Sat, 03 Sep 2011 - England vs India, India Tour of England 2011, 1st ODI - Bulletin

Rain plays spoilsport to Indian chances

For the first time on the tour, India were well placed to get off the mark against England but rain played the spoilsport. The tourists had home team on the mat having nipped out both their openers on paltry 27 in 7.2 overs chasing a target of 274 when heavens opened up. The persistent rain at Chester-le-Street, despite ground staff doing all they could, didn’t let any further play.

In its pursuit to 275, England were rocked back early by impressive Praveen Kumar who snared both Alistair Cook and Craig Kieswetter cheaply thanks to some quality swing bowling. England skipper Cook inside-edged one on to his stumps and his partner Kieswetter was caught plumb infront when he tried to play one all around his pads.

Praveen was all over England posing all sorts of problems for the batsmen. By the look of things it looked a target of 275 was more than competitive under the swing and seam conditions. But it turned out to be rain that had a final say on the results. The abandonment of the first ODI of five match series means India will have to wait for more days before it opens its account on the tour against English side.

Earlier India’s makeshift opener Parthiv Patel stylish 107-ball 95 well backed up by solid contributions from fellow opener and debutant Ajinkye Rahane, Virat Kohli (55), Suresh Raina and skipper MS Dhoni helped India to post a decent 274/7 in allotted fifty overs. Parthiv had two productive partnerships with Rahane and Kohli before Dhoni and Raina combined to give their some quick runs in the death overs. To their credit, English bowlers didn’t let Indian batsmen to run away with the game taking wickets in clusters whenever the tourists were set for a charge.

With Cook inserting India in having overcast conditions in the mind, inexperienced opening pair of Parthiv and Rahane who made his debut after Sachin Tendulkar was ruled out of the game due to a toe injury, looked very compact upfront against new ball bowlers of James Anderson and Tim Bresnan. After getting their eye in, both the openers unleashed some cracking fours to get going.

Baby faced Parthiv was very strong through off-side hitting some neat square drives while Rahane showed no debut nerves pouncing majestically on anything short. The young right hander was authoritative pulling the ball and scored a couple of fours off his legs as well. In contrast, left handed Parthiv cracked some attractive off-side fours and his first boundary against Anderson down the ground was a treat to watch.

Indian openers were motoring along taking the score to 80 in just 16th over before Stuart Broad removed Rahane last ball of the same over for an impressive 44 ball 40. His liking for the pull shot was his undoing as he miscued a pull shot to fine-leg for Samit Patel to take an easy catch. Rahane hit six fours and went with India score reading at 82. Next over Broad made sure Rahul Dravid’s return to ODI fold didn’t last long removing the right hander for two which reduced India to 87 for 2.

Parthiv though continued on his merry way bringing his half-century off 66 balls marked with seven fours and in Kohli’s company combined the rearguard action with some aggressive stroke-making. The duo added a steady 103 runs for the third wicket giving their side a string base to for acceleration. With field spread, both of them concentrated on hitting the gaps for singles and two’s and putting the bad deliveries away when English bowlers dished up the hittable stuff.

The tourists were all poised for late charge with score at 190 and two well set batters on the crease but were pegged back with both of them departing in quick succession. Anderson induced an edge off Parthiv flashing drive to have left hander missing a well deserved hundred by just five runs. Parthiv hit dozen fours in his knock. Patel left arm spin did the trick with Kohli under-edging an quicker one on to his stumps for 55 off 73 balls hitting four boundaries. In between, Broad’s well directed lifting delivery hit Rohit Sharma on index finger and forcing him to retire hurt only facing a single ball. The extent of injury is such that Sharma is done for the series and will fly back to India soon.

India were virtually five down for 206 in the 40th over. It needed Raina’s breezy 29 ball 38 to give some acceleration to Indian score with Dhoni playing a steady hand by scoring 33. The right and left handed duo scored 60 runs in nine overs with Raina slamming two sixes and as many sixes in his knock. Dhoni though consumed 36 for his knock. England bowlers displayed good skills in the death overs and made sure Indian score rate is kept under check. Jade Dernbach removed Raina and Bresnan took wickets of successive balls including that of Dhoni to limit the damage.

For the home team, Bresnan and Broad took two wickets each. Anderson and Samit, playing a lead spinner after ace offie Graeme Swann was ruled out due to any injury, bowled tightly and claimed a wicket each.