Comprehensive Win For India Levels ODI Series

Comprehensive Win For India Levels ODI Series

Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored a half-century to help India reach a score of 285 for five - which England never threatened

©REUTERS / Action Images

India 285-5 (Dhoni 72, Jadeja 61no) beat
England 158 by 127 runs
Second One-Day International, Kochi
Scorecard
Report by John Pennington

By scoring 108 runs in the final 10 overs of their innings, India followed England's blueprint of how to set up a One-Day International total but then performed just as well with the ball to take a 127-run win in the second game in Kochi.

Half-centuries from Mahendra Singh Dhoni (72), Ravindra Jadeja (61 not out) and Suresh Raina (55) took India to 285 for five and England were subsequently bowled out for 158 in 36 overs.

Bhuvneshwar Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin both took three wickets as England floundered as the pitch slowed up with only Kevin Pietersen and Samit Patel showing any degree of comfort.

It marked a fine turnaround from India after England reduced them to 71 for three with the new ball. When England slipped to a similar position (73-3), they immediately lost another wicket before India took control to level the five-match series at 1-1.

England's fast start with the ball came courtesy of Steven Finn (2-51) and Jade Dernbach (2-73) who bowled Ajinkya Rahane for four and Gautam Gambhir for eight.

Yuvraj Singh was next to go when he was trapped in front by James Tredwell for 32 as the off-spinner turned in another disciplined performance to finish with one for 48 in his 10 overs.

Virat Kohli hit 37 before Warwickshrie pair Ian Bell (fielder) and Chris Woakes (bowler) combined to remove him. Woakes started tidily enough but was targeted by Dhoni and Jadeja late on and ended with a disappointing one for 60.

Raina hit two fours and two sixes in his timely innings which helped take India to a position of strength although he imitated Kohli's reaction of banging his helmet with his bat when he was bowled, via an inside edge, by Finn.

At the other end, Dhoni looked none too impressed but as he did in Rajkot, where England won by nine runs, took on the bowlers with seven fours and two sixes on his way to 72 in 66 balls.

Initially, Jadeja found it hard to get going before launching into Woakes, Dernbach and Finn, hammering eight fours and two sixes and his 61 came from just 37 deliveries as India did exactly what Patel and Kieswetter had done for England in the opening game.

The difference was that on this occasion they put their team in the position to take a comprehensive win, rather than a close one.

England lost Bell for just four when he was caught behind off Shami Ahmed but Alastair Cook and Pietersen began the recovery. Cook made 17 in 27 balls before being given out leg before wicket to Bhuvneshwar, although the ball pitched just outside leg stump.

Pietersen played some wonderful strokes including a trademark flick through midwicket and excellent drives through the off side - one of which flew off his bat one-handed and raced to the boundary, although soon after Jadeja missed a golden chance to run Cook out.

Small matter, as Bhuvneshwar bowled Pietersen for 42 in 44 balls and two balls later had Eoin Morgan smarly caught behind by Dhoni without scoring.

Kieswetter also struggled to make quick progress and fell for 18 in 38 balls when he was caught by Raina off Ashwin. Joe Root's first ODI innings began promisingly, when he got off the mark with four and he made 36 in 50 deliveries before becoming Jadeja's first victim, clean bowled.

The left-arm spinner then came into his own, in partnership with Ashwin to dismiss the remaining batsmen. Woakes (0) and Tredwell (1) were trapped in front, Finn was adjudged caught behind without scoring (0) despite the ball passing the bat without touching it and finally Dernbach was run out as Patel tried to keep the strike.

He had every justification in doing so as he had just taken Ashwin for 18 runs in five balls to finish unbeaten on 30 in 29 balls and further enhance his reputation.

Bhuvneshwar finished with three for 29, Ashwin three for 39 and Jadeja two for 12, leaving Cook with little option but to admit that his side had been 'outskilled and outplayed'.

The third match is in Ranchi on Saturday (19th January).

© Cricket World 2013