Fri, 16 Sep 2011 - England vs India, India Tour of England 2011, 5th ODI - Bulletin

Dominant England Completes Indian Thrashing

India’s horrendous tour to England ended with another defeat that meant the visitors leave the British shores without anything to show in the win column. An all-round batting performance from England boosted by debutant Jonny Bairstow’s slam whirlwind 21-ball 41 and matured 37 off 22 balls from Ravi Bopara after Alastair Cook and Johnathan Trott solid fifties saw the home team reach the D/L method revised target of 241 in 33rd overs with ten balls to spare and six wickets in hand. India were on the top having dismissed four top order batsmen with England still needing 75 in 8.2 overs but young Bairstow in Bopara’s company changed the course of the game completely to help his side to maintain clean sheet against India this summer.

India had probably their best batting performance on the tour marked with a more than run a ball ton from Virat Kohli who partnered with retiring Rahul Dravid to add 170 for the third wicket and rounded off with a 26-ball half-century to take score to 304. With rain washing more than two hours, target for England was revised to 241 in 34 overs. The home team got the target but not before experiencing some hiccups as England lost wickets at crucial junctions. Bopara and Bairstow held their nerves at the end of the chase to see home team through.

England lost Craig Kieswetter to Praveen Kumar for a 17-ball 21 early in the chase before Cook and Trott combined together to do put on 79 for the second fifty. Cook scrapped to his fifty before clean bowled by Virat Kohli while trying to cross-bat the part-timer. Trott though continued on his merry ways reaching yet another fifty and adding another 54 for the third wicket.

Both Trott and Bell hit some big shots to bring run-rate down and put England on course. England were pegged back with both dismissed in a matter of nine balls. Trott’s more than run a ball 63 included his two ODI career sixes and three fours and Bell hit breezy 26 punctuated with a couple of maximums.The duo demise came in search of big shorts. Bell fell to Kohli holed out at long-off while Trott couldn’t keep one down off Jadeja as England were reduced to 166 for 4 in 26th over and lot to do in order to reach the target.

Bopara-Bairstow, however, made target look easier thanks to their lusty and courageous hitting in the batting powerplay. The debutant slammed three sixes and a four and Bopara three fours and a six to complete their team’s dominance over the tourists.

Earlier Cook was fifth time lucky with the toss and again decided to put India in. Indian openers thwarted aggression and hostility from England new ball bowlers Steve Finn and Tim Bresnan to put steady 52 for the first wicket. Ajinkye Rahane and Parthiv Patel, in between some edgy moments, showed compact defensive technique and played some neat strokes in give India stable start. England bowlers didn’t let the duo to score easy boundaries though. Both were dismissed when they went for big shorts. Jade Dernbach had Rahane caught at point for a 47-ball 26 and Parthiv fell to Graeme Swann while miscuing a slog having faced 39 balls for 19. India were reduced to 57 for the loss of both openers in 16th over before Kohli and Dravid engaged themselves in a marathon stand.

The stand that saw Kohli score his sixth ODI hundred and Dravid a fifty in his final appearance for India in color clothing not only did the rearguard but gave scoring a real impetus once the duo was set. There was nothing fancy about the marathon stand with both playing proper cricket shots and looking for singles and twos in between big shots. Dravid was home facing both spin and faster men hitting the gaps non-chalantly and combined his calm presence with some pleasant backfoot punches.Kohli, who was having a lean tour till this match, took his time early on but once he settled his free-flowing stroke-making was unleashed. The right hander played a couple of perfect cover drives off the fast bowlers and late-cut spinners to drive India forward. After reaching his fifty, Kohli accelerated to dominate spinners in the middle overs. Runs came thick and fast as England bowlers had no answers to the quality and skill of Kohli and Dravid.

Dravid earned good returns in his final game scoring 69 off 79 balls and alongwith Kohli laid foundation for Dhoni onslaught and India reaching 300-mark. Kohli reached the three figure mark off 87 balls on his way to 107 punctuated with nine fours and a six. The duo went in a quick succession though. Dravid was clean bowled off Swann and his departure meant all the people, irrespective of loyalty, stood up to give the batting icon the rapturous farewell. Kohli followed him soon to bring Dhoni to the crease.

India’s batting powerplay taken reserved for last five overs of the innings that saw Dhoni went berserk to punish England’s death bowlers. The Indian skipper slammed five fours and a couple of sixes to boost India past 300. Dhoni got his trademark helicopter shot going and dumped length ball into cow corner more than once as fans were treated to some quality hitting in the end overs.

For England Swann took three wickets for 34 in nine overs he bowled while Bresnan bowled a wicketless ten over spell giving away only 44 runs.