The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President Rajeev Shukla backed the Indian team's combination despite its 2-1 One-Day International series defeat to England, praising the performances of senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the third and deciding match at Lord's. India lost the final ODI by 27 runs after falling short in a high-scoring chase, but Shukla said the team's batting display showed that the combination remained strong.

Speaking after the match, Shukla said England's late surge with the bat proved to be the turning point. The hosts scored 62 runs in the final three overs to post a record 387/3, the highest ODI total at Lord's. He said India's batters performed exceptionally well in the chase, particularly Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and captain Shubman Gill, but the target eventually proved too steep. "The team combination is good, everything is fine," Shukla said, adding that England simply managed to score more runs on the day.

Chasing 388, India made a strong start through Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, who shared a 147-run opening partnership. Rohit scored a brilliant 138 from 110 deliveries, registering his 34th ODI century and becoming the first Indian batter to score an ODI hundred at Lord's. His innings also became the highest individual ODI score by an Indian against England in England, surpassing his unbeaten 137 at Trent Bridge in 2018. Gill contributed 77 before Virat Kohli added a fluent 74 off 60 balls.

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Rohit and Kohli's 113-run partnership for the second wicket marked their 21st century stand in One-Day Internationals, moving them to second place on the all-time list behind Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, who recorded 26 century partnerships. India appeared well placed at 304/2 before suffering a dramatic middle-order collapse, losing three wickets for just 12 runs as England regained control of the contest.

Earlier, England produced an outstanding batting performance after being asked to bat first. Openers Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell put together a 192-run opening stand, with Bethell scoring 91. Joe Root remained unbeaten on 74 from 48 balls, while Jos Buttler blasted an unbeaten 41 off just 13 deliveries. Their late assault powered England to 387/3, with 126 runs coming in the final 10 overs, exposing India's struggles at the death.

England's bowlers then held their nerve despite India's strong reply, with Sam Curran claiming four wickets at crucial stages and Jofra Archer providing important breakthroughs. India eventually finished on 360/7, handing England a 27-run victory and the series. While the result ended India's hopes of winning the series, the performances of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill were viewed as major positives ahead of the team's upcoming international assignments.

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