During the second ODI between India and England, Virat Kohli was fielding near the boundary when he noticed a young ball boy.
Walking over to him, he shook the boy’s hand, and the child’s face immediately lit up with pure joy. In disbelief, he couldn’t contain his excitement at the chance to meet his cricketing idol and have a moment of interaction with him.
England set a solid total on the board, posting over 300 for the first time in this series. They batted well for extended periods, with Duckett leading the charge from the outset, playing an aggressive knock that got the team off to a flying start. The Indian pacers, however, were one-dimensional, bowling short and wide, which played into the strengths of the southpaw.
Salt had a shaky start, surviving an early drop by Axar, but failed to capitalize on it and was dismissed by Chakravarthy. Duckett reached a fifty but tried to take on Jadeja and fell shortly after. Root and Brook combined for a crucial 50-run stand, further boosting England’s total. Brook’s departure came against the flow of play, but Root continued to build another valuable 50-run partnership with Buttler, putting England in a strong position.
wholesome 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/Cct7dPCtKf
— ` (@Lordshasfallen) February 9, 2025
However, England suffered a collapse in the death overs, losing wickets in quick succession, which somewhat hindered their progress. In the midst of this, Livingstone played a useful cameo. England only managed 74 runs in the final ten overs—will that prove costly? Jadeja was the standout bowler for India, taking 3 wickets. The pitch is on the slower side, but the dew factor might help ease conditions for India.