India complete tour without single victory

England romp to six-wicket win

Despite managing the highest total of their 68-day campaign, India once ended up on the losing side as the hosts capped off a memorable 4-0 whitewash in Tests and victory in the lone T20 international with a 3-0 triumph in the five-match one-day series here at Sophia Gardens on Friday night.

After watching India post an imposing total, England, set a revised target of 241 from 34 overs, made short work of the daunting task with a nerveless chase best symbolised by Jonny Bairstow. The 21-year-old Yorkshireman, betraying few signs of a debutant, blasted a 21-ball 41 n.o. (1x4, 3x6) that stole the thunder from India’s imposing 304 for six, raised on the strength of a fabulous century by Virat Kohli (107, 93b, 9x4, 1x6), a measured 69 (79b, 4x4) by Rahul Dravid and a blistering even 50 (26b, 5x4, 2x6) by Dhoni.

Bairstow joined Ravi Bopara (37, 22b, 2x4, 1x6) with England still requiring 75 from 50 balls, but in an uninhibited display of stroke-making, the man of the match took the home team to a six-wicket win with 10 deliveries to spare. Before Bairstow and Bopara applied the finishing touches, skipper Alastair Cook (50, 54b, 5x4) and Jonathan Trott (63, 60b, 3x4, 2x6) stabilised the innings while Trott and Ian Bell provided the much-needed impetus to the chase, raising 54 runs from 38 balls.

With 125 required from 14 overs, Bell and Trott cut loose in the 21st over to plunder 21 runs off Ravindra Jadeja that tilted the balance in favour of England. India did manage to prise out both batsmen in the space of six runs, but little did they realise what was in store for them. Bairstow lifted the fifth ball he faced over mid-wicket for the first of his three sixes and along with a composed yet busy Bopara collected 42 runs in three overs of batting Power Play, effectively killing the match as a contest.

With Munaf Patel hurting his ankle after suffering a fall on the slippery outfield, Dhoni had to make do with Kohli. The youngster, who had given a breakthrough bowling Cook, had done well but Dhoni’s gamble to use him in the batting Power Play backfired. It was surprising that the skipper did not his use more trusted bowler – R Ashwin -- during the field restrictions. With the outfield being wet, it was difficult for the spinners to grip the ball but then it wasn’t the first time India were encountering such conditions. By the time the off-spinner was brought back into the attack, England were left to complete mere formalities.

This was only the first time in six instances that Kohli’s ton had come in a losing cause. The right-hander combined well with Dravid, playing his last ODI, to add 170 for the third wicket and provide a solid platform for the rest to launch an assault. Continuing their good work in the batting Power Plays, India gathered 51 runs during the five-over block to put up the seriers’ first 300-plus total. It’s difficult to say if England would have been as competitive if tested over a period of 50 overs, but it’s hardly their fault if weather too had aligned with them.

SCORE BOARD

INDIA

Parthiv c Bresnan b Swann    19
(39b)
Rahane c Finn b Dernbach    26
(47b, 3x4)
Dravid b Swann    69
(79b, 4x4)
Kohli (hit wicket) Swann    107
(93b, 9x4, 1x6)
Raina c Bresnan b Finn    15
(15b, 1x6)
Dhoni (not out)    50
(26b, 5x4, 2x6)
Jadeja c Bopara b Dernbach    0
(0b)
Ashwin (not out)    0
(0b)
Extras (B-1, LB-11, W-6)    18
Total (for 6 wkts, 50 overs)    304
Fall of wickets: 1-52 (Rahane), 2-57 (Parthiv), 3-227 (Dravid), 4-236 (Kohli), 5-284 (Raina), 6-288 (Jadeja)
Bowling: Bresnan 9-0-62-0, Finn 10-1-44-1 (w-3), Dernbach 10-0-73-2 (w-3), Swann 9-0-34-3, Patel 8-0-55-0, Bopara 4-0-24-0
Scoring pattern: after 5 overs: 19/0; 10: 43/0; 20: 84/1; 30: 133/2; 40: 216/2; End of innings: 304/6 in 50 overs.
Runs during Power Play1: 1-10 overs: 43/0; Power Play2: 11-15 overs: 14/1; Power Play3 (batting): 45-49 overs: 51/1.

ENGLAND (revised target 241 off 34 overs)
Cook b Kohli    50
(54b, 5x4)
Kieswetter lbw Vinay    21
(17b, 4x4)
Trott c Raina b Jadeja    63
(60b, 3x4, 2x6)
Bell c (sub) Tiwary b RP Singh    26
(21b, 2x6)
Bopara (not out)    37
(22b, 3x4, 1x6)
Bairstow (not out)    41
(21b, 1x4, 3x6)
Extras (LB-1, W-1, NB-1)    3
Total (for 4 wkts, 32.2 overs)    241
Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Kieswetter), 2-106 (Cook), 3-160 (Bell), 4-166 (Trott).
Bowling: R Vinay Kumar 6.2-0-42-1, Rudra Pratap Singh 7-0-51-1 (w-1), Munaf Patel 4-0-26-0 (nb-1), R Ashwin 4-0-25-0, Ravindra Jadeja 5-0-52-1, Virat Kohli 6-0-44-1.
Scoring pattern: 5 overs: 29/1; 10: 58/1; 20: 116/2; 30: 215/4; end of innings: 241/4 in 32.2 overs.
Runs during: Power Play 1: 1-8 overs: 44/1; Power Play 2: 9-11 overs: 21/0; Power Play 3 (batting):  29-31 overs:42/0.