England almost pulled off a stunning run chase in Cuttack – ending 15 runs short of India\'s mammoth 381 for six – as the hosts sealed the ODI series with a game to spare.
Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni hit brilliant hundreds to haul their side from 25 for three and despite Morgan hitting a century of his own England fell just short.
Having won the toss, England enjoyed a dream start. Chris Woakes was smoked through the covers for four by KL Rahul first ball of the match but revenge would be swift, the opener edging to Ben Stokes at second slip.
Virat Kohli marched to the crease and duly dispatched his first ball for a glorious straight drive to the fence. Another followed two balls later but Woakes wouldn’t be denied, another full ball catching the edge and Stokes again pocketing a smart catch.
Cuttack was stunned, and things would get even better for England. Shortly after being dropped by Woakes, the Warwickshire seamer enticed Shikhar Dhawan into a loose drive and watched in delight as an inside edge cannoned into the stumps. India 25 for three.
The hosts needed to rebuild and in Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni they had an impressive weight of experience, with 578 ODIs between them. The left-hander drove well early on and then creamed three boundaries off Jake Ball’s first over. By the time he reached his 52nd half-century in ODIs, he and ex-captain Dhoni had more than steadied the ship, the 100 partnership coming up soon after. Dhoni then went to his 62nd half century with a flashing edge off Stokes.
The wicketkeeper did offer once chance, though it was fiendishly difficult. A leading edge off Liam Plunkett soared into the air but Ball couldn’t claim it. Yuvraj then moved to 99 with two imperious drives – one straight, one lofted – and brought up his 14th ODI century. It was his fourth in the 50-over format against England and his first since March 2011.
The carnage continued apace as the pair drove the run rate up, Dhoni smashing a tennis shot for six, and Yuvraj continuing to punish anything short. The former went to his 10th ODI ton, shortly after he’d hit his 200th six in one-day internationals.
Yuvraj departed for 150, nicking Woakes behind to Buttler to offer the bowler his fourth wicket, meaning the partnership was curtailed on 256 runs, India’s highest fourth wicket stand against England. Kedar Jadhav made a quick fire 22 before he chipped Plunkett up to Ball at mid-wicket, then Dhoni eventually fell for 134 but not before he’d deposited the Yorkshire paceman into the stands for three sixes in the over.
Chasing a daunting 382 to stay in the series, England’s reply started swiftly. They had reached 28 before Alex Hales nicked Jasprit Bumrah behind to Dhoni for 28. Joe Root hit his first ball for four as he and Jason Roy repeatedly found the fence and took the score to 66-1 off 10 overs.
Roy launched England’s first maximum in the 14th over and duly went to his seventh ODI half century. Root then bagged his 19th before top edging a sweep off Ravichandran Ashwin and watching as a gleeful Virat Kohl bounded round to take the catch.
Roy had reached 82 when Jadeja got one to grip past his outside edge and cannon into the stumps. Ashwin repeated the dose the very next over as he bowled Stokes for one.
Morgan smashed three sixes in quick succession, one as he charged Hardik Pandya and sent him over long on, then twice off Ashwin as he thrashed full deliveries back over the bowler’s head. But Jos Buttler fell for just 10, stumped by Dhoni as Ashwin fired a dart down the leg side.
England almost pulled off a stunning run chase in Cuttack – ending 15 runs short of India's mammoth 381 for six – as the hosts sealed the ODI series with a game to spare.