CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Joe Root rescued England yet again to beat India by four wickets on Thursday and set up a decider in their one-day international series.
Root was required to bat after just one ball in England's innings and anchored the chase with a flawless and unbeaten 99 at Sophia Gardens.
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India's Virat Kohli celebrates making fifty runs during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
India's Virat Kohli bats during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
India's Shreyas Iyer celebrates making fifty runs during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
England's Harry Brook before being caught out during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
He was stranded when Gus Atkinson pulled Prasidh Krishna to the boundary for the winning runs. England reached 235-6 with 5.5 overs to spare after bowling out India for 233 with six overs unused.
“Getting the win was the important thing,” Root said. “Conditions were difficult to bat on. Sometimes you have to scrap for it and win ugly.”
The third and last ODI in the tied series is on Sunday at Lord's.
Half-centuries by Virat Kohli (65) and Shreyas Iyer (66) propped up India's 233. But they had been 178-3.
The run chase would normally be academic. England's target was less than five an over, doable with singles and no unnecessary slogs. Also, India was short a bowler after allrounder Washington Sundar injured his leg batting and never fielded.
But the English, their ODI confidence not as strong as their T20's, made it hard on themselves.
Ben Duckett was out to the first delivery of the innings from Jasprit Bumrah, and Jacob Bethell fell to Krishna at 8-2.
Captain Harry Brook ramped Krishna for a six then overdid it. He was hit on the grill by Gurnoor Brar and, undaunted, Brook tried to scoop Brar again and was out for 16.
Wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, replacing an unwell Lokesh Rahul, caught the first four England wickets.
Root read the situation and was patient. His second fifty in a row, and 67th in ODIs, came from 76 balls. It was his slowest ODI fifty since the 2019 World Cup.
“If the run rate was five or more we could have got a false shot out of him, but this kind of chase he's a master,” India captain Shubman Gill said.
Jos Buttler dispatched Axar Patel over long-on and was bowled trying to swat Patel again, on 17 at 125-5, restoring hope for India.
But Will Jacks supported Root and they produced a chanceless stand of 72 until Jacks gave his wicket to Brar at 197-6.
Root showed frustration but tailender Gus Atkinson calmed him with a six in Bumrah's last over that cleared the fine leg boundary and just missed a seated steward. Bumrah responded with a bouncer off Atkinson’s helmet but finished with just the wicket from his first ball. Atkinson scored 23 of the last 38 runs and Root hugged him at the end despite missing out on a 21st ODI hundred. His 133-ball 99 included nine boundaries.
“He turns up when you need him the most,” Brook said of Root.
Gill lost the toss again but gave his team a fast start.
Then the old firm of Rohit Sharma and Kohli combined for 60, taking them past 8,000 international runs as a pair across all formats since 2010. Sharma, dropped on 5, also passed Inzamam-ul-Haq for seventh on the all-time ODI scorers list, before he was out for 26.
Kohli got a run-a-ball fifty — his 132nd in ODIs — with a driven four. But when he was out for 65 off 66 balls top-edging Jofra Archer to deep third, it triggered a collapse.
Iyer hit a 71-ball 66 but couldn't shepherd the tail and Archer and Atkinson claimed three wickets each and Saqib Mahmood two.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
India's Virat Kohli celebrates making fifty runs during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
India's Virat Kohli bats during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
India's Shreyas Iyer celebrates making fifty runs during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
England's Harry Brook before being caught out during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Rescuers aboard boats and helicopters saved dozens of stranded drivers and people trapped in homes from catastrophic flash floods in Texas in areas still reeling from devastating floods a year ago.
At least one person was dead, Gov. Greg Abbott said, adding that it appeared many of the summer camps hit hard last year were not in danger. “Our number one focus is saving lives,” he said.
After days of pounding rain, the National Weather Service said a “large and deadly flood wave” barreled down the same river wrecked by flash floods last summer when two dozen children and counselors were killed at Camp Mystic.
Much like last year, the floods came in the middle of the night. But this time some residents in the Texas Hill Country said they received more warnings.
Forecasters urgently warned “Move to higher ground now!” as rivers rose hour by hour, turning them into fast-moving seas of white water. Some spots of the Guadalupe River rose by more than 30 feet (9 meters).
The governor said more than 1,300 first responders were deployed, rescuing well over 70 people.
As much as 28 inches (74 centimeters) of rain fell over the past three days in Uvalde County, which was spared from the worst flooding a year ago, the weather service said Thursday. Other areas saw roughly a foot of rain with more expected going into Friday.
“This is hopefully the last real batch of rain,” said Jason Runyen, a meteorologist with the weather service.
While authorities have not released the name of the person who died, Jennie Steward said the body of her husband, 65-year-old John Mark Steward, of Kerrville, was found Thursday.
She was visiting her parents when a neighbor called overnight, saying her husband was missing after water had risen to the door of their mobile home, which stood about 8 feet (2.4 meters) off the ground.
The entire home was swept off the platform and floated down Goat Creek on the Guadalupe River, she said.
“It’s really hard that I wasn’t there with him,” she said. The two were married three years ago and last spoke by phone Wednesday to celebrate their anniversary.
The unfolding crisis brought back haunting memories of last summer's unimaginable Hill Country floods that killed more than 100 people over the July Fourth holiday.
“It’s crazy happening two times in one year,” said Josiah Rodriguez, who awoke to the sound of heavy rain around 2 a.m. Thursday in Kerrville. He navigated flooded roads to help evacuate relatives.
“Last year there was no warning of it,” he said. “It just kind of happened overnight and it took everyone by surprise. This year, a lot more alerts have gone into place, a lot more safety measures.”
Residents said they were caught off guard a year ago and didn’t receive any warning when floods overtopped the Guadalupe. Some local leaders were criticized for not acting quickly.
The storms and flooding this time threatened multiple counties close to the Mexico border and in the Hill Country near San Antonio. Roughly six million residents across Texas were under a flood watch this week, and some were expected to remain in effect through Friday evening.
Several agencies sent rescue helicopters to the flood zone, including Travis County in the state capital of Austin.
“My understanding is people were mostly trapped in trees and on rooftops,” said Travis County Judge Andy Brown, who said one caller warned 10 people were trapped on a barn roof.
At a wild animal rescue, Katie Buck evacuated several dozen animals to higher ground in the dark Thursday as the normally dry Lazy Creek overflowed. She had to quickly grab a porcupine despite having no gloves.
She got all of the animals to safety, but flooding destroyed several enclosures at the Buck Wild Animal Rescue and Wildlife Rehab near Ingram in Kerr County.
“We were just starting to get back on our feet again,” Buck said. “To have to go through this again is just devastating.”
Residents at an RV park in Comfort moved their trailers as sirens sounded, said manager Duke Earwood.
Water rose over the hoods of vehicles parked near the river at the Comfort RV Resort. Markers showed the flooding already matched last July's big flood.
“Too familiar for sure, and too soon,” Earwood said.
Floodwaters also overran the city of Uvalde overnight, cutting off most outside routes. The Leona River, normally dry most of the year, filled streets with water.
“People really can’t get anywhere,” said Carmen Rodriguez, who nervously watched water engulf her neighborhood as a helicopter roared overhead. “We have a place to go, but all the streets are closed.”
Rodriguez said authorities seemed to be well prepared, ordering mandatory evacuations and notifying people directly.
Texas Game Wardens rescued more than 40 people, mostly in the Uvalde County area, according to a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesperson.
So far, the heavily swollen Guadalupe has remained below the record levels reached in 2025. Gauges showed it rose by more than 30 feet (9 meters) in some spots over just a few hours.
Close to Camp Mystic, which hasn't reopened since last year's tragedy, the Guadalupe near Hunt reached about 20.5 feet (6.3 meters), which is enough to cause flooding, according to U.S. Geological Survey and National Water Prediction Service data.
In Kerr County, where summer camps dot the river's shores, the sheriff’s office said all campers were safe. Several camps said the children were staying inside, with one camp reporting normal flooding.
While the water didn’t rise as high as a year ago in Ingram, Mayor Claud Jordan believes this round of flooding was more widespread in his city. “The rural part of Ingram, all the roads are just trashed,” he said.
“There are a bunch of businesses that haven’t reopened from last year,” Jordan said. “This doesn’t help.”
The Hill Country is especially prone to flash floods because the area’s signature limestone is covered by just a thin layer of soil. During heavy rains, water can quickly shoot downhill before filling the narrow river basins.
Stengle reported from Dallas. Associated Press writers Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Michael Phillis in Washington; Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Anna Wilder in Austin, Texas; Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.
A property's gate featuring cattle is partially submerged with flood waters along State Highway 27 in Comfort, Texas, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)
A first responder vehicle is parked as flooding moves along the Guadalupe River on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Comfort, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)
A helicopter flies over the Guadalupe River as floods pass through the area on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)
Flooding blocks off G Street along the Guadalupe River on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)
Mike Erulenfeld and Kala Martin walks back to his truck after watching as the Pedernales River floods near Old Kerr Highway on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Fredericksburg, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)
The Pedernales River floods along State Highway 16 on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Fredericksburg, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)
Mike Erulenfeld and Kala Martin watch as the Pedernales River floods near Old Kerr Highway on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Fredericksburg, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)
The Pedernales River floods underneath State Highway 87 on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Fredericksburg, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)
A small fish is stranded on a sidewalk after flood waters subsided on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Reece Noble, left, and Gavyn Steffek, photograph a tortoise they found in flood waters on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Members of the Boerne Fire Dept. rescue a woman from flood waters on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
A flood-damaged car hangs from a fence on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Members of the Boerne Fire Dept. prepare to perform a water rescue on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
