Thaindian News

Mohali, Oct 20 (IANS) India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match here Thursday, beating England by five wickets in the third One-day International.

Chasing England’s 298 for four, India made 300/5 in style and that too four balls to spare, with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni sealing the match with a four at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium.

Openers Ajinkya Rahane (91) and Parthiv Patel (38) gave India a great start with their 79-run stand. Rahane was in fine touch and strengthened the good start, adding 111 runs for the second wicket with Gautam Gambhir (58).

Man of the Match Rahane, who hit six fours in his 104-ball knock, missed out on his maiden ODI century after he failed to pick-up a slower from Steve Finn and in his aim to move it towards leg, he got a leading edge and England captain Alastair Cook took a low catch at mid-off.

Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli (35) left in quick succession, leaving India at 235 for five. Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja (26) took India home safely with their unbroken 65-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Earlier, riding on an unbeaten 98 from Jonathan Trott and half centuries from Samit Patel and Kevin Pietersen, England posted a challenging 298 for four in 50 overs.

Cook (3), opting to bat first, failed to give the visitors a good start and departed in the fourth over after being trapped leg-before by in-form pacer R. Vinay Kumar.

Trott and Craig Kieswetter (36) then stabilised the England innings with their 53-run stand. Kiestwetter was clean bowled by part-time medium pacer Virat Kohli.

Trott, however, kept going and stitched crucial partnerships with Peietersen (64), Ravi Bopara (24) and Patel (70 not out), his maiden ODI half-century, to give the England bowlers a good target to defend.

Pietersen hit a 61-ball 64 with the help of nine fours and added 101-runs with Trott for the third wicket. Left-arm spinner Jadeja trapped Pietersen to break the stand.

Trott and Bopara relied more on singles, while the odd boundary kept coming, to add 41 runs for the fourth wicket. Medium pacer Praveen Kumar broke the stand by rattling the stumps of Bopara but Trott and Patel launched an onslaught in the last 10 overs during which 91 runs were scored. Trott and Patel added 103 runs off 71 balls.

Trott’s 116-ball known was studded with eight fours while Patel’s came up with a 43-ball cameo, hitting two sixes and seven fours, that justified his promotion ahead of Jonny Bairstow.