If this was to be the last time Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli grace English cricket, then so be it. Everyone who attended the third One-Day International at Lord's was able to see their experienced stars perform. Rohit scored 138, his 34th century in ODIs. Kohli with 74, a 133rd score of fifty or more, full of gear shifts up and down. What exactly is missing? Victory. By 27 runs, that clearly belonged to England. They batted spectacularly to give India a massive 388 in this series decider, and then they didn't look at the ball to win the series 2-1, their first victory over India since 2018 and only their eighth overall in 22 attempts. Ben Duckett's brutal 141, his fourth hundred in the format, set a new record for an individual ODI score at Lord's, making England's 387 for 3 the highest List A total ever. That, too, in a highest partnership for any wicket against India, as he and Jacob Bethell opened up the innings with 192. In addition, it was England's highest ODI score against India. It was the first century stand between England's top two since Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow put on 115 against Bangladesh in the 2023 ODI World Cup. In addition, Bethell's 91 in his third attempt to open the batting, following scores of 14 and 4 in the first two matches of this series, demonstrated his confidence in his promotion in the search for a memorable opening stand. However, the assault on the victim proved to be just as significant. Joe Root finished unbeaten on a classy unbeaten 74 off 48 - a sixth consecutive ODI fifty - while Jos Buttler brought some old-school bangers with 41* from 13 deliveries - his highest score in eight innings. In the final five overs of the first innings, they scored 63 of the 82 runs needed to put the chase out of reach. For context, India required 74 from their final 30 deliveries. It was two balls into that period that Sam Curran removed Kohli. That was the moment India realized the game was over, judging by the exits from the stands following a rousing standing ovation. The all-rounder then scored 75 from 10 overs with four skied moonballs, all of which were caught within 10 yards of the 30-yard line. In the end, India went 360 for 7. India were undoubtedly held back by the loss of Jasprit Bumrah through a knee injury sustained during the second ODI in Cardiff. But with Washington Sundar also out with a hamstring issue sustained during the same match, the India brains trust decided to bring in Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav - along with KL Rahul returning from illness for Shivam Dube. In the end, that was far from the truth. While the quicks were ransacked, especially during a final flurry in which the final 39 deliveries (after Duckett's dismissal) produced 94 runs, Axar was the most economical at 6.1 runs per over. England would deny that Bethell missed 100 if they were avaricious. However, the 22-year-old's strokeplay and the promptness of his seventh fifty-plus score made up for any agony caused by missing out (he has only had three in his professional career). The left-hander's grace, when driving down the ground twice among his 11 fours, and even in his two sixes, pulling Prince Yadav over backward square leg and depositing Axar in the second tier of the pavilion, felt like a nod to above. A tribute to Sir Garfield Sobers, who passed on Friday at the age of 89. Bethell came across Sobers' radar as a youngster growing up in Barbados. The legendary all-rounder showed immediate interest, sending Bethell a reference letter guaranteeing him a spot at Rugby School, which was the first step toward a potential England career. An innings full of crisp timing and accurate placement came to an end through too much of the former and not enough of the latter. Rohit only needed a few steps to make a comfortable catch after an additional bounce from Prasidh Krishna was directed toward the square leg boundary. Root and Duckett combined for 101 runs in 80 balls, with Duckett scoring his century in a speed-run that saw the second fifty to three figures in 44 balls compared to 64 for the first. Sweep-heavy as part of a typical method that brought Duckett 90 runs behind square from 46 deliveries, and in full kitchen-sink mode by the end, he carved Arshdeep to the deep cover point. After making a smart catch, KL Rahul was unable to avoid landing on the sponge, resulting in Duckett's only six runs of the innings. That would be the final of his 19 boundaries, which he lost when he flapped a Prince slower bouncer back to the bowler in the following over. A part of Buttler's eloquent exclamation point was a four-dish sequence of three sixes. A stunning back-foot slap shot from the middle of them to a Prasidh short ball landed just short of the Pavilion End's advertising boards. And he and Root found 39 from the final two overs, a target of 388 was laid at India's door. As a result, Rohit was the first one out, watched by the entire world and possibly judged by just as many. He displayed the only appropriate response to pressure on both his team and his international future. Potentially his last innings outright as an Indian cricketer, Rohit dug deep into his bank of memory, experience and perhaps even emotion. And in doing so he emerged as the first Indian man to strike an ODI century at Lord's, his eighth in England. It was more than 84 balls that took him to three figures, met with no more than a raise of the bat, helmet remaining on with more work to do. Pulls, drives, and even a couple of deft dabs around the corner against Gus Atkinson, which brought him to a run-a-ball 50, were among the 15 boundaries. He worked with Gill to put together a stand that appeared to match, if not exceed, England's openers. In the end, Gill lost to Adil Rashid, who had a flawless 77 to his name and a string of flawless stunning drives. Rohit cracked on in furious fashion, 88 coming from his last 60 deliveries. A chase of this magnitude needed someone to go big, and there were times, particularly in the afterglow of Rohit's six fence-clearing strikes - and certainly after two back-to-back off the returning Josh Tongue (for Saqib Mahmood) over long on and long off - that the game seemed to be bending India's way. However, England persevered in the face of a destiny dependent on one of the true ODI greats. Drying first, then removing the man in charge of the moment after Bethell had been slog-swept for what turned out to be the final of Rohit's 22 boundaries. A dart from the left-arm spinner snuck past the pad as the 39-year old shuffled across. Stumps were shattered. Hearts as well. Not every one of them, and certainly not Kohli's right now. With 110 needed for the final 54 deliveries, and now Ishan Kishan for company, he found a brace of sixes off Will Jacks's off spin. Straight as a die down the field, scoring a first fifty in any format at Lord's, then boldly behind square when full on his toes. However, the rate was higher than 12 at that point. These strikes had to be done over and over again all the way to the end. Kishan's attempt to find the midwicket fence was undone by a 50mph slower ball from Curran, nestling safely in the hands of sub-fielder Rehan Ahmed rushing in from the boundary. And then a repeat combination did for Shreyas Iyer three balls later - this time Rehan charging in from deep cover and diving forward to take a truly special catch. Curran was rewarded for his persistence with his moon ball. With the DRS review returning with an umpire's call on the projected impact into off stump, he may have also been rewarded with Rohit's wicket on 128; given not out lbw to a full one he failed to sweep. Kohli swung high into Brook's hands at extra cover in the final five overs, giving the all-rounder a big name to keep. Curran has been touted as a potential white-ball captain in the event that Brook is given the Test captaincy because of his big-game temperament. In addition, he will undoubtedly have assisted Brendon McCullum, the sole limited-overs coach who, following his resignation as Test coach last week, has managed to win T20I and ODI series against the white ball game's standard-bearers.