Wed, 31 Aug 2011 - England vs India, India Tour of England 2011, Only T20I - Bulletin

Dernbach, Morgan star in England’s victory

For a change India did dominate some patches of the game but England showed enough class and depth in all three departments to emerge winners by six wickets only t-20 international at Old Trafford. After surrendering pole positions twice during their batting effort, Indian bowling unit appeared to be short of arsenal to defend an at par target of 166.

There was some drama in the end with Munaf Patel bowling a terrific penultimate over to leave Vinay Kumar ten runs to defend in the final over. Samit Patel didn’t lose his cool rounding off the tens runs with three balls to spare.

The win though was scripted by fast bowler Jade Dernbach whose four wickets proved instrumental in limiting England to a gettable total followed by a magnificent counterattacking 49 by left handed batsman Eoin Morgan. Post Morgan dismissal Ravi Bopara and Patel kept their nerves intact to see their side romp home. Bopara remained undefeated for scratchy but workman like 31 and Patel on crucial 25 off 16 balls.

The home team didn’t have auspicious start to the chase losing debutant Alex Hales to Praveen Kumar for two ball duck. Hales’ opening partner Craig Kieswetter and star batsman Kevin Pietersen decided take attack to the opposition’s yard scoring a flurry of boundaries. Pietersen, in particular, charged down the wicket to muscle some leg side fours. Kieswetter, at no point, showed keenness to defend trying to hit every ball. The pair put on 59 off 35 balls but both fell in matter of three runs to give India some hope.

Munaf Patel had Kieswetter caught at covers for 18 and part-time trundle of Virat Kohli dismissed Pietersen for 23-ball 33 including five fours thanks to a superb leg stumping from skipper MS Dhoni. The home team was in a spot of bother at 61 for three before Morgan and Bopara mixed rearguard with some aggression to bring chase on the track.

It was Morgan who went for the charge. His nifty footwork and ability to pick the length early came to fore as cheeky left hander scored boundaries all over the wicket to disturb Indian bowlers. On most occasions he went back into his crease to get his cut and pull shots away. He dumped Rohit Sharma for a six into mid-wicket stands and collected 15 off his over.

Bopara struggled for his timing early on but as his stay at the crease extended everything started to fall in place. The crucial and quickfire 73 were added by the pair taking their side closer to the target.

Morgan’s bright 27-ball tenure for 49 was ended by Munaf but it didn’t bring any joy to India. Patel-Bopara duo appeared unflustered to deny India their first win against England on the tour.

Earlier India wasted a strong platform provided by Rahane and Rahul Dravid experiencing two batting collapses to be all out for 165. India were on course to a big total with score reading 104 for 1 in 12th over but were pegged by four quick wickets for just 13 runs. Suresh Raina’s breezy 19-ball 33 turned the things in India’s before last five batsmen departed for only seven runs. For England fast bowler Jade Dernbach, the chief architect of Indian collapse, had an excellent figures of 3.4-22-4 as tourist batsman failed to pick his well disguised slower delivers.

India were off to a flier with young Rahane showing no nerves on his debut to take attack to England bowling lineup. The tourists reached 39 in fifth over losing Parthiv Patel to impressive Jade Dernbach for 10. This brought another debutant Dravid, incidentally his last t-20 international, and duo motored along to take India past 100 in 11th over.

Rahane played some exquisite strokes in his first impression and gave some stick to the English bowlers. The Mumbai batsman was very strong on the pull, unleashed some sweet inside out strokes and was purposeful running between the wickets. He became first Indian player to score a fifty on the debut in the format reaching the milestone off 29th ball he faced.

After overcoming iffy start, Dravid looked all at home and found his groove to punish England. He smoked three consecutive leg sixes off left arm spinner Samit Patel. And all three sixes were of twenty batting style book. The fourth off 11th over was slogged over mid-wicket, fifth into log-on boundary and sixth dispatched to square-leg stands.

India were all over the home team with Dravid-Rahane stand worth quickfire 65. The introduction of part-timer Bopara changed the things though. Off his third ball Dravid chipped a on the up drive straight to Morgan at cover. The champion batsman only international t-20 innings lasted 21 balls for 33 with a superb strike rate of 147.61.

Stuart Broad brought back himself into attack and snared two wickets to hit India hard. He ended Rahane’s splendid 39-ball 61 punctuated with eight fours and followed it with Kohli’s wicket for four to make life difficult for the tourists. Graeme Swann accounted for Rohit Sharma to have India struggling at 117 for 5.It needed Raina blitz to revive England. Alongwith his skipper MS Dhoni, Raina added breezy 41. The left hander handled the short balls with aggression slamming three sixes in cow corner direction to show English crowd his credentials in the shortest format.

India were on a right path at 158 for five in 18th over but Dernbach had other ideas. The tattooed bowler removed with a back of his hand slower delivery and ran out R Ashwin to display some terrific athleticism. In between Tim Bresnan dismissed Raina and Dernbach struck off consecutive balls in 20th over as India were bowled out with two balls yet to be bowled.