grand finale of England vs India ODI series On July 19, 2026, at Lord’s, an exciting spectacle of high-stakes white-ball cricket was presented. With the three-match series tied at 1-1, both teams set out with the aim of ultimate dominance at the iconic London ground. A flurry of runs followed, where England defeated India by 27 runs and took the series 2–1, despite an unforgettable, emotional effort from India’s veteran opener. Rohit Sharma.
Rohit Sharma celebrated his brilliant century at Lord’s by giving a flying kiss to wife Ritika.
Rohit responded to the mounting criticism in trademark style and scored a brilliant century under immense pressure. Walked out under intense scrutiny following endless speculation about his international future, the veteran opening batsman played a brilliant inning of 138 runs in 110 balls with the help of 17 fours and 5 sixes.
His milestone carried deep significance, marking his 34th ODI century and making him the first Indian batsman to register an ODI century at Lord’s. Skipping any dramatic bat-raising towards the members’ balcony, Rohit instinctively turned his eyes towards the stands.
Upstairs in the pavilion, his wife Ritika Sajdeh Wiping away tears after a week of difficult negotiations in public, she was clearly emotional. Rohit acknowledged his unwavering presence with a heartfelt flying kiss, a silent, powerful gesture of solidarity that instantly became the emotional heartbeat of the match.
Here is the video:
Ritsi is getting emotional and Ro is dedicating that moment to her with a flying kiss…it’s the kind of moment I will never forget😭❤️
no sight 🧿🧿🧿🧿 pic.twitter.com/FgoGEsBNE8– Neha 🌻 (@nehhaaa__) 19 July 2026
Also read: Fans react after Rohit Sharma’s brilliant century goes in vain as England win ODI series at Lord’s
India fell short in chasing huge target against England in the final ODI at Lord’s
Earlier in the day, England, invited to bat first, posted a massive score of 387/3 in the allotted 50 overs. opener ben duckett Led the team by playing a stormy innings of 141 runs in 135 balls, which got full support. jacob bethelWho made a strong opening partnership of 192 runs by scoring 91 runs in 93 balls. Joe Root Provided stability by scoring unbeaten 74 runs in 48 balls, but the real knockout blow was given by the captain. jos buttler. Buttler launched a brutal blitzkrieg, scoring 41 not out from just 13 balls (including 4 fours and 3 sixes) as England conceded 82 runs in the last five overs.
Among Indian bowlers, Mohd. Prasidh Krishna While took two wickets for 69 runs Prince Yadav took one, but Gurnoor Brar Facing heavy punishment, he gave away 97 runs in his 10 overs.
India gave a spirited reply while chasing the challenging target of 388 runs. Shubman Gill Played a steady innings of 77 runs in 84 balls at the top and made an opening partnership of 147 runs with Rohit. After Gil left, Virat Kohli He played a quickfire inning of 74 runs in 60 balls and shared a 113-run partnership with Rohit for the second wicket to keep India in a strong position at 260/1 in the 39th over.
However, once Bethel clean bowled Rohit for 138, India’s middle order faltered in the face of the rising required run rate. Sam Curran turned the game on its head with a fiery spell, removed Ishan Kishan (14), Shreyas Iyer (0), Kohli (74), and Akshar Patel (23) to finish with match-winning figures of 4/75. jofra archer KL Rahul was bowled out for 12, restricting India to 360/7 and England won by 27 runs.
