England outclass India again

Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter provided the telling impetus as England breezed to yet another victory over India to go 1-0 up in the NatWest Series.

England appeared to face a tough target after Ajinkya Rahane (54) and Suresh Raina had powered India to 187 for eight in a match reduced by rain to 23 overs per side under the Rose Bowl lights.

But openers Kieswetter and Cook (80no) raced to 67 in under seven overs - and after four straight Test defeats, one in the solitary Twenty20 and then a rain-induced no-result at the start of this five-match one-day international series, there was once again no way back for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's tourists.

Kieswetter hit four fours and three sixes - including a towering blow over wide long-on off Vinay Kumar - in his 46 from only 25 balls, before the same bowler returned at the pavilion end to have him lbw pushing forward.

Much significant damage had been done, though, and Cook, Ian Bell and Ravi Bopara continued to dent Indian morale and keep an initially taxing required run rate well under control on a batsman's pitch.

R Ashwin had been deposited over long-on by Kieswetter for successive sixes in powerplay.

Bell was soon milking boundaries off Raina's off-spin too, only to then pick out extra-cover with an aerial drive when Ashwin tried again - having dominated a stand of 38.

It therefore fell to England's 50-over captain, out of the equation in the sprint version since his last Twenty20 appearance almost two years ago, to ensure the job was completed and once again demonstrate an adaptability so many once doubted.

Plenty of the hard work was done, allowing Cook and his Essex colleague Bopara - given his chance here in the absence of the injured Eoin Morgan - to simply retain the advantage.

They did so admirably in a partnership of 60 - which included a rare Cook six, over midwicket off Ashwin, and just one minor scare when a direct hit from Raina would have run out Bopara on six - before England got home with seven wickets and almost an over to spare.

Cook's share contained five fours and his six from 63 balls. Rahane had added a maiden ODI half-century in this fixture delayed by bad weather until 7pm, at only his second attempt, to a 50 on Twenty20 debut a week ago.

Graeme Swann (three for 33) did his best to put the brakes on the scoring rate, introduced in the 10th over after India had been asked to bat first.

But Rahane, his opening partner Parthiv Patel and Rahul Dravid put their team in a promising position - and Raina then piled in with 40 from only 19 deliveries.

James Anderson was effective with the new ball. It was he who saw off Patel, after the left-hander had got India off to a flying start with a rush of three boundaries and two leg-side sixes - scoring 28 of the first 30 runs as Tim Bresnan (three for 43) tried unsuccessfully to discomfort him with the short ball.

Patel got a faint edge behind. But with Stuart Broad also banging the ball in short, Rahane soon cashed in too - smashing a six many rows into the crowd at deep backward-square.

He and Dravid gave India the perfect platform in a stand of 79 from 11 overs, until the latter smeared one off Swann to straight midwicket where Anderson juggled but held on to a low catch.

Virat Kohli fell in the cause, picking out long-on off Swann, only to return soon afterwards as Rahane's runner.

The latter had reached his 50, with five fours and that six, from only 40 balls - before a leg injury appeared to compromise his movement, and he soon chipped a drive back at Swann to become the off-spinner's final victim.

Dhoni's 'helicopter' shot misfired, for a catch at long-on off the returning Bresnan.

But Raina punished Jade Dernbach with some huge hits - and despite a fine final over from Bresnan and some outstanding outfield catching from England, Bell in particular, it seemed India had an overdue chance of a first victory over their hosts this summer.Sadly for them, they appear to have lost the winning knack - while England seamlessly translated their superiority from both the longer and shortest formats.
 
Top