Thu, 20 Oct 2011 - India vs England, England Tour of India 2011-12, 3rd ODI - Bulletin

Clinical India clinch series

A solid batting display by India saw them clinch the five match ODI series 3-0 at Mohali, beating England by five wickets with four balls to spare. Jonathan Trott had set-up a challenging 299 run target for India and the hosts started well, controlled the middle overs but lost wickets in a bit of wobble, however Dhoni and Jadeja shared an unbeaten 65 run partnership that took India across the line. It was particularly bad day in office for England stumper Kieswetter who dropped two catches and messed up a run–out to let India off the hook.

Given that the new ball swings under lights at Mohali, the Indian openers got the chase off to a solid start. Both Parthiv Patel and Ajinkye Rahane timed the ball well, picking up boundaries regularly. The first wicket partnership was worth 79 before Tim Bresnan provided the break through but with a little bit of help from the umpire. A swinging delivery that seemed to land outside leg stump trapped Parthiv for 38.

The other opener, Rahane was happy to rotate the strike as he was joined by Gautam Gambhir. And, the left hand, right hand combination steered the Indian chase. With the England spinners getting some purchase which made boundary hitting difficult, the duo relied on singles to keep the score board ticking over.

While Rahane used the cut to good effect, the chip over the infield kept Gambhir’s score moving, even one such shot landed over the long-off rope. Meanwhile, both the batsmen had reached their fifties, Rahane’s second in his career. With the stand worth 111 and England in total control at 190 for 2 in the 34th over, Steven Finn removed Gambhir for 58 courtesy a brilliant one handed catch by Kevin Pietersen.

The much needed wicket was enough to lift England as the bowlers put in lot more effort which resulted in quick wickets. First Rahane perished for 91 and two of India’s well known finishers Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina fell within a space of six deliveries as the visitors were well and truly back in the game.

With 64 still needed off 50 balls when Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja got together, the advantage was definitely with England but the two paced their partnership to perfection, knocking off the runs without any alarm. Although, they struggled a bit at the start to get going, the release shot came off. Finally, the chase was overhauled in the last over as, the ice-cool Dhoni carting a short ball over cover.

Earlier, England were helped to 298 due to two century partnerships which Jonathan Trott shared with Kevin Pietersen and Samit Patel. The accumulator Trott was steady as ever throughout the innings, finishing just two runs short of a ton while as fifties from the two burly men ensured England had a chance to limit the in-form Indian batting.

Knowing that only a win would keep England in the series, Alistair Cook elected to bat without any hesitation but the captain failed to make use of good batting conditions, Vinay Kumar trapping him in front of the stumps with one that straightened after pitching in line for 3. The early wicket, however, didn’t deter Craig Kieswetter from playing his natural game, his run-a-ball 36 taking England to 53 after 12 overs. Virat Kohli’s dibbly-dobblers did Kieswetter in, chopping a full delivery on to his stumps.

Pietersen got going with a deflection down to fine leg that fetched him four runs in the same over. While Trott batted like his usual self, scoring runs without getting noticed, his partner smashed four boundaries in the powerplay at the end of which England had recovered to 112 for 2. As a result, Pietersen overtook Trott to reach the fifty off just 48 balls and the visitors were starting to wrest the initiative from India.

The partnership having put on 101 was starting to hurt India but Ravindra Jadeja’s left arm beat Petersen’s prod to have the aggressive right hander LBW for 64 at more than run a ball. Bopara accompanied Trott for a 41 run stand as England looked to increase the tempo but the real acceleration came when Samit Patel replaced the former.

Meanwhile, Trott had moved to 65 off 88 deliveries when the fourth wicket fell. The fact that the right hander was playing the sheet anchor role to perfection allowed Patel to play an attacking knock. On 207 for 3 after 40 overs, the acceleration started when Patel dismissed a short delivery for a boundary. With the runs coming quickly, the England score was galloping towards the psychological mark of 300. In addition to seven boundaries, Patel launched two sixes off Vinay Kumar to finish with his highest score in the 50-over format, 70 off 43 deliveries. Trott too played his part in the 103 run partnership that eventually took England to 298, only a good piece of fielding denying him three figures as he finished on 98.