KL Rahul regains form with sparkling century against England in Pune ODI

India amass 336-6 in second match as Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant hit fifties

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  India's KL Rahul celebrates after scoring a century during the second ODI against England at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday, March 26. AFP

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  KL Rahul scored a century as India posted 336-6 against England in the second ODI in Pune on Friday. AP

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  Rishabh Pant hit 77 off 40 balls in Pune on Friday. Getty

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  India's Rishabh Pant hit seven sixes in his innings. Reuters

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  India's Hardik Pandya drives the ball against England in Pune. Reuters

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  India's Hardik Pandya hit 35 off 16 balls against England. AFP

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  England's Reece Topley, right, celebrates with teammates the dismissal of India's Hardik Pandya. AP

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  England's captain Jos Buttler, left, celebrates after India's captain Virat Kohli's dismissal at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. AP

KL Rahul well and truly returned to form with a composed century as India posted a daunting total of 336-6 in the second ODI against England in Pune on Friday.

After struggling in the T20 series and facing questions over his spot in the limited overs team, Rahul silenced his critics by reaching three figures in the second ODI having scored 62 in the first.

While Rahul scored 108 off 114 balls, India's total was propelled by Rishabh Pant who blasted seven sixes in his aggressive 77 off 40 balls.

Rahul anchored India’s total with two strong century stands after England’s stand-in captain Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to field.

India lost both openers — Rohit Sharma (25) and Shikhar Dhawan (4) — to England seamers before Rahul and captain Virat Kohli (66) put the innings back on track with a 121-run stand.

Adil Rashid broke the stand in the 32nd over when he had Kohli caught behind as the India skipper tried to cut the leg-spinner.

Rishabh Pant, who replaced the injured Shreyas Iyer in the playing XI, and Rahul then put on a brisk 113-run partnership with the left-handed Pant dominating England’s bowling through his powerful stint.

England’s Curran brothers — Tom (2-83) and Sam (1-47) — proved costly late in the game with India scoring 126 runs off the last 10 overs for the loss of only two wickets.

Rahul, who scored only 15 runs in four T20 earlier in the tour, completed his century off 108 balls with a single against Sam in the 44th over before holing out at deep midwicket in Tom's next over.

Tom also had Pant caught in the deep, but not before the left-hander slammed two successive sixes against the right-arm fast bowler.

Hardik Pandya (35 off 16 balls) lifted the total with his late cameo after Buttler couldn’t hold onto a thick edge when the batsman was on 21.

Regular captain Eoin Morgan was ruled out of the remaining two ODIs due to a hand injury and Buttler will lead the side in his absence.