6th ODI: India v England at Mumbai, 3 Feb 2002 CricInfo Live Report

6th ODI: India v England at Mumbai, 3 Feb 2002
Stephen Lamb

India innings: 20 overs, End of Match,
Pre-game: Toss and Teams,
England innings: Ten overs, 28 overs, End of Innings,

ENGLAND SQUARE SERIES IN MUMBAI CLASSIC

England squared the one-day series with India by pulling off a thrilling win under the lights at Mumbai. Chasing 256 to win the game and take the series 4-2, India fell short by just five runs as disciplined bowling by England gradually increased the pressure on the batting side.

India progressed steadily towards the mid-point of their innings, and Ganguly accelerated to his 50 with a drive for six over long-on off Giles. The stroke also completed the 50 partnership with Mongia, and after 25 overs India were well placed at 143 for two.

Gough returned in the 27th over as England searched for the breakthrough, while Vaughan continued to extract turn and bounce. He got his just deserts when Mongia, on 35, came down the wicket and was beaten by the turn, allowing Foster to make a smart stumping.

With the required rate mounting Ganguly relieved the pressure by hitting Gough back over his head for six. Kaif swung Vaughan to the mid-wicket boundary to put the pressure back on England, and Ganguly took maximum toll of a rare full toss from Vaughan. Ganguly (80) fell in bizarre circumstances, when after missing a sweep at Giles he deflected the ball on to his stumps off the back of his bat. Ganguly walked back disconsolately and England hopes rose again.

The 200 came up with 12 overs remaining and India marginal favourites. But as tension mounted Kaif (20) hit across the line at Flintoff, skying a catch to Hussain at cover. Caddick was tighter on his return, but Badani and Ratra then managed a run a ball off a Vaughan over to keep India in the hunt.

To England's dismay Vaughan then missed Ratra off Caddick at square leg. It wasn't expensive; to Vaughan's relief he dismissed Ratra in his next (and last) over, as Ratra slogged him straight to Giles at deep mid-wicket. When Caddick got extra bounce to take Agarkar's edge, India were for seven and England had taken the driving seat.

Gough kept India in check on his return, but Badani took a priceless boundary off Flintoff to leave India needing 20 off 16 balls. Harbhajan perished for five, flailing at Flintoff. Badani re-kindled Indian hopes with four off Gough, and with six needed off three balls Kumble, the non-striker, was run out by Flintoff follwoing through as he attempted a sharp single. Flintoff finished it by bowling Srinath with his next ball, and England had triumphed to square the series.

GANGULY HOLDS KEY AFTER INDIA START WELL

Needing 256 to beat England and take the six-match series, India have begun well, reaching 118 for the loss of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag after 20 overs. India's captain Sourav Ganguly is unbeaten on 42.

Tendulkar pulled Gough high over mid-wicket for his first boundary in Gough's first over as the Yorkshireman shared the new ball with Caddick. Sehwag responded with a rasping square cut as Caddick dropped short, and Tendulkar had his home crowd in ecstasy as he hit Caddick for a mid-wicket six. Sehwag took four and then six off Caddick backward of point as India matched England's initial scoring rate.

The stadium fell to an eerie silence as England made the first breakthrough, Gough finding Tendulkar's outside edge with extra bounce for Foster to complete the dismissal. Ganguly took four to long leg from his first ball, but Caddick responded with the first maiden of the innings. A thick edge to third man from Sehwag brought up India's 50, and Ganguly found the extra cover boundary in Flintoff's first over. Two similar strokes followed off Caddick, whom the India captain then hit well back into the stand over long-off.

To England's relief Caddick accounted for Sehwag (31), who drove a swinging delivery to Thorpe at mid-on. Mongia greeted Giles' first over (the 15th) with consecutive boundaries to bring up India's 100. Nonetheless Sehwag's departure heralded a quieter period, as both Flintoff and Giles managed to put a brake on the scoring.

ENGLAND FIGHT BACK AFTER HARBHAJAN STRIKES

England were dismissed for 255 in the final over after a superb innings of 95 by Marcus Trescothick gave them a magnificent start in the final one-day international at Mumbai. Harbhajan Singh took five wickets, and after a middle-order collapse Andrew Flintoff kept England in the game before he was last out for 40.

Paul Collingwood was the sixth England wicket to fall as he clipped Harbhajan to mid-wicket, where Ganguly took a fine catch diving forward. A catch by Sehwag at slip, again off Harbhajan, sent Giles back without scoring, and the "Turbanator" had taken four for two in seven balls. England had subsided from 153 for two to 174 for seven.

With 20 overs still remaining, Flintoff and Foster set about using them up with watchful defence and pushed singles. Flintoff, who should have been given out off bat and pad from his first ball, broke out with four off Harbhajan between cover and mid-off. Six followed over long-on to bring up the 200, but Foster became Harbhajan's fifth victim as he was caught and bowled driving. Harbhajan completed his ten overs with best-ever ODI figures of five for 43, having turned the innings on its head.

After Caddick had swung Tendulkar high to Kumble at mid-wicket, Gough joined Flintoff who continued to bat sensibly, pushing singles as well as the odd boundary. Gough chimed in with a straight-driven four off Srinath, and the 250 came up in the 49th over. Flintoff was eventually caught in the deep by Agarkar off Srinath to end the England innings on 255 in the final over.

TRESCOTHICK GOES FOR 95 AS INDIA FIGHT BACK

Harbhajan Singh has hit back for India after a superb innings from Marcus Trescothick gave England a platform for an imposing total against India in the final one-day international. After 28 overs England were 173 for five, with Thorpe and Trescothick dismissed in the same over.

With England rattling along at seven runs an over, Ganguly turned to Kumble in the 12th over before coming on himself in the 13th. Kumble's first over included two wides, but Ganguly made the breakthrough when Hussain, on 41, pulled a long hop straight down Harbhajan's throat at deep mid-wicket.

Trescothick maintained the momentum with a straight-driven six off Kumble, and went to his 50 (off just 42 balls) driving Ganguly imperiously through extra cover. It was a stroke to be repeated at regular intervals as the Somerset left-hander remained in total command of the bowling.

The introduction of Harbhajan in the 20th over brought India hope as Trescothick missed a turning first ball and edged the second for three. But a reverse sweep in the same over meant more gloom for India as Trescothick went to 76. England completed the 21st over by hoisting the 150 to maintain their remarkable scoring rate.

England lost Vaughan at 152, stumped for 16 as he played a needless cross-batted heave at Harbhajan. As Thorpe picked singles, Trescothick went into the nineties by heaving Harbhajan from outside the off stump to the mid-wicket boundary. Thorpe became Ratra's second stumping scalp when came down the wicket and missed a wide from Harbhajan. Trescothick then departed for 95, caught and bowled by Harbhajan off the leading edge as he played to leg against the spin.

KNIGHT GOES EARLY AS ENGLAND BAT FIRST

Nick Knight was dismissed in an extraordinary first over of the sixth and final one-day international between India and England at Mumbai. Knight was caught behind by Ajay Ratra off Javagal Srinath without scoring. Marcus Trescothick was missed by Hemang Badani at backward point of the very first ball of the day.

After a plethora of appeals in the first two overs, Nasser Hussain took a boundary through mid-wicket off Agarkar, and after four overs England were 14 for one. Hussain had some good fortune in the sixth, with two boundaries through midwicket and another to third man as Virender Sehwag couldn't get his hands to a flashing cut.

Shortly after taking three through cover Trescothick edged Srinath and was almost caught by a diving Sehwag at second slip. Five more followed from an Agarkar wide, and five more from overthrows next ball as Agarkar shied at the stumps while Trescothick took a straightforward single. England's 50 came up in the eighth over, and an off-driven boundary from Trescothick completed a nine-ball over that cost 17 runs.

After Hussain had taken four to backward squre leg off Srinath, the batsmen exchanged regular singles before Trescothick hammered Agarkar through point and over mid-wicket to take England to 70 for one after ten overs.

ENGLAND BAT FIRST IN FINAL ONE-DAYER AT MUMBAI

Sticking to a philosophy he has been expounding throughout the tour - bat first and apply the pressure - Nasser Hussain had little hesitation in making his decision on calling Heads and winning the toss at the final one-dayer in Mumbai.

A win here will square the series for Hussain's men, and their tight two-run win at Delhi will give them some measure of confidence in looking for a victory. The Indians, on the other hand, would ideally like to win, and win comfortably, to wrap up a series 4-2.

England made no changes to their winning combination from Delhi, but India, giving up their Delhi experiment with Sarandeep Singh, have brought back the more experienced Harbhajan Singh for this crucial tie.

Teams:

India: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Mongia, Mohammad Kaif, Hemang Badani, Ajay Ratra (wicket-keeper), Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Javagal Srinath

England: Nasser Hussain (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Nick Knight, Michael Vaughan, Graham Thorpe, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, James Foster (wicket-keeper), Ashley Giles, Darren Gough, Andrew Caddick