Fri, 09 Sep 2011 - England vs India, India Tour of England 2011, 3rd ODI - Bulletin

England's winning march against India continues

England’s pursuit to inflict all format whitewash on India is inching towards reality every match as hosts scrapped to yet another victory to take a 2-0 lead in five match series . To their credit, India fought admirably but England showed depth and class in their batting to reach the revised target of 218 (43 overs) with seven balls to spare and three wickets intact. Indian spinners did keep their team in the hunt till the very end by taking wickets every now and then but England got over the line.

Actual target of 235 was reduced to 218 in 43 overs after rain washed out nearly an hour and half when game was evenly poised with England score at 95 for three in 20 over. After the break India snared Ian Bell and Ben Stokes to have their opponents in a spot of bother with score reading 133 for 5.Ravi Bopara and all-rounder Tim Bresnan absorbed the pressure and brought chase on the track thanks to some levelheaded approach to the chase. The duo concentrated on the singles and doubles and unleashed aggressive strokes when opportunity was offered to them.

A crucial 60 run partnership was raised to take their side closer to the chase before both fell in a quick succession. Ravindu Jadeja who had earlier bowled Craig Kieswetter followed the suit in Bresnan case to send England all-rounder back to dressing for 28. Bopara, battling for a place in England’s playing eleven, showed tones of concentration and skill to milk the spinner through the gaps and take England on the brink. He fell for nearly run a ball 40 with India ten short of the target when R Ashwin’s big off-break removed his leg bail. . Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad rounded off the reaming runs to make sure India have to wait for their first win on the tour.

Earlier, England were off to a brisk start to their chase with Kieswetter slamming a quickfire 51 and Alistair Cook scoring a steady 23. The openers put on 63 before Munaf Patel trapped Cook plumb infront of the stumps. Kieswetter though didn’t look bothered as he hit three sixes and as many fours to take attack to Indian fast bowlers.

The introduction of spinners though slowed down the things as Jadeja removed Kieswetter and Ashwin bowled a peach of a carom ball to disturb Johnathan Trot’s off bail. Stokes and Bell engaged themselves in rearguard action before heavens opened up.For India Ashwin and Jadeja took a brace each but couldn’t translate an India victory.

Solid fifties from Ravindu Jadeja and MS Dhoni helped Indi to overcome James Anderson inflicted batting collapse to post a score in excess of 230. The visitors had lost half their side for paltry 55 in 19th over before comeback man Jadeja on his way to 89-ball 78 combined with Dhoni and then Ashwin to resurrect Indian innings. Dhoni-Jadeja stand added crucial 112 for sixth wicket before Ashwin joined Jadeja to collect quickfire 59. Dhoni hit a resolute 69 off 103 balls and Ashwin also demonstrated his batting abilities to score an unbeaten 19-ball 36.

India didn’t particularly have an auspicious start losing wickets upfront to Anderson’s accurate seam and swing bowling. On a grassy Oval pitch Anderson justified Cook’s decision to insert India first by removing in-form opener Ajinkye Rahane fourth ball of the first ball. Young opener had a waft to Anderson out-swinger only to edge to safe hand of Trot in the slips.

The Lancastrian seamers added to Indian woes courtesy his fielding skills catching Rahul Dravid short of ground at striker’s end after Parthiv Patel called him for a quick single to mid-on. Dravid went for two. Parthiv didn’t last long himself playing all around to straighter one only to see his off-stump disturbed. Things just went downslide for the visitors when Anderson induced an edge off Virat Kohli’s poking blade to have India 25 for 4. Such was the England domination that first Indian boundary came in 10th over.

Suresh Raina tried a couple of times to hit bowlers out of Oval and succeeded once as well when he launched Anderson way back into mid-wicket stands. His aggressive and method-less approach proved to be his undoing when he tried to repeat the short only to edge it to the wicketkeeper for shaky 21.Drafted into the side in Manish Tiwary’s to give his side another bowling option, Jadeja and his skipper showed the application and fight which their top failed to do. Their stand was marked some sensible batting as duo mixed some compact defensive technique with occasional aggression.

Having team’s murky situation in mind, Dhoni and Jadeja were circumspect but made bad balls didn’t go waste. The Indian skipper slammed some ferocious cut and pull strokes during his 103-ball stay before succumbing to Tim Bresnan in his quest for some quick runs.

Jadeja who stroked some exquisite cover drives and late cuts looked at home and upped the ante post Dhoni dismissal to give Indian score some respectability. His work was made easier by Ashwin’s heroics with the bat. India’s number eight showed some cheekiness and good hand eye coordination to provide some late charge to the batting effort in Jadeja’s company. Jadeja’s gutsy, and, probably, career reviving knock included ten hits to the fence and Ashwin’s punctuated with five. The duo helped India great deal in taking the score to 234, a total that looked a remote possibility when the visitors were five down.

For England Anderson was the pick of bowlers taking three for 49 in nine while Bresnan, Jade Dernbach and Broad claimed a wicket apiece. Graeme Swan had quiet wicket-less spell of ten overs.