Tue, 25 Oct 2011 - India vs England, England Tour of India 2011-12, 5th ODI - Bulletin

Spinners complete whitewash on England

The English batsmen were once again found wanting on a turning track as they capitulated to 176 all-out while chasing 272 despite a century stand by their openers. The loss culminated what has been a horror series for England, losing it 5-0.

The victory for India was set up by MS Dhoni who anchored India with a well paced knock after a good start by the openers was nearly wasted due to a mid-innings wobble. Steven Finn impressed with a lively spell of bowling but England were once again guilty of letting some easy chances go by as India put on a more than competitive 271 on the board. Jadeja starred with figures 4 for 33 and Ashwin too did his part with 3 for 28.

After being asked to bat, India had a typically steady start with both the openers taking their time to get the eye in. Rahane drove with ease while as Gambhir played the back foot shots as India were 41 for no loss after ten overs. Then came the first of the many missed opportunities, Craig Kieswetter mistimed his jump to spill an easy chance. With runs coming pretty easily, the opening partnership put on 80 before impressive Steven Finn broke through by cleaning up Gambhir for 38.

The new man in- Virat Kohli had to face four testing deliveries from Finn and the fifth one was an absolute beauty that came in to rattle the stumps after the batsman had shouldered arms. The double-wicket maiden lifted England and when Bresnan had Rahane caught behind for 42 in the next over, advantage of a solid start had nearly vanished away. Save for, a steady 53 run stand between Suresh Raina and Manoj Tiwary- drafted into the team at the expense of Parthiv Patel, bringing the innings back on track.

Tiwary was removed by Stuart Meaker for 24 and that meant India’s prolific scorer in the recent past in the 50-over format, MS Dhoni came to the middle with his team in need of a solid contribution. And, from the way he played the first ball, the knock had determination written all over it.

Dhoni drooped anchor to get used to the pace and bounce in the track before he would launch the attack at the death. He knitted useful partnerships with Raina, Jadeja and Praveen Kumar as India gained strength after each over with the charismatic captain in the middle.

With Raina run-out at a crucial junction, Dhoni was the one who could provide India the necessary flip with some lusty blows towards the end. The Indian captain who has enjoyed a good run of form in the recent past, remaining not-out in all the matches so far launched Graeme Swann for two sixes in the 43rd over. The real carnage happened in the last two overs bowled by newcomer Meaker and Samit Patel which yielded 39 runs. Dhoni used his trademark short arm jab to got effect remaining undefeated on 75 from 69 balls with three boundaries and four sixes. India scored 91 runs off the last ten overs lifting India to 271 on a surface that was not very conducive for batting.

Chasing a big total, England had a perfect start as Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter punished some wayward stuff from the Indian seamers. Even though, the former took his time early on, Kieswetter was going great guns hitting a flurry of boundaries in the first ten overs. The captain too joined the party and it seemed that England innings had finally some kind of momentum as their openers were dictating terms to the Indian bowlers.

When the hundred was brought up in the seventeenth over, England were nearly coasting towards their target. The openers having brought up their respective fifties were batting with utmost ease as England were sitting pretty at 129 after 20.1 overs. That is when calamity struck, Cook after smashing Aaron for a boundary was little late on the next delivery and the ball disturbed his off stump. The England captain while leaving the field after scoring run-a-ball 60 would have thought that the he had put England in a good position. But, that was not to be.

Jadeja trapped Kieswetter plumb in front in the next over for 63 as both the settled men were back in the hut and England were in a spot of bother. However, the worse was yet to come. Dhoni was forced to defer the bowling powerplay as the England openers were doing well, decided to take it with two new men in the middle. And, it proved to be master stroke three wickets falling in the five over block.

Bell was caught behind, Trott caught in the slips, Bairstow offered a simple catch to point as the Indian spinners virtually spun a web around the English batsmen. Half the team had been dismissed in five overs. With Jadeja and Ashwin making life difficult, part timers Suresh Raina and Manoj Tiwary too didn’t allow them any leeway. They accounted for Bopara and Bresnan before Jadeja returned to take out Samit Patel and Ashwin had two scalps in one over to complete the white wash on England.

From 129 for 0, England had collapsed in a heap to be all-out for 176, thus losing the match by 95 runs. For India, the spinners supported by sharp and agile fielding took center stage sharing nine of the ten wickets.