FOUR reasons that made the 2nd India vs England ODI special

If you like me were glued to your TV sets for most part of the day yesterday,  Team India's win against England in the 3 match One Day International (ODI) series won't come as a surprise. However, apart from the fact that India won the match that saw a nail-biting finish, there are four reasons that made this match all the more special 

1.    Yuvi-Dhoni Partnership: India was reeling at 25-3 after a three wicket haul by Chris Woakes .But, the two legends Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked out and steadied the game with their massive run onslaught. Yuvraj smashed a total of 150 runs in 127 balls and Dhoni a total of 134 runs in 122 balls. It rained sixes and fours at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttuck, Odisha.The two “anchors of the ship” established a partnership of a total of 256 runs, breaking all records in the process With this partnership, Yuvraj and Dhoni completed 3,000 runs between them. This stellar performance by the two helped every die-hard Indian cricket fan relive the past.

2.    Yuvraj Singh’s Century :  Yuvraj’s outstanding performance came at a time when India needed it the most. He hammered 21 fours and three sixes in what he calls one of his career-best knock in ODIs. With a total of 150 runs, Yuvraj broke his personal record by scoring his highest ever ODI Score and became the highest Indian scorer against England . This was also his FIRST century after SIX years; one that won him the title of “Man of the Match”. He attributed his win to the faith current Indian Captain Virat Kohli showed in him and the blessings of his Guruji and his mother.

3.    Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Century:  In typical Dhoni style, his innings began slowly before he played a crucial role in steering India to victory, like he has on numerous occasions in the past. Dhoni crossed the three-figure mark with a total of 134 runs. His last ODI century was in the year 2013, thereby making this century a little more special. With this century he also joined the “very exclusive club” as he became only the 5^th batsmen to hit 200+ sixes in ODI’s. With a total of 203 sixes, he is the FIRST Indian and the FOURTH International batsman to achieve this feat. He hit a total of 10 fours and 12 sixes, scoring his 10th ODI hundred, his first since handing over captaincy to Virat Kohli.

4.    India clinches ODI Series: After defeating England by 15 runs in yesterday’s match , India clinched the 3 match series, bringing the total score to 2-0.

This match had everything that a die-hard cricket fan wanted. A giant total by the home team, a 256 run partnership by two legends, thrill intact even throughout England’s chase and most importantly an Indian win.