Bairstow, Stokes power England to big win

Pune : Centurion Jonny Bairstow (124 off 112 balls) and Ben Stokes (99 off 52 balls) added 175 runs for the second wicket to help England chase a mammoth 337-run target set by India and win the second One-day International by six wickets, with 6.3 overs to spare at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Friday.

With this win, England levelled the three-match series 1-1, after India won the first ODI by 66 runs. Sunday's final game here will be the series decider.

England got off to a flying start with Jason Roy (55 off 52 balls) adding 110 with Bairstow for the first wicket in 99 balls. After Roy was dismissed, Bairstow and Stokes continued the onslaught and by the time they were removed the visitors needed just around four an over which was easy for the latter batsmen.

Earlier, KL Rahul's perfectly executed hundred coupled with Rishabh Pant's aggressive 77 off just 40 balls propelled India to an imposing 336/6.

Rahul, who anchored the innings, hit seven fours and two sixes in his 114-ball knock, while Pant plundered seven sixes and three boundaries, which helped the hosts go well past the 300-run mark.

Skipper Virat Kohli (66 off 79 balls; 3x4; 1x6) and Rahul laid the foundation for the big total with their 121-run third wicket stand after being put into bat at the MCA stadium.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan (4) fell cheaply after he nicked a Reece Topley delivery to Ben Stokes in the slips. Kohli joined Rohit Sharma (25; 5x4), who looked in his element, as he hit three boundaries off Topley (2/50).

But in the next over, Curran (1/47) cut-short his stay at the crease. Rohit flicked a full pitched delivery straight to Adil Rashid at short fine leg, as India slipped to 37/2.

Kohli and Rahul kept the scoreboard ticking, with the India captain being the bit more aggressive one, while Rahul initially played second fiddle. England did not give an opportunity to Kohli to free his arms even as the duo notched up their 50-run stand in the 20th over.

Kohli, who got a 'life' on 35, when Buttler dropped a regulation chance off Adil Rashid, notched up his 62nd fifty, with a single off 62 balls.

The duo then completed their 100-run stand off 119 balls, without any fuss. However, Rashid (1/65) removed Kohli, whose thick outside edge was caught by Buttler, with India at 158/3.

Rahul then put his foot on the accelerator, while mostly relying on pulls and drives. Rahul, who hit his 5th ODI century and Pant then launched himself into England attack. Pant pulled Rashid for his first six, his trademark pull-shot and did not look back.