Sun, 27 Feb 2011 - India vs England, World Cup 2011-11th match Group B - Bulletin

Teams share points in tense game

The game lived up to its hype and expectations as there was no clear winner till the second last ball of the match. As it turned, result came right on the last ball with both teams sharing a point each.

Needing two runs off the last ball, Graeme Swann hit the ball to covers and could get only one run. Hence match between tied between England and India.

England’s mammoth run chase of 339 runs had many twists and swings having more drama to it than any other game in the tournament thus far.

For the major part of their chase, England were well ahead and had Indian bowlers on ropes but last eight overs, batting powerplay in particular, got India right back into the game with Zaheer Khan nipping three quick wickets and yielding only 25 runs.

More than India, it is England team that will be more disappointed with the result as thanks to a master class from their captain Andrew Strauss who scored more than run a ball 158 and .

He was brilliant right from the start of his inning, virtually scoring boundary off every over and kept the required rate under control before he got out.

He got out to Zaheer whose inspired last spell was instrumental in make the chase with England needing 58 off 47 balls.

After removing bell off the first ball of the batting powerplay to end 3rd wicket marathon partnership of 170 runs, Zaheer got Strauss leg before and followed up with wicket of Collingwood disturbing his off stump when right hander gave him a charge down the wicket.

Before Zaheer’s inspirational spell and Indian comeback, England batsmen had toyed with Indian bowlers with Strauss, after putting on 68 runs with Pieterson and 43 for 2nd wicket, combined with sublime Ian bell to have India struggling for the answers.

The pair not only played some good copy book and innovative strokes but were very quick to run between the wicket running Indian fielders ragged.

Strauss was very authoritative against spin and never letting them to settle bringing his century off 99 balls and went on to his 150 off 138 punctuated with 18 fours and a humongous six off Yuvraj.

Ian Bell was very innovative and picked the gaps non-chalantly in his 71-ball 69 runs including four fours and a six off Chawla that brought up his half-century.

After the dismissal off the duo, England lost Collingwood, Prior and Yardy in a quick succession and went into the 49th over with 29 overs with 3 wickets in hand.

India chose Chawla to bowl the over in which he was hit for two sixes but came back with a wicket of Bresnan off last ball.

It was left to Swann and Ajmal Shahzad to score 14 off last over with Munaf given the duties by Dhoni to bowl the all important over. Shahzad hit a straight six off third ball of the over and ran a bye next ball that was followed by another two leaving English side to need 2 to win off last ball.

The pair could run only one off last ball ending one of the most thrilling matches with scores tied.
Earlier, Indian Surge to big total of 338 was led by batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar’s record century with solid contributions from Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh.

Tendulkar’s nicely paced century that came off 103 balls was his 47th overall and 5th in world cup matches as he toyed with English bowlers to score at his will.

After Virendar Sehwag’s dismissal, who raced to 35 courtesy six boundaries before caught brilliantly by Prior off Bresnan, Tendulkar took the charge and unfurled some beautifully crafted strokes on both sides of the wicket. He nudged nurdled and was keen in getting the singles but as the inning progressed he unleashed aggression on his way to century surpassing Ganguly, Ponting and Mark Waugh as the player with highest number of centuries in the world cup matches.

Tim Bresnan was England’s best bowler on the park taking a five wicket haul and conceding only 48 in his ten overs. It was his spell in last overs that pegged back India to 338, otherwise India could have easily reached 350 plus score.

He was involved with two important partnerships first with Gambhir putting 134 for the second wicket and quick 56 for third with Yuvraj to help India to a massive total.

Sachin took liking to the off spin of Swann and slow medium of Collingwood hitting five sixes off the duo and got out to struggling James Anderson in pursuit of scoring briskly in the batting powerplay.