No respite for India, England win 3rd ODI to take 2-0 lead

The humiliation continued for the beleaguered Indian team as England survived jitters to win the rain-curtailed third cricket one-dayer by three wickets and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

England were given a fine start by opener Craig Kieswetter who made 51 from 41 balls with three fours and three sixes. © AFP

After India set a target of 235 for England, it was reduced to 218 in 43 overs due to light drizzle that robbed around an hour's play. The home team ultimately reached the target with seven deliveries to spare on Friday.

England were 95 for 3 from 20 overs when showers sent them indoors and when they returned, they needed 123 from the remaining 23 overs.

Their nerves were further rattled when the two batsmen at the crease at the time of the break, Ian Bell (23) and Ben Stokes (20), were dismissed within a space of two runs to leave the hosts tottering at 133 for 5.

England were then revived by Ravi Bopara (41) and Tim Bresnan (28) who put on 60 runs for the sixth wicket but then the latter departed to Ravindra Jadeja in the 39th over the bring the game back on even keel. England at that point of time needed 25 runs from 25 balls with four wickets in hand.

England then moved their score to 208 for 6 in the 41st over, the first of the two overs of batting Powerplay, at which stage Bopara was bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin and England needed 10 runs from the final 13 balls.

The penultimate over, bowled by Munaf Patel, settled the issue when the two batsmen at the crease, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann ran their singles smartly and the latter, in between, also hit a four through mid-off.

England, earlier were given a fine start by opener Craig Kieswetter who made 51 from 41 balls with three fours and three sixes.

But the equation began to change once the two Indian spinners, Jadeja and Ashwin, were pressed into action. Both spinners gained considerable spin and bounce and their guile almost proved too much for the hosts before the latter held their nerves to see the day through.

Both Jadeja and Ashwin took five wickets between them and had the England batters in the knots. India had begun disastrously, losing four wickets for 25 runs after being put in to bat, but then recovered to post 234 on the board and later had the hosts tottering through their spinners.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (69) and Ravindra Jadeja (78) combined superbly for a 112-run sixth wicket stand that was instrumental in taking the score to 234.

No less exhilarating was the seventh wicket stand between Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin (36 not out) which fetched 59 runs off only 31 balls.

Ravindra Jadeja's all-round performance went in vain. © AFP

It was a massive recovery after James Anderson had punched holes in India's top-order, claiming three for 24 in his first spell of seven overs and also having a hand in running out Rahul Dravid (2).

Dhoni, possibly playing his best innings this summer, scoring his runs off 103 balls with five fours and was a picture of solidity and intent as he pushed back England bowling on a green top.

Even more creditable was Jadeja, flown in as a late replacement and playing his first one-day international in 10 months, as he showed fine technique and awareness about how to score runs. The spunky cricketer made 78 off 89 balls with 10 fours.

The right-left hand combination also worked to their advantage and they largely looked to score their runs in ones and twos as only seven fours had been hit between them when they raised the century stand for the sixth wicket.

Indeed, in a 10-over period between overs 32nd and 41st, not a single boundary was hit and only 37 runs were added by the pair.

However, their half centuries came in good enough time.

Dhoni reached the landmark off 69 balls with five fours and Jadeja reached his landmark off 73 balls with six fours.

Indians opted for the batting Powerplay in the 44th over with the score being 167 for 5.

As it usually happens, the attacking field of Powerplays, immediately yielded results for the home team as Dhoni's aggressive heave could go only as far as mid-off. The 112-run partnership came off 156 balls.

Young Ravichandran Ashwin kept the tempo, flicking Jade Dernbach to fine leg and then playing a scoop over keeper's head for another four.

Jadeja too helped himself to a couple of boundaries from the same over, flicking a slower delivery to fine leg and then driving the last delivery past extra-cover fence to make it four fours from the over.

In all 19 runs came off this Dernbach over, the 46th of the innings. Anderson bowled the last over of the batting powerplay -- the 48th -- and conceded 16 from the over.

James Anderson had punched holes in India's top-order, claiming three for 24 in his first spell of seven overs and also having a hand in running out Rahul Dravid (2). © AFP

The first two deliveries were slammed by Jadeja in the mid-off region and Ashwin hit one off his own as 51 runs were scored the by the visitors in the five overs of batting Powerplay for the loss of Dhoni's wicket.

At the end of the batting powerplay, India were 218 for 6, with Jadeja on 75 and Ashwin on 26. The 50-run stand between the two was soon to come off only 26 balls.

Jadeja was to depart in the final over, holing out to long-on, and was given a handsome appreciation by a packed stand. Ashwin remained not out on 36 off 19 balls with five fours as India rattled up 84 runs from the final 10 overs.

The day couldn't have been begun bad enough for the Indians who lost exciting young talent Ajinkya Rahane (0) in the very first over of the innings. Anderson, relishing bowling on a lively green wicket, made his fourth ball swung away late as Rahane could do no better than edge it to first slip.

The next five overs produced almost no runs before Parthiv Patel (3) pushed to mid-off and called Dravid for a sharp single. An alert Anderson quickly swooped down on the ball and threw down the striker's end to catch Dravid short of his crease.

It was Patel's turn to depart next when he tried to push Anderson against the swing and had his off-stump pegged back.

India's lot didn't get better as Virat Kohli (7) appeared all at sea before poking his bat at an Anderson delivery and offering a catch to wicketkeeper.

Raina, after his heroics in previous one-dayers, was once again on a pitch with life and juice and thus understandably played and missed a lot. The left-hander though was to get India's first four in the 10th over when he gloved a rising Tim Bresnan delivery past the keeper on the on-side.

Raina also managed a six, a massive hit on the on-side off Anderson, but departed for 21 after a similar attempt to hoick, this time Stuart Broad, resulted in an edge to wicketkeeper.

India were 58 for 5 now at the end of the 19th over and the writing was on wall before Dhoni and Jadeja scripted a recovery act.