superbly, Joe Root has anchored the batting, and the lower order has made useful contributions.

A series win in England would therefore become the first defining achievement of Gill’s ODI captaincy.

Tough start

India lost 2-1 in Australia in his first assignment. A promising start against New Zealand at home quickly unravelled as defeats in Rajkot and Indore handed the visitors the series, raising questions about India’s ability to overcome stronger opposition under their new leader.

Last month’s series victory against Afghanistan brought welcome relief, but it was also a result most expected India to achieve given the gulf between the two teams.

Captaincy transitions are rarely smooth, especially when the predecessor leaves behind a settled core and a clear style of play. The next captain must preserve that foundation while making the team his own.

Gill is leading senior players from the Rohit era while trying to bring younger cricketers into the side and establish his own way of doing things.

The temptation after every series defeat would be to compare him with Rohit. But that would be unfair. Rohit had years of international experience and established authority in the dressing room before becoming India’s full-time ODI captain in 2021. Gill has stepped into the role much earlier in his career while continuing to establish himself as one of India’s batting mainstays.

Winning a bilateral series will not suddenly make Gill a great captain, but losing it should not prompt sweeping conclusions either. Eleven matches is too small a sample to judge a captaincy tenure. But landmark victories matter because they help build belief.

If Gill can lead India to victory at Lord’s, the conversation around his captaincy could shift. Instead of focusing on what has gone wrong since he took charge, attention will move towards what India are beginning to build under him.

Rohit Sharma in action. (Deepak Malik / CREIMAS for BCCI)

Rohit factor

The Rohit factor adds another subplot to the occasion. Questions have also been asked about Rohit’s scores of 11 and 26 in the first two matches. India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel, however, dismissed concerns, saying that the 39-year-old is experienced enough to find solutions.

“No doubt Rohit will work it out. He has done it in the past. He is experienced. And he just brings that calmness to the batting line-up. So without a doubt, no worries and concerns at all with the way he is going about things,” Morkel said on Saturday.

If Sunday indeed proves to be Rohit’s final ODI, the symbolism will be hard to ignore. As captain, he transformed India’s ODI approach, encouraging greater intent at the top of the order while leading a side that consistently delivered and challenged for global honours. Gill is not expected to become the next Rohit. India’s selectors chose him because they believe he can become the first Shubman Gill as captain. The challenge is to create an identity that is recognisably his own.

That journey needs milestones, and Sunday offers the first genuine chance. Dhoni had the CB Series. Kohli had South Africa. Gill is still waiting for his. Lord’s could be where he finds it.

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With Washington Sundar ruled out of the series decider after missing India’s defence of 233 in Cardiff on Thursday, Morkel said all options remained open over who would replace the all-rounder in the playing XI.

“I think as I sit here, all options are on the table. We literally arrived here now half an hour ago. So I am pretty sure Gautam (Gambhir) will have a look at the surface, and they probably will announce 12 or 13 guys and then tomorrow make the final call in terms of overhead, in terms of what we see then. But yeah, I think at the moment all the players are still in line for selection for tomorrow,” he said.

The pace duo of Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar returned combined figures of 3 for 119 from 19.1 overs in the second ODI, and Morkel felt they executed their plans well despite England chasing down 234. He added that Joe Root’s innings made the difference.

“I thought, to be honest with you, the way we bowled in the last game was exceptional,” Morkel said.

“Just looking at the numbers, the high speeds that the boys are generating, the areas that we have bowled on in operating was great to see. We have gone with the thinking that we wanted to use Prasidh (Krishna) and Gurnoor (Brar) there with that extra bounce in that middle phase.”

“Crucial it is to get those wickets in the middle phase, like you just mentioned. So we will keep on working on ways and trying to find how we can make those breakthroughs. I thought Joe played exceptionally well, classy innings there. So, in terms of tomorrow, how are we going to go about it, we have got a couple of plans in place, and hopefully it will all work,” he added.

“I have played a lot of cricket, and I have seen a lot of cricket. On a day, there are a lot of batters who don’t get the momentum they are looking for, and that can happen. You might see a completely different innings from Rohit Sharma at Lord’s. So, I wouldn’t use the word “struggling”. Maybe the shots he normally plays on the up, because of the double bounce, he probably felt they were not comfortable.”

“Shubman (Gill) got a quick start, then Virat got a quick start, but Rohit probably didn’t get balls in his areas or didn’t get going. That’s what I felt. So I wouldn’t say he was struggling because you could definitely see a completely different innings from a player like Rohit. I have seen that happen to a lot of batters. So it’s not just Rohit. I wouldn’t use the word “struggling,” he added.

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On batting first on the Cardiff surface, Kotak said that Virat Kohli had sent a message across to the dressing room about the short deliveries not going through on the surface and admitted that Washington Sundar’s injury, followed by the quick dismissals of Axar Patel and Shivam Dube, derailed India’s innings.

“When there is double pace or double bounce, it’s more about adapting better. Everybody knew because Virat, while he was batting, sent a message to us and also told the head coach that the short balls were actually not going through. So, we knew. Personally, I felt that Washington’s injury happened when he ran the first run towards mid-off. It looked like a hamstring injury, and it looks like a bad injury. Then, the next ball, he got out. From there, we again wanted a partnership, but unfortunately, we lost Axar and Shivam.”

“That is the only thing I feel. In the second half, the wicket may have gone a little slower, and Joe Root just stayed on the wicket. But I think 233, which is around five and a half an over, if one batter gets 100, I don’t think it’s a big score to chase. If we would have got Root out, it would have been interesting. Or if we had got another 35-40 runs, it would definitely have been interesting,” Kotak said.

Rohit Sharma fell for a 47-ball 26 in the second ODI in Cardiff. (BCCI/Creimas Photo)

Having won the first ODI at Edgbaston, there was an opportunity for India to close the series at Sophia Gardens. Put in to bat, when they were 103/1 with Virat Kohli (65) in his full majestic form. Shreyas Iyer, batting at number five, complemented Kohli with a 71-ball 66.

The turning point was Kohli’s untimely and uncharacteristic dismissal – playing a loose shot across the line and top-edging the delivery – which prompted a mini collapse. The three left-handers to follow – Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube – managed just 2, 1, & 0 respectively as India ended up with 233 in 44 overs, which proved to be well below par. And despite a spirited effort from the bowling unit, which had just five options with Washington missing out in the second innings with a hamstring injury, it left Shubman Gill to rely on other options to take the game deep.

Bumrah magic

If Edgbaston was the first glimpse of a revitalised Jasprit Bumrah, then Cardiff gave more evidence of a bowler who seems to have found his mojo back. The 32-year-old put England on the back foot straightaway by dismissing Ben Duckett off the first delivery of the chase – the new ball angling away and kissing the edge en route. And when Prasidh Krishna had Jacob Bethell edge to Ishan Kishan in the fourth over, India were right in the game.

Harry Brook once again showed his adventurous side to gain some momentum, but eventually paid the price for it. He lined up to play the scoop, but Gurnoor Brar’s pace and extra bounce meant he could only guide it to Ishan Kishan. Having made only 1 with the bat, he was effective behind the stumps, taking four catches, including that of Sam Curran while standing up to Dube.

Despite losing Washington’s services, Gill stayed on the offensive. India had no option but to claim all 10 England wickets, and they went searching for them aggressively. Yet, without the extra wicket-taking option, they remained slightly behind the eight ball.

That was the one glaring aspect of the bowling performance. Beyond Bumrah, India still lacks an X-factor bowler who will maintain the pressure on the opposition from the other end. Brar tested England with several short-pitch deliveries, but remained on the expensive side with 2/67 in 10 overs. Whether Kuldeep Yadav plays at Lord’s is to be seen.

Given the conditions on offer at Cardiff, the stage was tailor-made for Root. He took his time, and with India short on bowling options, he preferred to take the game deep. He may have wished one of the frontline batsmen to forge a big partnership, but even without significant support, he found the gaps and struck timely boundaries. Even when India tempted him to open his shoulders, he showed the discipline to bat according to the situation. A hundred was there for the taking, but Gus Atkinson didn’t hand him the opportunity, scoring the winning runs off Krishna.

Earlier, no Indian batsman except Kohli and Iyer could kick on and make the big score. Take out the two of them, who made 131 runs combined; the rest managed only 102 between them. After Gill timed one straight to Duckett at cover while driving on the up, Ishan was undone by a short delivery, top-edging a return catch to Sam Curran.

Brief scores: India 233 in 44 overs (Shreyas Iyer 66, Virat Kohli 65; Jofra Archer 3/47; Gus Atkinson 3/5) lost to England 235/6 in 44.1 overs (Joe Root 99 n.o, Will Jacks 30; Gurnoon Brar 2/67).

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It is learnt that Sharma spoke to a few BCCI officials on the sidelines of the England series, and the opener wasn’t happy with the decision. Sharma has already retired from T20Is, stepping away on June 29, 2024, hours after leading India to the World Cup title, and from Test cricket on May 7, 2025, a decision announced on Instagram ahead of India’s tour of England that summer.

The selection committee removed Sharma as ODI captain last year, replacing him with Shubman Gill. The panel, in consultation with the team management, is learnt to be keen on giving younger players a chance, keeping the future of Indian cricket in mind.

Sharma’s ODI captaincy record includes leading India to the 2023 World Cup final, where the team’s all-out attacking approach from the top of the order redefined how India batted in the format. The following year, that same bold, aggressive template was carried over to India’s triumphant 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, also under his leadership.

But Sharma has not been able to score runs in the past few games — he scored 26 runs off 47 balls in Cardiff on Thursday.