ENG vs IND | 3rd ODI | Three significant facts

India registered a memorable ODI series victory against England last night, riding on Rishabh Pant's blistering hundred and Hardik Pandya's all-round brilliance. 

What transpired in the game

After opting to bowl on a spicy Old Trafford surface, Rohit Sharma's men restricted their English counterparts to a modest total of 259. 

Although the Indian top order faltered during the chase, the match-winning 133-run stand between Hardik and Pant helped the visitors easily cross the finish line. 

As the cricket-crazy nation celebrates one of its most iconic overseas victories, let's unearth some significant facts about the Manchester ODI. 

Historic win by India

It was India's first ODI victory against England in Manchester in 39 years. The Men in Blue's last ODI win against the Englishmen at Old Trafford came way back in the 1983 World Cup. 

Since that match, India had lost three ODIs against the hosts at this venue. However, they finally breached the English fortress, courtesy of Rishabh Pant's masterclass. 

Pant special bamboozles England

Rishabh Pant registered the highest individual ODI score as an Indian keeper-batter at Old Trafford. The previous best was MS Dhoni's unbeaten 56 against West Indies in the 2019 World Cup. 

The swashbuckling southpaw smashed his way through to a magnificent 113-ball 125*, breaking Dhoni's record in this process. 

Hardik Pandya became the first Indian player to take a four-fer and hit a half-century in the same match in both white-ball formats. He also became the second cricketer after Shane Watson to achieve this remarkable feat.

Notably, Hardik picked the crucial wickets of Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone, helping India restrict England to a sub-par total. 

Hardik continued his scintillating IPL form throughout the England white-ball series. The dashing allrounder amassed 163 runs in the limited-overs leg at a brilliant average of 40.75. He also proved his mettle with the ball, picking eleven wickets in these five matches.