Visitors ride on opener’s unbeaten ton after Bresnan and Finn demolish India’s top-order.
This wasn’t a do-or-die situation for either side. India had already clinched the five-match ODI series before reaching the picturesque Dharamsala. Everything about this place is beautiful except, the Indians may contest, its bouncy pitch.
So once again India floundered on a wicket that provided early morning assistance to the England pacers. Suresh Raina, as he has been doing in this series, struck a watchful 83 that gave the home team something to bowl at. But was 226 going to be enough? England, batting under a mix of flood and natural lights, chased it down with ease, courtesy Ian Bell’s unbeaten 113.
Bell, England’s most technically accomplished batsman, played the anchor role to perfection, taking his team past the finishing line with help from Joe Root (31) and Eoin Morgan (40 not out). Morgan’s lusty hitting towards the end — he hammered three sixes — ensured that the match didn’t go down to the wire.
Earlier, England seamers reduced India to 24 for three within the seventh over. Steve Finn and Tim Bresnan probed the openers, with the latter dismissing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in an identical manner — caught at second slip attempting a drive.
Chris Woakes, introduced in the 10th over, forced Raina to edge an out-swinger, but James Tredwell spilled the chance at slip. After Gautam Gambhir failed to make his shaky start count, the onus was on Raina and MS Dhoni to give the innings a semblance of stability. The two added 30 in the next 8.5 overs before Dhoni was done in by a debatable leg-before decision, making it 79 for five.
Raina didn’t disappoint the 19000-strong crowd, adding 78 for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (31) demonstrated his prowess with the bat for the first time in the series, but that was only so much the lower-order could do.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}