Stephen Lamb
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3rd ODI: India v England at Chennai, 25 Jan 2002 Stephen Lamb |
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India innings:
England innings: |
Flintoff continued to keep India in check, although Sehwag cut a timely boundary off Hoggard, and then watched Tendulkar play two almost identical strokes in the Yorkshireman's next over before lifting a slower ball, one-handed, over midwicket for four more. Tendulkar's 50 came up off 44 balls in the 14th over.
Hoggard made way for Hollioake, whose first over cost ten runs as India cruised serenely on. The hundred came up in Hollioake's second over (the 18th of the innings) as Sehwag pulled another boundary and India posted their best partnership of the series. Sehwag's fifty quickly followed as he pulled Snape through mid-wicket, but he holed out to Trescothick playing a similar stroke next ball.
Laxman joined Tendulkar to keep the scoreboard ticking until the little master finally succumbed, plumb lbw to Snape hitting across the line at a straight ball.
Tendulkar's start against Gough and Hoggard was explosive, and included an array of pulled boundaries. When Gough overpitched, Tendulkar drove him high over Hussain at cover for another. As he pitched up, the Indian superstar whipped him through mid-wicket for another to leave Gough glazed with admiration. Sehwag joined the party with two off-side boundaries as 17 runs came off Gough's third over.
Flintoff applied the brakes as he replaced Gough, but Sehwag had a let-off when he cut Hoggard and Snape, after parrying a difficult catch at backward point, couldn't quite hold on to the rebound. Sehwag celebrated with an off-drive for four off Hoggard which brought up India's 50 in the tenth over.
There was a let-off for Snape when an appeal for a catch at short leg off Harbhajan was turned down; replays showed a thin inside edge on to the pad. But Hollioake gave England something to cheer about with a magnificent six wide of mid-on in Kumble's next over. Snape could have been run out as he was sent back by Hollioake attempting a quick single off Srinath, but Sehwag's throw was narrowly wide.
Snape took a much-needed boundary down the ground as Srinath overpitched, and the 50 partnership came up in the 39th over. Although boundaries were hard to come by, Snape and Hollioake did well to keep the innings moving with ones and twos. Snape's valuable contribution came to an end when, having cut Agarkar to the third man boundary, he heaved across the line to lose his middle stump. Snape had made 38 and added 70 with Hollioake, who went on to bring up up England's 200 in the 45th over.
Hollioake's commendable effort came to an untimely end when he pulled cross-batted at Agarkar to be caught off the leading edge by Kumble at extra cover. Gough lost his middle and off stumps heaving at Agarkar, and the England innings ended with a needless run out as Hoggard attempted an unlikely second.
After a hesitant start, Vaughan made the most of a half volley from Srinath which he dispatched to the cover boundary. But the introduction of Sanjay Bangar spelt more trouble for England, as Hussain tried to pull a ball which wasn't short enough for the shot. The result was a straightforward catch for Harbhajan at mid-on, and England's rollercoaster was lurching dangerously.
Collingwood joined Vaughan and the two proceeded with due caution, exchanging singles and occasionally threes as they penetrated the in-field. But after striking Bangar for two boundaries in an over, Collingwood was undone by Harbhajan Singh, who found the edge with a ball that held its own and was caught at slip by Laxman via Ratra's gloves.
Flintoff hoisted England's hundred in the 20th over with a well-timed boundary to long-off, but perished driving in the same over, returning a simple catch to Kumble. Joined by Hollioake, Vaughan collected four more off Harbhajan with another trademark off-drive before cutting Kumble with the same result. However Kumble took the key wicket in his next over, when Vaughan tried and failed to pull out of a cut for Tendulkar to take a fine, sprawling catch at backward point.
On a near-perfect batting wicket, Javagal Srinath bowled two wides and a no ball in his first over, while Trescothick showed early signs of his current form with boundaries through cover off Agarkar and mid-on off Srinath.
The Somerset left-hander was determined to take control and cracked a slower ball from Agarkar through the covers like a rocket. Nick Knight perished in the seventh over, playing an ungainly heave at a slower ball from Srinath to be caught by Mongia at mid-wicket.
Undaunted, Trescothick moved down the wicket to hit Srinath high and handsomely over extra cover. Sadly for England it was not to last; in the tenth over Trescothick tried to guide a short ball from Agarkar down to third man and gloved it to Ratra behind the stumps.
England are playing an unchanged team, and skipper Nasser Hussain chose to bat this afternoon after winning the toss.
England team: ME Trescothick, NV Knight, *N Hussain, PD Collingwood, A Flintoff, JN Snape, +JS Foster, MP Vaughan, D Gough, MJ Hoggard, BC Hollioake.
India team: V Sehwag, SR Tendulkar, D Mongia, VVS Laxman, HK Badani, SB Bangar, +A Ratra, *A Kumble, AB Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, J Srinath.
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Date-stamped : 25 Jan2002 - 22:26