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Rediff.com  » Cricket » Images: India crush England, complete 5-0 series victory
This article was first published 12 years ago

Images: India crush England, complete 5-0 series victory

Last updated on: October 26, 2011 08:02 IST

Image: Indian players celebrate after winning the match
Photographs: Getty Images

Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin weaved their magic on the English batsmen to hand India a 95-run victory in the fifth and final One-day International and complete a series sweep on Tuesday.

-Scorecard / Match report 

A 129-run opening stand between Craig Kieswetter (63) and Alastair Cook (60) gave England the perfect platform to chase down a 272-run victory target, but Jadeja took four for 33 and Ashwin picked three for 28 as England collapsed to 176 all out in just 37 overs.

Earlier, put in to bat, India nearly squandered a fluent start as they slumped to 123 for four, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni provided a late flourish with a sparkling unbeaten 75 off 69 balls to shepherd the hosts to a commanding 271 for eight.

India off to steady start

Image: Gautam Gambhir avoids a bouncer from Tim Bresnan
Photographs: Getty Images

India got off to a steady start, courtesy Ajinkya Rahane and Gautam Gambhir.

Back to his opening slot in place of Parthiv Patel, who was replaced by local lad Manoj Tiwary, Gambhir took the risks with odd boundaries.

India scored 41 runs from the first powerplay even as the new opening duo remained unscathed. The pair survived a couple of anxious moments, even as the English fielders did not show urgency on the field.

England fight back with three quick wickets

Image: Steven Finn celebrates after dismissing Virat Kohli
Photographs: Getty Images

Both Rahane and Gambhir played freely before Steven Finn castled Gautam Gambhir for 38.

Five balls later he had the in-form Virat Kohli walking back to the pavilion after Kohli shouldered an incoming delivery.

In the next over, Bresnan dismissed Rahane, who was brilliantly caught behind the stumps by Craig Kieswetter, for 42.

The bowling powerplay yielded 10 runs and three wickets in the process.

Tiwary, Raina steady Indian innings

Image: Stuart Meaker celebrates after bagging the wicket of Manoj Tiwary
Photographs: Getty Images

Manoj Tiwary, who was playing his first game of the series, then joined hands with Suresh Raina to steady India after the jitters.

Tiwary looked impressive in the short stay before he knicked one to Kieswetter off Stuart Meaker.

Raina, at the other end, couldn't capitalize on the reprieve that he got when Graeme Swann dropped him when he was on one.

Raina did stitch up a good partnership with Dhoni before he was brilliantly run out off Ravi Bopara for 38.

Dhoni powers India to challenging total

Image: Dhoni in action
Photographs: Reuters

MS Dhoni, who showed a rich vein of form throughout the ODI series, came good again for India with some lusty blows in the end.

He smartly dealt in singles at the beginning before opening his shoulders in the later stages of the innings. He was particularly severe on England off-spinner Swann, hitting him for two massive sixes to make his intentions pretty clear.

But it was Meaker's over that provided the impetus to the Indian innings, as they picked 21 runs from it.

Dhoni reached his half-century with a brilliant boundary off Meaker. In the final over, India scored 16 runs.

Dhoni finished with a brilliant 75 not out off 69 balls, inclusive of three boundaries and four sixes.

England off to a flier

Image: Craig Kieswetter raises his bat after completing a half-century
Photographs: Reuters

England, chasing a stiff 271 for victory, were off to a great start. The duo of Craig Kieswetter and Alastair Cook punished the Indian bowlers, who were guilty of bowling on both sides of the wicket.

Kieswetter, in particular, was aggressive. The spinners too struggled to cope with the dew and wet conditions as they put on a brilliant 100-run stand for the opening wicket.

Cook was severe on Praveen Kumar, smashing three boundaries, to get the innings going.

Dhoni introduced part-time Manoj Tiwary, but the plan backfired that as England scored 13 runs off the over.

Aaron dismisses Cook

Image: Alastair Cook is clean bowled by Varun Aaron
Photographs: Reuters

Varun Aaron provided the much-needed breakthrough as he castled Cook for 60. Cook was beaten for pace, as the ball crashed on to his off-stump.

That opened the floodgates for India. Ravindra Jadeja, at the other end, had Kieswetter leg-before-wicket, to make it two in two for India.

And when Ashwin had Ian Bell knicking one to Dhoni, India were well and truly back in the match.

England lost three wickets for just nine runs.

Spinners seal the match

Image: R Ashwin celebrates after dismissing Ian Bell
Photographs: Getty Images

From there on, the Indian spinners took the game away from the England, picking wickets at regular intervals.

Jadeja claimed the wickets of Kieswetter, Bairstow, Johanthan Trott and Samit Patel, while Ashwin accounted for the Bell, Meaker and Finn.

Part-timers Manoj Tiwary and Suresh Raina picked a wicket each.

Jadeja won the man-of-match award, while Dhoni was adjudged man-of-the-series.