« Back to article | Print this article |
England completed a series victory over world champions India on Sunday after the fourth One-day International at Lord's ended in a Duckworth/Lewis tie on Sunday when rain forced the players off the field with seven balls remaining.
The result was decided by a boundary catch when Ravi Bopara attempted to clear the ropes to complete his first one-day international century.
He was well held by Ravindra Jadeja in the deep for 96 to reduce England to 270 for eight from 48.5 overs in reply to India's 280 for five.
The teams left the field immediately afterwards with no more play possible and Bopara's dismissal meant the teams were tied on the Duckworth/Lewis method for deciding rain-reduced matches.
England still took a 2-0 in the five-match series after the first game was rained out.
This is the second time an ODI match between the two sides have ended in a tie in recent times after the World Cup encounter in Bangalore earlier in February.
England were served well by Bopara who scored his runs off 111 balls and struck six boundaries, but his dismissal in the penultimate over deprived them of a win.
Bopara bent down on his knees to sweep Munaf Patel but could not clear Ravidra Jadeja at deep midwicket as a brave innings came to an end.
A delivery before Bopara's dismissal, Munaf ran out Swann as the Indians broke into celebrations, but rain had the final say.
While there is still a match to go, the hosts have pocketed the series as they have won the last two one-dayers after the first match was abandoned.
The hosts were in trouble at 61 for three as RP Singh and Praveen Kumar gave India the advantage by sending Alatair Cook, Craig Kieswetter and Jonathan Trott back in the pavilion early.
However, Ian Bell and Bopara offered resistance as they put on 98 runs for the fourth wicket to keep them in the game.
But what really gave England the fillip was the stand of 47 for the sixth wicket between Bopara and Tim Bresnan. Swann then scored a brisk 31 off 26 balls before falling prey to Munaf's direct throw off his bowling.
Earlier, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina led a superb Indian fightback with brilliant half centuries as the visitors posted a competitive 280 for five.
Put into bat, India were wobbling at 110 for four in the 26th over but Dhoni and Raina resurrected the innings by sharing a record 169 runs for the fifth wicket in 23.5 overs to give their side a defendable total.
The duo joined forces after openers Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane gave the team a cautious start, with Steven Finn and James Anderson extracting bounce and movement from the pitch.
After the departure of Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid in the space of four balls to off-spinner Graeme Swann's first over, it was left to Dhoni and Raina to build the innings.
They avoided playing extravagant shots from the overs between 22nd and the 36th. But after that, both opened up.
Raina hit Finn for two consecutive fours and then Dhoni launched a Swann delivery for a huge six to take the score to 171 for four at the end of 40th over.
India took batting powerplay in the 43rd over and after that it rained fours and sixes. Anderson bled 18 runs in the 44th over and Broad was hit for 13 in the 46th. Raina punished both the bowlers for a six each.
Dhoni hit Swann for a six and a four and then punished Broad for the maximum, while Raina gave the same treatment to Anderson with consecutive fours before he was out to Finn.