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| England Players Celebrate After Winning Their Series Of One Day International Cricket Matches Against India On Friday |
England prevailed yet again. India’s bleak tour stumbled to its lowest point when England won the fifth and final match of the NatWest Series at the Sophia Gardens here on Friday. England won by six wickets and blanked India 3-0 in the series.". This was India’s eighth loss to England on this tour inclusive of four Tests, lone Twenty20 and three ODIS.
India posted 304 for six in 50 overs and England had to re-orient itself to three revised targets thanks to the rain. First it was scaled down to 295 from 47 overs and then it became 270 from 40 overs and finally it was pegged at 241 from 34 overs once the skies opened up after India had bowled 9.1 overs. England scored 241 for four in 32.2 overs.
Prior to the resumption of play, England lost the aggressive Craig Kieswetter after R. Vinay Kumar darted one back. The opener had constantly flicked fours off his toes but the same shot undid him against the Indian seamer, who replaced an injured Praveen Kumar in the playing eleven. Skipper Alastair Cook (50, 54b, 5x4) and Jonathan Trott (63, 60b, 3x4) then chugged along. Trott clouted a six off Munaf Patel but the rain returned and forced another revision in target.
When the match resumed, there was a touch of drama as Parthiv Patel `caught’ Trott off Munaf and exultantly threw the ball up. Trott had begun to walk away when Cook alerted him that a `no-ball’ had been called and England continued its pursuit. Cook and Trott raised 79 runs for the second wicket before Virat Kohli stepped in and broke the partnership.
Cook, dropped by Rahul Dravid of the previous ball, took a mighty heave against Kohli and lost his timber. England stayed in the hunt though as Trott and Ian Bell bludgeoned a few meaty blows especially in a Ravindra Jadeja over that went for 21 runs. India chimed back into the game when R.P. Singh and Jadeja lured ambitious but fatal shots from Bell and Trott.
There were no further alarms for the host as Ravi Bopara and specifically debutant Jonathan Bairstow (41 n.o., 21b, 1x4, 3x6) played a flurry of big hits as the batting Power Play (overs 29 – 31) went for 42 runs. The Indian shoulders slumped and with a bowling attack further weakened by an injured Munaf leaving the field, the contest was well and truly over.
Earlier India’s imposing total was built upon Kohli’s 107 (93b, 9x4, 1x6) and Dravid’s 69 (79b, 4x4). The duo’s 170-run third-wicket partnership off 160 deliveries proved to be the perfect base for M.S. Dhoni’s powerful blows in his unbeaten 50 (26b, 5x4, 2x6).
India started well through a 52-run partnership between Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane but their dismissals demanded solidity and comfort, which Dravid provided along with Kohli. The veteran, playing his last One Day International, was cheered vociferously by the crowd and a group of fans held aloft a banner that read: “The only reason we are here is to show our gratitude to Dravid.”
The initial volleys were Dravid’s punch off Jade Dernbach and Kohli’s wristy four off Graeme Swann. The two men then pushed the scoreboard at an easy canter before Kohli sliced a few over the in-field. The alliance gained weight with its first 100 runs coming in 111 balls and Dravid watched his younger partner gallop ahead. Soon Kohli reached his fifty while Dravid had two lucky streaks as he nearly dragged a square-drive on to his stumps and then watched a catch go down.
Dernbach suffered on both occasions and the second reprieve must have hurt the seamer as he got a hand to the ball in his follow-through. Kohli meanwhile played inside-out drives and reached his sixth ODI hundred. Dravid’s century would have been a perfect fairytale but that remained a dream as he missed the line against Swann, who also scalped Kohli.
Dhoni then played his power-packed strokes including the helicopter shot while the England attack lost its radar. Later in the night, the Indian skipper watched the culmination of a miserable tour and his `Man of the Series’ award was hardly any consolation.
The scores.
India: Parthiv Patel c Bresnan b Swann 19 (39b), A. Rahane c Finn b Dernbach 26 (47b, 3x4), R. Dravid b Swann 69 (79b, 4x4), V. Kohli (hit wicket) b Swann 107 (93b, 9x4, 1x6), S. Raina c Bresnan b Finn 15 (15b, 1x6), M.S. Dhoni (not out) 50 (26b, 5x4, 2x6), R. Jadeja c Bopara b Dernbach 0 (1b), R. Ashwin (not out) 0 (0b). Extras (b-1, lb-11, w-6): 18. Total (for six wkts., in 50 overs): 304.
Power Plays: One (Overs 1 – 10): 43/0; Bowling (11 – 15): 14/1; Batting (45 - 49): 51/1.
Fall of wickets: 1-52 (Rahane), 2-57 (Parthiv), 3-227 (Dravid), 4-236 (Kohli), 5-284 (Raina), 6-288 (Jadeja).
England bowling: Bresnan 9-0-62-0, Finn 10-1-44-1, Dernbach 10-0-73-2, Swann 9-0-34-3, Samit 8-0-55-0, Bopara 4-0-24-0.
England: A. Cook b Kohli 50 (54b, 5x4), C. Kieswetter lbw b Vinay 21 (17b), J. Trott c R.P. Singh b Jadeja 63 (60b, 3x4), I. Bell c (sub) Tiwary b R.P. Singh 26 (21b, 2x6), R. Bopara (not out) 37 (22b, 3x4, 1x6), J. Bairstow (not out) 41 (21b, 1x4, 3x6). Extras (lb-1, w-1, nb-1): 3. Total (for four wkts., in 32.2 overs): 241.
Power Plays: One (Overs 1 – 8): 44/1; Bowling (9 – 11): 21/0; Batting (29 – 31): 42/0.
Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Kieswetter), 2-106 (Cook), 3-160 (Bell), 4-166 (Trott),
India bowling: Vinay Kumar 6.2-0-42-1, R.P. Singh 7-0-51-1, Munaf 4-0-26-0, Ashwin 4-0-25-0, Jadeja 5-0-52-1, Kohli 6-0-44-1.
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