Team effort takes Bangladesh to historic final

Bangladesh 212 for 5 (Tamim 59, Shakib 56, Nasir 36*) beat Sri Lanka 232 (Kapugedera 62, Nazmul 3-32) by five wickets by D/L method

Tamim Iqbal kickstarted the chase with a dashing 59 © AFP

Smart stats Bangladesh reached the finals of a multi-nation tournament for only the second time. In their only previous final, in a home tri-nation tournament in 2009, they lost by two wickets to Sri Lanka after having reduced them to 6 for 5. Bangladesh's win is only their third against Sri Lanka and their second against a Test-playing team in this tournament. The last time Bangladesh beat two Test-playing nations in a single tournament was in the 2007 World Cup when they defeated India and South Africa. Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the final of the Asia Cup for the first time. It is also the eighth time in Asia and the second time in multi-team tournaments in the subcontinent that Sri Lanka have failed to win a single match. Shakib Al Hasan's half-century is his 24th in ODIs and his third against Sri Lanka. His strike-rate of 121.73 is his fourth-highest for a fifty-plus score. Tamim Iqbal scored his third consecutive half-century of the tournament and became only the third Bangladesh batsman, after Mohammad Ashraful and Shahriar Nafees, to score three consecutive fifties in an ODI series. The 76-run stand between Shakib and Tamim is the fifth-highest fourth-wicket stand for Bangladesh against Sri Lanka. Shakib has been involved in three of the top five partnerships. The 88-run stand between Chamara Kapugedera and Lahiru Thrimanne is the fourth-highest fourth-wicket stand for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh.

Bangladesh made it to the final of the Asia Cup, defying pre-tournament expectations with consecutive victories against their more fancied neighbours. It was only the second time they had reached the finals of a one-day tournament. The bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to 232, but rain siphoned off ten overs and reduced the target to 212. The increased asking-rate, 5.30 an over, gave both teams a chance, but enterprising batting by Tamim Iqbal on a spiced-up pitch gave their chase a kickstart. The Bangladesh middle order withstood the pressure and gave the expectant crowd a reason to show up in similar numbers for the final, on Thursday.

Nasir Hossain proved once again why he is the find of the season for Bangladesh and Tamim put the farce of his earlier non-selection to rest. Nasir's calm half-century partnership with Mahmudullah ensured Bangladesh did not implode in the rush for a quick finish. The sea of green jerseys in the crowd were rewarded for staying in their seats even as Sri Lanka clawed back. Many clasped their hands in prayer once Bangladesh lost their fifth wicket, Shakib Al Hasan, but the temperament of the sixth-wicket pair showed why Bangladesh could start the finals not as underdogs, but contenders. India, waiting on the result of this game, will be headed home despite a better net run-rate because they lost to Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka were pegged back at the very beginning, when another Hossain, Nazmul, coming in for the injured Shafiul Islam, nipped out three top-order wickets. The middle order, led by Chamara Kapugedera, gave the innings some respectability, but Sri Lanka were not able to post a challenging score on a ground on which two big chases had already been completed in the tournament.

A mid-innings downpour gave the pitch the kind of zip missing during the afternoon. Lasith Malinga tested the top order with bouncers that fizzed past the helmet, while Nuwan Kulasekara got the ball to swerve in to the right-handers to castle Nazimuddin and flummox the captain Mushfiqur Rahim.

Bangladesh were three down for 40, but the passage of play was punctuated by some blistering strokeplay by Tamim. His balance and follow-through were exemplary, especially in his driving through the off side. Mahela Jayawardene tried to plug that gap with a short point, and later with two fielders up close at cover and extra cover, but Tamim was not deterred. He lofted one over the covers and then whipped consecutive boundaries through midwicket, showing his class on both sides of the wicket.

Shakib, after passing a tough test against some short bowling, settled in and crashed Suranga Lakmal for three consecutive boundaries through the off side. Tamim reached his half-century with a clip for four off Farveez Maharoof, and his pleasing strokeplay won the applause of the country's premier Sheikh Hasina, also in attendance. He was dropped by Sachitra Senanayake, after lobbing a simple chance back to the bowler, but Senanayake finally got his man when an uppish slash was taken at point. Tamim walked back to a hush from the expectant crowd, with their hopes pinned on Shakib.

Shakib's battle with Senanayake was a compelling one. Shakib got on top of him initially with boundaries over extra cover, but once the bowler shortened his length, Shakib looked edgy. Unsure of the bounce, he stabbed at two consecutive deliveries and nearly lobbed both for catches. Senanayake got one to skid through and trapped him in front of leg stump to give Sri Lanka hope, with the hosts still 77 runs adrift.

Sri Lanka were guilty of easing the pressure on the batsmen by feeding them balls full on the pads, which were clipped away to fine leg. Nasir and Mahmudullah kept out the inswinging yorkers, did not panic when they played the ball to the fielders, and calmly picked up singles. Tillakaratne Dilshan was brought on after the quicks failed to take wickets, but the pair didn't change their approach. A firm push by Nasir was parried by mid-on to the boundary, leading to wild celebrations and a victory lap.

The win was set up by Nazmul, who removed the power trio of Jayawardene, Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara. Jayawardene missed a straight one, Dilshan chopped a delivery onto his stumps and Sangakkara spooned a catch to extra cover, bringing an end to an indifferent season with the bat for him.

Bangladesh came out with a sense of purpose, fielding with intent after winning the toss. They were aided by a surface which, though not the same used for the India-Pakistan game, appeared slower and suited their crop of bowlers. The medium-pacers bowled several slower deliveries to tighten the noose on the run-rate.

Kapugedera and Lahiru Thirimanne added 88 for the fourth wicket, but one of them needed to bat through the innings to set a competitive target. Upul Tharanga made a breezy 48*, but not for the first time since his demotion, he had to repair the damage done upfront, again raising questions about the structure of the batting line-up.

Kapugedera, under pressure to keep his place, made good use of his promotion, using his feet to the spinners. A stroke of luck, though, gave Bangladesh the breakthrough when Thirimanne missed a nudge off Abdur Razzak and was stumped after the ball deflected off Mushfiqur's pads onto the stumps.

Tharanga's arrival perked up the scoring, as he punished a wayward Shahadat Hossain for three quick boundaries. Kapugedera managed a face-saving half-century, but his innings was cut short by a sharp reflex-catch by Shakib at extra cover. Shakib struck with the ball soon after, getting two wickets. Boundaries by the lower order pushed Sri Lanka to 232, but one could sense that was always going to be inadequate.

It ended a mixed season for a travel-weary Sri Lanka, following the highs of Australia. Not too long ago, India were in their hotel rooms in Brisbane, hoping for a Sri Lankan defeat to push them into the CB Series finals. This time, in a hotel not far from the ground, they were ironically hoping for a Sri Lankan win. There were no back-door entries for a team which has suffered its worst away season in recent history. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Kohli demolishes Pakistan in record chase

India 330 for 4 (Kohli 183, Rohit 68, Tendulkar 52) beat Pakistan 329 for 6 (Hafeez 105, Jamshed 112, Younis 52) by six wickets

Sachin Tendulkar made an aggressive 52 to give India a brisk start © AFP

Their bowling might struggle to defend 289 against Bangladesh. Their batting might not be resilient enough to dominate in all conditions. But in the subcontinent, India are the masters of the chase. And after having knocked off 321 in 36.4 overs in Hobart barely three weeks ago, they completed their highest successful ODI chase, in Mirpur, against Pakistan, who are not exactly a weak bowling side. And leading the mammoth effort was that man Virat Kohli who scored a career-best 183. Forget the obscenities, forget the extreme emotions; with 11 hundreds, including three in his last four innings, Kohli is one of the most complete ODI batsmen in the world now.

When a boundary is needed, Kohli is the man. When the singles are needed, Kohli is the man. When a gap is to be found, Kohli is the man. He kept doing all of that for 148 deliveries against Pakistan. By the time he was done, he had hit 23 boundaries and made 183. India had lost Gautam Gambhir off the second ball of the innings. They lost just one more wicket in the next 272. Kohli's dominance was so complete, it left contrasting support performances from Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma in the shade. It certainly meant Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed's centuries were in vain, as was their 224-run opening stand, Pakistan's highest against India, and their second-highest ever.

Not losing by a bonus point put Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup; it kept India and Bangladesh dependent on the result of the last league game between the hosts and Sri Lanka, who have been knocked out. A win for Bangladesh will see them go through, as they lead the head-to-head against India in the tournament; any other result will see India qualify.

It was Kohli who almost single-handedly kept India in the tournament with a performance so supreme it led Misbah-ul-Haq to call it one of the best ODI innings he had seen. Chasing 330 is tough. Chasing 330 against Pakistan should be as tough as it gets for an India batsman. Kohli could not bother about things such as pressure, even when Pakistan struck gold in the first over when Mohammad Hafeez trapped Gambhir in front.

Pakistan were playing five bowlers but India worked around the threat of Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul initially by targetting the others. Tendulkar and Kohli outdid each other in strokemaking. Their second-wicket partnership was worth 133 in just 19.1 overs. While Gul and Ajmal were given the respect they deserved, the shorter lengths of Wahab Riaz and Aizaz Cheema were taken for runs, as was the quicker pace of Shahid Afridi.

The 100th century finally done with, Tendulkar was totally unrestrained and went along at a faster clip than Kohli. India found momentum in the third over, Cheema's first, which went for 12. Kohli began with a violent pull while Tendulkar's back-foot punch past cover was vintage. Pakistan had just started to suffer for bowling the wrong lengths. Cheema continued to bowl short of a good length, and Tendulkar brought out another vintage shot - a sly guide over the wicketkeeper that flew away for six.

Tendulkar and Kohli dealt with the spinners in their own ways when they needed the boundaries. Tendulkar carted Hafeez over midwicket with a slog sweep; Kohli whipped Afridi through the same region.

Riaz's three-over spell put Pakistan under even more pressure. Not only did he bowl short, he kept on targeting Kohli's pads and the batsman helped himself to several fours on the on side. He ultimately disappeared for 50 in four overs. Hafeez, the lone part-timer used, went for only 42 in nine.

Tendulkar, meanwhile, misread an Ajmal doosra after reaching his half-century and ended up edging it to slip, but Kohli was looking nearly unstoppable. What he needed was a sidekick and Rohit rose to the occasion. He took his time before showing his range against spin with a series of cuts, pulls and lofted drives over extra cover. Kohli and Rohit went one better than Kohli and Tendulkar had, as the third wicket realised 172 in 26.2 overs.

	Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed's 224-run opening stand had put India under pressure © AFP

Kohli was in the zone. He went without a boundary for 32 balls, but still scored 25. In this period, he got to his century, which came with the now-famous emphatic celebration. In this period, Rohit kept getting the boundaries. The asking-rate still crossed eight an over after the 40th over. Kohli went after Gul in the 41st in a flurry of whip, swat, loft and clip. Sixteen runs later, the rate was below seven-and-a-half. He wasn't done yet. Riaz was greeted with a whip off a yorker, a flick and a drive in the 42nd. Thirteen runs later, the rate was below seven.

Though Kohli and Rohit could not hit the winning runs, the game as a contest between India's batsmen and Pakistan's bowlers had ended during their partnership.

Hafeez and Jamshed had ensured the pressure would be squarely on India going into the chase, with a 224-run opening partnership. After having failed to defend 289 against Bangladesh, India were once again let down by the inability of their bowlers to either strike or contain.

India had the opportunity to make first use of the Mirpur pitch, which has been harsher for bowlers in the evening, but Hafeez and Jamshed stroked boundaries at will, against a listless unit, on their way to centuries. Younis Khan, usually not one to worry attacks at the death, smashed 52 off 34 deliveries to lift Pakistan to their second-highest total against India.

India's lack of penetration was evident when MS Dhoni threw the ball to Tendulkar in the 24th over, after having already tried seven bowlers. Five of them had already gone at more than run-a-ball by then, and none, barring Ashok Dinda, had come close to troubling the Pakistan openers.

Pakistan had taken control long before that, though, with Hafeez and Jamshed, a burly left-hander in the Graeme Smith mould, playing with assurance and eschewing any desperation.

The previous best opening stand for Pakistan against India was 144 between Aamer Sohail and Saeed Anwar in 1996; Hafeez and Jamshed had already rustled up 150 at the halfway mark. Both soon got to their centuries, Jamshed's being his maiden one in ODIs.

The batting Powerplay consumed both batsmen, as they searched for more runs, but Younis and Umar Akmal ensured that Pakistan came nowhere near enduring the kind of middle-order collapse they had had against Bangladesh.

Younis has been criticised for being slow in this format, but today he was at ease as the innings neared its close. Orthodox punches and lofts raced for boundaries through the off side. To Pakistan's misfortune, Kohli would hit them harder in the evening, and for longer. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

All-round India seal 50-run win

India 304 for 3 (Kohli 108, Gambhir 100) beat Sri Lanka 254 (Jayawardene 78, Sangakkara 65, Pathan 4-32) by 50 runs

There were centuries for the former and current Indian vice-captains © Associated Press

The Asia Cup was a chance for India to wipe the slate clean after the horrors of Australia, and they began their campaign by playing to their strengths - batting the opposition out of the game. Centuries by Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli took India to 304, and though the efforts of their bowlers cannot be ignored, crucial wickets were gifted away by Sri Lanka. It was an underwhelming performance by a Sri Lankan batting line-up that stretches till No.9, which in some ways was a spin-off from their performance in the loss in the third CB series final against Australia.

The tweaked batting Powerplay rule - mandatory before the 40th over - was brought about to make captains think more. In many games since its introduction, including this one, it turned out to be the game-changer. Sri Lanka were still well-placed at the end of the 35th over, needing 109 off the last 15 overs with seven wickets in hand. The loss of Kumar Sangakkara off the first ball of the field restrictions was the start of the turnaround for India; they picked up three more wickets for 31 runs in that period. Irfan Pathan picked up four wickets, including Mahela Jayawardene, to give India a fairly comprehensive win in the final analysis, though at one stage it looked a lot closer.

India owed their resurgence to their two most in-form batsmen from Australia - Kohli and Gambhir. One was recently made the vice-captain, the other had the same post taken away from him. Any simmering tension, fictional or not, was barely evident as they added 205 to give India the kind of prolonged authority rarely seen when in Australia.

India managed only two 100-plus stands in the CB Series, that too in the same game, in Hobart. The common thread between the two games was Kohli. This innings wasn't as manic, but the effect was still demoralising for Sri Lanka, who took control at the start of the innings but had to wait an eternity to strike again.

The departure from Australian pitches to friendlier "home" conditions was evident in the way Gambhir dabbed and poked with regularity to third man. The same shot, which had him caught behind so often in Australia, fetched him several singles, thanks to the relatively lower bounce that suited his style.

The pace wasn't electric, but steady. Gambhir and Kohli had to be watchful against packed off-side fields, typical of Jayawardene's captaincy. Short cover and short point were placed to check the cover drive but in due course the pair managed to work their way around those fields, shuffling and nudging it to the on side to pick up the singles.

Gambhir's stint wasn't flawless, though. He was dropped on 36 and survived a run-out opportunity on 94, Dinesh Chandimal the culprit on both occasions. Those lapses overshadowed a more committed display in the field at the start of the innings, when the run-rate was just over four an over.

Apart from the late cuts, Gambhir used his feet well against the spinners, lofting over extra cover and down to the straight boundary. Hitting in the air was a method the batsmen had to employ as several drives along the ground found the fielders. Kohli kept busy at the crease, rotating the strike to ensure India didn't get bogged down against the spinners.

The period between the second and third Powerplays - overs 21 to 35 - produced 87 runs. Only five fours were struck in that period but the pair wore Sri Lanka down with singles - 53 of them - and six twos. Jayawardene went defensive, pushing the fielders back. Kohli ensured he punished the bad deliveries from the spinners and even produced a reverse-sweep, which raced to third man.

Both batsmen reached their centuries in the 42nd over, and their contrasting celebrations were compelling to watch. Kohli controlled his emotions by merely gesturing to his team-mates with a big smile. Gambhir, however, didn't restrain himself as he punched the air, removed his helmet and yelled out something to the dressing-room. His emotional reaction signalled the end of a long wait to reach three-figures.

Both departed in the following over, holing out to the deep. The double-strike - in the 43rd over - didn't give Sri Lanka much respite, as MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina plundered some wayward bowling at the death.

Jayawardene's visually pleasing half-century gave Sri Lanka the platform to beat their previous highest successful chase against India, but his team needed him to stay on longer. His innings was aggression mixed with serenity. He showed his class by his innovativeness, forcing Dhoni to constantly make field changes to plug the gaps during the first 10 overs. That was a moral victory for Jayawardene, seeing his opposing number gesticulating to his fielders despite the cushion of 304 runs.

With a keen eye for where the fielders were placed, Jayawardene picked his spots in style, including a lapped six over fine leg, a delicate late cut and pleasing drives wide of point with little effort.

Tillakaratne Dilshan perished by slapping straight to midwicket, the first of Sri Lanka's giveaways. Sangakkara started pushing the ball into the gaps, even chipping down to loft Ravindra Jadeja over deep midwicket for a six.

Both Sangakkara and Jayawardene were visibly upset with themselves when they got out. When Pathan returned for a new spell, Jayawardene tried to disturb his rhythm by trying to dab one to third man. It resulted in a tame edge to Dhoni and his frustration was palpable. The pressure increased a touch on Sangakkara when Chandimal was bowled giving R Ashwin the charge, and his own attempt at giving his team the momentum in the 36th over caused Sri Lanka's steady fall.

A few clean blows by Nuwan Kulasekara and Farveez Maharoof gave Sri Lanka hope, but they couldn't get on top of Vinay Kumar and Pathan, who bowled with far greater control at the death than their opponents. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Australia beat Sri Lanka to win one-day tri-series

Seamer Clint McKay grabbed five wickets as Australia beat Sri Lanka by 16 runs to win the best-of-three one-day tri-series 2-1 in Adelaide.

Australian paceman Clint McKay celebrates dismissing Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene in the final of the one-day cricket series in Adelaide on March 8, 2012. (AFP Photo)

Matt Wade (49) and David Warner (48) put on 75 for the first wicket, while Brett Lee (32) and McKay (28) chipped in late on to help the hosts make 231.

Paceman Lee (3-59) made early inroads, but Upul Tharanga (71) kept Sri Lanka in the hunt for much of their innings.

After he fell, McKay (5-28) cleaned up the tail with seven balls to spare.

Sri Lanka had levelled the finals at 1-1 on Tuesday when they chased down 272 to win the second match.

Victory in the triangular series, which had also featured India, keeps Australia on top of the ODI rankings.

Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene said: "If we were given 231 we would have taken it. They put a lot of pressure on us and it was one of those days.

"I am very proud of the boys against two quality teams.

"The objective is to rebuild for the next four years, we've learnt a lot and I'm proud of the youngsters."

Australia now head to the West Indies - but they will be without captain Michael Clarke, who missed the decider with a hamstring strain, which will keep him out of the one-dayers in the Caribbean although he hopes to return for the Tests.

"They are a much better team without me!" Clarke joked.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka will play India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, which starts on 12 March, before hosting England in a two-Test series.

Dazzling Kohli ton keeps India alive

India 321 for 3 (Kohli 133*) beat Sri Lanka 320 for 4 by seven wickets

Virat Kohli was "in the zone" during his 133 not out off 86 balls © AFP

Turnarounds don't come any better. Fortunes don't change more dramatically. And emotions don't bear a starker contrast. At the halfway stage, Sri Lanka would have felt they had one foot in the final, having left the India bowlers deflated after a dominating performance with the bat. And they would have been right to think that way, the Indian batting having shown little promise in the series and the team on the brink of elimination.

But Virat Kohli put on an imperious display of strokemaking, his malleable wrists powering an Indian fightback conspicuous in its absence on what had been, until now, two forgettable overseas trips. Kohli's innings made a mockery of an imposing score, kept India's finals hopes alive and left Sri Lanka with the unenviable task of beating the form team in the tournament to knock India out.

Given India's poor outings with the bat in their recent games, one would have expected them to struggle to chase a target of 321 in 50 overs. They achieved it in 36.4 - needing to chase it in 40 to stay alive in the series - and did so with Kohli finishing things off in a blaze of glory. Kohli was, as Nathan Astle said after his whirlwind 222 against England in 2002, "in the zone". He dismissed anything that came his way with clinical precision, found the boundary at will whether the field was in or pushed back, ran swiftly between the wickets to catch the fielders off guard and middled the ball with scarcely believable consistency.

While Kohli was the protagonist in India's successful chase, the other characters played their due part. Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar would have wanted to do more but gave India the explosive start they desperately needed to stage a counterattack; Gautam Gambhir continued to be fluent, just four boundaries in a knock of 63 in 64 balls showing the toil behind the runs and Suresh Raina, under pressure to perform, gave Kohli valuable company in a match-winning stand with a spunky cameo.

If the Indians were insipid with their bowling, the Sri Lankans were far worse as wides flowed, gift balls were doled out on the pads with regularity and the fielding buckled under the pressure of an unexpected fightback. Both innings were replete with fumbles, misfields, wayward throws - one of them, had it been on target, could have got Kohli run-out - making batting even more profitable on the easiest track in the series thus far. The brisk start to the chase and the subsequent consolidation by Gambhir and Kohli meant India were in with a fighting chance with two Powerplays still remaining, and both proved highly lucrative.

Kohli made both his own, first targeting Nuwan Kulasekara in the 31st over - which began with India needing 91 in 10 overs for a bonus point - carting three consecutive fours as attempted yorkers failed to meet their desired lengths and served as tempting length balls. Two were whipped - in trademark Kohli fashion, a momentary turn of the wrists imparting tremendous force on the ball - and the other, sliced over point in an act of improvisation.

The Sri Lankan seamers misfired badly but even when they got it right, like an accurate yorker from Malinga, Kohli was able to shuffle across and expertly work it past the short fine fielder. He took 24 from Malinga in the 35th over, flicking him for six and picking four fours past short fine, and finished the game with two thunderous drives through the off side, the second being the clinching blow. A pump of the fists was followed by a roar of elation and relief as a perennially inanimate MS Dhoni calmly trudged on to the field to join in the celebrations.

A win this dominating still seemed a distant possibility when Kohli joined Gambhir at the fall of Tendulkar's wicket. Tendulkar had walked across too far to be caught plumb by Malinga, ending an innings that seemed devoid of pressure and completely uninhibited in its approach. Sehwag and Tendulkar batted with freedom, the former smashing Malinga into the grassbanks behind deep midwicket in a fiery opening stand of 50, and Tendulkar going over the top on the off side and displaying an adeptness in picking Malinga's variations, launching him over mid-on. But at 86 for 2 in the 10th over, with India's two most experienced batsmen back in the pavilion and the required rate still very high, Kohli and Gambhir faced an ardous task.

That both took little time to get going was crucial in maintaining the tempo that had been set. Gambhir steered Kulasekara for four off his third delivery before punching one past midwicket, and Kohli warmed up with one of several whips off Malinga off his second ball. The pair didn't get bogged down despite a 35-ball boundary drought, running swiftly between the wickets, converting ones into twos by putting the outfielders under pressure and making the fielders inside the circle appear redundant by stealing quick ones.

Kohli broke that drought with a drive off Thisara Perara past extra cover and later clobbered Angelo Mathews over the wide long-off boundary. At the halfway stage in the chase, the pair had notched up half-centuries, laying a solid foundation for the onslaught to follow with ten Powerplay overs still remaining. Though Gambhir fell to an accurate throw while trying to steal a second, Raina ended infusing the innings with greater urgency, providing a quicker partner at the other end to Kohli and indulging in some powerplay of his own to help hasten the finish.

The Kohli show overshadowed an assured and commanding performance by Sri Lanka with the bat, with centuries from Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara who capitalised on a palpably below-par show from India's bowlers who lacked intensity.

Dilshan shrugged off his initial unease against the swinging ball to gradually open up and march towards his 11th ODI century and Sangakkara played an innings as attractive as several of his abruptly-terminated cameos this tournament, only longer in duration this time, full of confidence and more pleasing to the eye. The determination and focus of trying to bat India out of the game was unwavered in their innings, and the smiles on their faces and the Indians' drooping shoulders suggested a one-way traffic. But body-language is not always a reliable indicator, for it had taken an about turn in three hours' time. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Australia in finals after 87-run win

Australia 9 for 252 (Warner 68, Wade 56, D Hussey 54, Sehwag 3-43) beat India 165 (Ashwin 26, Watson 2-9) by 87 runs

It was another struggle for India's batsmen on tour © Getty Images

India succumbed meekly to the pressure of a chase of 253 - a chase they were required to nail to remain in serious contention in the triangular series - and were bowled out for 165 by an Australia side that eagerly grabbed the chance to seal its own spot in the competition deciders.

Short of a bonus-point victory in their final match against Sri Lanka and a subsequent loss to the hosts by Mahela Jayawardene's flourishing side, India will fly home earlier than desired from an Australia tour that peaked all too early with Rahul Dravid's Bradman Oration and has disintegrated steadily ever since.

Australia's stand-in captain Shane Watson compensated for a poor showing with the bat by nipping out Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina, and generally led his team soundly in the field in the absence of the injured Michael Clarke. He had a bonus point victory in front of 33,639 spectators to show for it.

The folding of India's batting was a familiar tale of patterns and misadventures. Virender Sehwag extended his horrid run on tour by punching a return-catch to Ben Hilfenhaus, Sachin Tendulkar found another way to fall short of 100 international centuries when he was run-out after a mid-pitch collision with Brett Lee, and Gautam Gambhir battled for fluency then dragged Clint McKay onto the stumps.

All this rather undercut the efforts of the touring bowlers, who had done well to restrict Australia to 9 for 252. India were given a fine start by the intelligent and miserly bowling of Praveen Kumar, whose opening spell of six overs harvested two wickets at a cost of 14 runs, including only one boundary. Umesh Yadav also made a mark with his speed and aggression.

Praveen's victims included Shane Watson, playing his first international of the summer as Australia's stand-in captain while Michael Clarke recovers from a flare-up of the back trouble that has been an intermittent problem across his career. Australia have now had four captains of the national side in various formats this summer - Clarke, George Bailey, Ricky Ponting and Watson.

David Warner fared the best of the batsmen, striking his way to 68 from 66 balls before skying Ravindra Jadeja. Suresh Raina claimed the catch despite a heavy collision with Irfan Pathan that left both fielders laid out on the outfield. Matthew Wade and Hussey also chimed in, but the latter was perhaps fortunate to get past 17.

Running a single, Hussey held out his hand to block Suresh Raina's return from the edge of the fielding circle - whether this was an attempt to simply prevent getting hit was unclear - and MS Dhoni immediately appealed either for handling the ball or the recently changed laws for obstructing the field, which forbid a batsman from changing his running line to intercept a ball headed for the stumps. After a lengthy television consultation the appeal was rejected, much to the consternation of the visitors. They exchanged plenty of words with Hussey when he was dismissed, 37 runs later.

On a night when a rapid half-century might have set his side on the path to victory, Sehwag's exit in the second over arrived courtesy of a fine Hilfenhaus take, scooping up a low catch near his ankles. Tendulkar and Gambhir prospered briefly against the new ball, but when the former was called through for a single, both he and Lee ran in more or less the same direction. Lee's pursuit of the ball ended when he saw David Warner in better position, and Tendulkar had his path interrupted by the bowler as Warner threw down the stumps.

Kohli again hinted at a decent score, only to be undone when Watson introduced himself to the attack. Following Lee, Watson's seamers were noticeably slower, and the reduction in pace had Kohli playing too early as he looped a catch to Daniel Christian.

McKay ended Gambhir's cussed stay, and Watson struck again when he angled the ball across Raina to induce a simple edge to Matthew Wade. Ravindra Jadeja fell in a similar manner, though his edge from Daniel Christian flew to Watson at first slip, where he held on to the catch having earlier grassed a chance to pouch Dhoni.

For as long as Dhoni remained at the crease India had a chance, however slight, so there was plenty of relief in Australia's huddle when Hilfenhaus pinned him in front of the stumps for a painstaking 14. The rest melted away.

The match appeared destined for a closer contest when Australia's early progress was slowed by Praveen's wiles, though more runs were collected from Pathan at the other end. Watson pulled at a delivery shaping away from him and managed only to spoon a catch to mid-on, while Peter Forrest fell to a slower delivery that he dragged onto the stumps.

Warner's innings provided the hosts with some momentum, but he lost Michael Hussey due to a running mix-up, and his own bright stay was ended by Jadeja. David Hussey's reprieve offered him and Wade the chance to regather the innings, which they did well enough in a stand of 94.

Wade's stay was ended when he steered a swift Yadav delivery into Dhoni's gloves, before Hussey fell to the same combination, snicking behind in his attempt to pull Yadav from outside off stump. The fact that Hussey appeared to walk did little to soothe India's frustration about the earlier incident.

Clint McKay was not long in staying before he wafted at Virender Sehwag and was stumped, and late blows from Christian and Xavier Doherty took the tally past 250. It looked a mediocre total, but then there have been times on this tour when India would have given much to achieve such mediocrity. So it would be again this night. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Australia hold on for five-run victory

Australia 231 (Clarke 57, Mathews 2-37) beat Sri Lanka 226 (Mathews 64, Doherty 2-24) by 5 runs

Michael Clarke was Man of the Match for scoring 57 and taking a wicket and a catch © Getty Images

Angelo Mathews narrowly failed to deliver victory to Sri Lanka at the WACA, where the Australians held on by five runs in a thrilling finish. Sri Lanka needed 18 from the final over bowled by Mitchell Starc, and Mathews gave them every chance by pulling the first ball for four and driving the next delivery over long-off for six, before a pair of singles left the visitors needing six from two balls.

But Mathews skied the next delivery to long-on, where Daniel Christian held his nerve to take the catch, ensuring Australia remained unbeaten in the Commonwealth Bank Series. And while the Australians did, for the most part, bowl and field well, they could consider themselves fortunate to have escaped with victory after posting what appeared to a sub-par 231, with Michael Clarke (57) the only man to score a half-century.

Initially, Sri Lanka were on track in the chase before a middle-order collapse left too much to Mathews and the tail. That Mathews nearly got them home was remarkable, as was his 46-run tenth-wicket stand with Dhammika Prasad, but his dismissal for 64 should at least mean the rest of the batting order is held accountable for a disappointing effort that undid the fine work of the bowlers.

The Australian bowlers were also impressive. Xavier Doherty was the standout with a miserly 2 for 24 from his ten overs but there were other positives from the hosts in the field as well. Starc hooped the new ball and claimed an early wicket, Christian picked up two victims to add to his handy 33 with the bat, Clint McKay completed a terrific run-out from side-on and Matthew Wade enhanced his reputation with a stumping and a wonderful diving catch.

Despite the early loss of Upul Tharanga, who edged a Starc outswinger to Clarke at slip in the fourth over, Sri Lanka seemed to have the chase in control as Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Dinesh Chandimal all looked comfortable at the crease. It was a Sri Lankan error - and a great throw from McKay - that led to Sangakkara's dismissal for 22 when he pushed into the leg side and took off for a single.

But both he and his partner Dilshan hesitated after a few steps, and the stop-start confusion resulted in Sangakkara trying to return to his crease only to be beaten by a side-on direct hit from the bowler McKay, who had collected the ball from short midwicket. As he walked off, Sangakkara directed a glare towards Dilshan, knowing that if their 50-run stand had continued a while longer, Sri Lanka would have been in a terrific position.

Instead, Dilshan's scoring rate slowed - he had struck three searing boundaries through the off side early in his innings - and on 40 from 57 deliveries he was caught behind off Ryan Harris when the ball tickled the inside edge. Another straightforward catch to Wade followed when Mahela Jayawardene tried to steer Christian to third man but succeeded only in feathering behind.

In the next over Doherty struck the first of his two blows. The WACA is not known as a spinner's paradise but Doherty extracted severe turn in to the left-hander Lahiru Thirimanne, who saw the ball pitch outside off and sneak between bat and pad to take the leg stump. Impressed by what he saw from Doherty, Clarke decided to bowl some left-arm spin himself and broke through first ball when from around the wicket he skidded one on and struck Chandimal in front for 37.

That was followed by an excellent catch from Wade, who dived to his right in front of first slip to snare Nuwan Kulasekara off the bowling of Christian. At 7 for 143, Sri Lanka's hopes seemed to have disappeared, a feeling that was only enforced further when Doherty turned a ball past the outside edge of an advancing Sachithra Senanayake, who was stumped by Wade, and when Lasith Malinga edged behind off McKay.

At that stage, Sri Lanka still needed 52 runs, and through Mathews and Prasad they nearly got there. At the change of innings they deserved to be favourites. Jaywardene had sent Australia in, and while it was an unexpected decision it proved not a bad one as Sri Lanka's sharp fielding helped restrict Australia to 231 as they were dismissed from the first ball of the 50th over.

Clarke (57) had assistance from Christian during the only half-century partnership of the innings but when the offspinner Sachithra Senanayake broke that stand in the 40th over Australia faced the prospect of not batting out their time. Christian was stumped for 33 when he failed to pick the straighter delivery and Clarke fell in the following over.

He was the victim of an excellent catch by the opposing captain as Jayawardene moved low to his right to snaffle the chance at midwicket off the bowling of Angelo Mathews. Clarke hadn't found it easy to keep the scoring rate up and had struck only four boundaries in his 88-ball stay, but until that moment he had at least provided an anchor for the innings

Some useful late runs came from McKay and Starc, and Sri Lanka would ultimately rue the 39 runs added by the last two pairs. McKay had survived an edge behind on 15 when Sangakkara didn't cleanly pouch a low ball, and it was a rare miss for the Sri Lankans in what was generally an impressive fielding effort.

Several Australians fell to fine catches: David Hussey's leading edge off Malinga was collected at cover by Thirimanne, who had to dive forward and to his left, and Clarke was snapped up by a quick-moving Jayawardene at midwicket off the bowling of Mathews. But the best was Kulasekara's return catch to get rid of Michael Hussey for 23. He pushed at a fuller ball from Kulasekara, who dived to his right to take a wonderful one-handed catch.

Kulasekara had also been the man who gave Sri Lanka their positive start, when he picked up a wicket in the fourth over, when Wade prodded outside off and edged behind for 1. Wade was the quiet partner in the opening stand as David Warner played a few shots that encouraged the Perth crowd to think a repeat of his blazing Test hundred at the venue might be in the making.

His lofted six off over long-on against Malinga was the standout stroke, but on 34 from 29 deliveries he played on to Mathews, who got a ball to straighten just enough. It was the first of several good things Mathew did for the match. Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, they needed one more. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Why fuss about Dhoni's captaincy?

Our sub-continental culture of captain-bashing is detrimental to the growth of cricket. MSD remains India's only leader.

By Wasim Akram

The entire hullabaloo around MS Dhoni's captaincy is extremely ill-timed. Captain-bashing is a favourite pastime of cricket pundits in the Indian sub-continent and the media just loves it. Ahead of the T20s versus Australia and the one-day series that follows, I believe Dhoni is the best man to lead India and will remain so in the immediate future.

I read a website report in one of the leading Indian dailies that Virender Sehwag will replace Dhoni as skipper. The report quotes 'sources' in the BCCI. I am not sure about the credibility of these 'sources'. In recent times, BCCI's planning has reflected poorly on India's overseas performances. So, it would be unfair to make Dhoni a scapegoat.

There are two names - Sehwag and Virat Kohli -- doing the rounds as 'next' captains. In my book, none of them qualify for the job. Sehwag was very unimpressive when he led the Indian team at Adelaide and Kohli is a kid who has just begun his career. He can wait for another five years.

I had expected better body language from Sehwag and his team during the Adelaide Test, but I was disappointed. India's cold demeanour has been an issue in both England and Australia. The lack of communication has been palpable and that reflected on the field.

This 'I give-a-damn' attitude is counter-productive when the chips are down. What did Sehwag do to salvage India's pride at Adelaide? I sometimes see streaks of Shahid Afridi in Sehwag. That dreadful propensity to self-destruct! Dhoni may not have done enough as skipper, but two bad series does not mean he should be derided and kicked out. Does the BCCI really have an option?

There is still a lot to play for in Australia. With Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and Praveen Kumar coming in, India are a solid ODI and T20 team. I think India have the right mix to give high-flying Australia a run for their money and we shall see a 'new' India in the first T20 at Sydney on Wednesday.

In the three-nation ODI series, I don't see Sri Lanka making a huge impact. Mahela Jayawardene will concentrate on team rebuilding after the Lankans struggled in South Africa. Australia, of course, will have their tails up largely because their pacers are in great form. When you have a troika of pacers, each clocking 140 kmph regularly, a captain is always at a great advantage.

India's bowling remains a concern. Ishant Sharma has been the biggest disappointment. He has talked about the 'luck factor'. All that is just a lame excuse. After playing 45 Test matches, Ishant has not learnt to take responsibility.

When a quick bowler can't make an impact on a Perth or MCG wicket, he never will. First things first, he must first learn to bowl on one side of the wicket.

Self-belief will be crucial going forward in the remainder of the Australian tour. India must not tamper with their batting order. Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir must open the innings because they already have a 'feel' of the conditions.

The more India back themselves, the better they will play. It's a brand new chapter and India must demonstrate the body language of a world champion. Hope Dhoni shows the way with his young brigade. Courtesy: ESPNStar.com

ODI squad: Tendulkar, Irfan in; Yuvraj, Harbhajan left out

Veteran Sachin Tendulkar was on Sunday recalled while paceman Praveen Kumar and spinner Rahul Sharma were also included in India's 17-member squad for the next month's tri-series in Australia.

Irfan Pathan also staged a comeback in the team, announced by BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale after a marathon meeting of the selection committee in Chennai.

There were no major surprises in the ODI squad despite the team's dismal performance in the ongoing Test series, which India is trailing 0-3.

Tendulkar, who played his last ODI in World Cup final on April 2, is the only batsman who seems to be in good nick and will get an opportunity to record a historic 100th international century.

Zaheer Khan will spearhead the bowling attack which has Umesh Yadav, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar and Irfan Pathan in the pace department.

Ishant Sharma, who figures in the Test team, was not considered for the shorter format as he is regarded more as a Test bowler.

R Ashwin and Rahul Sharma are the two specialist spinners while all rounder Ravindra Jadeja can also chip in with his spin.

Yuvraj Singh, who is still recovering from a lung ailment and injured Harbhajan Singh were not considered for selection.

Varun Aaron and Munaf Patel were also not considered because of injuries.

The Indians are scheduled to play two Twenty20 matches on February 1 and 2, followed by the tri-series, also involving Sri Lanka, from February 5.

ODI and T20 squad: M S Dhoni (C), Virender Sehwag (VC), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Unesh Yadav, Praveen Kumar, R Vinay Kumar, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan.

Sachin to play ODI cricket after nearly a year

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar will finally make his return to one-day cricket in the forthcoming triangular series (starting Feb 5) featuring India, Australia and Sri Lanka Down Under, it is learnt.

Rest and injury concerns prevented Tendulkar from figuring in 50-over cricket after India clinched the ICC World Cup on April 2, 2011. The national selection committee headed by Krishnamachari Srikkanth will only be informed about Tendulkar's availability for the tri-series by the team management when the selectors meet tomorrow.

Tendulkar has played in 453 one-day internationals and has scored 18,111 runs over a 22-year period. India won the tri-series by beating a strong Australian team in a best of three finals system in 2007-08. They did not need a third final to achieve their first success in this competition which they earlier participated in 1980-81, 1985-86, 1991-92, 1999-2000 and 2003-04. However, India under Sunil Gavaskar claimed the World Championship of Cricket in 1985.

YUVRAJ RULED OUT: Meanwhile, Yuvraj Singh has been ruled out of the one-day tri-series to be played in Australia following the ongoing Test series, reported ESPNcricinfo. Yuvraj, it is learnt, has yet to fully recover from the non-malignant lung tumour which kept him out of the team since the home ODIs against

West Indies.

India take low-scoring humdinger

India 213 for 9 (Rohit 72, Roach 3-46) beat West Indies 211 for 9 (Bravo 60) by one wicket

Nos. 10 and 11, Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav, managed to string together the 11 runs India required to take a 1-0 lead in the series © AFP

For the second time in four days, India and West Indies showed that big hits aren't crucial ingredients in absorbing cricket. As in the Mumbai Test, the final delivery of the match was punched to long-on, but this time there were no tears for the home fans as last man Umesh Yadav's drive went for four to end a pulsating match.

It wasn't the highest quality of cricket, but there was no shortage of entertainment for a voluble Cuttack crowd watching its first international match in two years. Rohit Sharma seemed to have sealed the game with a mostly level-headed half-century after India slipped to 59 for 5, but his dismissal 11 runs short of the target provided an extra dollop of suspense to an already tumultuous match.

Watching tailenders bat ranks high among the enjoyable sidelights in cricket, and watching a panicky No. 10 Varun Aaron and Umesh, with all of 10 ODI caps between them, negotiate the final passage was a heart-warmer. The two came together after Vinay Kumar, a relatively more skilled batsman, lost his head and his wicket by charging out and holing out to mid-off, and that five deliveries after Rohit's dismissal.

Eleven runs were needed from the final pair, off 23 deliveries. It was to be expected that the predominant mood in the middle wouldn't be calm-and-collected, but it was still hard to explain the thinking behind Aaron declining a single off the fifth delivery of the 47th, so that he could take strike in the next over. A visibly stricken Rohit couldn't believe that decision, and substitute Ajinkya Rahane muttered under his breath.

A spell of 15 dot balls was finally ended by Aaron thumping the ball to long-off for a single. More headless-chicken stuff followed as Umesh nurdled the fifth ball of the 48th, with Aaron this time desperately wanting a non-existent second in another attempt to face the start of the next over.

In Aaron's defence, Umesh wasn't exactly the most confidence-inspiring of batsmen, regularly planting his front foot across the stumps and poking at the ball. Umesh managed to sneak a single towards square leg off the first delivery of the penultimate over, for which the pacy Andre Russell might have been a better choice than the innocuous Darren Sammy. An on-target yorker at Russell's pace could have been the game, but Sammy perhaps feared the edged boundary to third man or fine leg.

In any case, Sammy's second delivery was a hit-me short-and-wide delivery that was dispatched for four by Aaron, to bring India within four of victory. He guided the next ball towards point for a single, and in his enthusiasm to look for yet another unlikely second, he slipped and had to settle for one. Umesh coolly shouldered arms to the next delivery, before punching a length ball past mid-on for the boundary that extended India's winning streak in home ODIs to ten. It also ended Aaron's mad scramble for the second run, something he famously did, without delivering victory, off the final delivery in the Mumbai Test.

At the other extreme when it comes to taking the second is R Ashwin, who was mildly criticised after delaying setting off for the potentially winning-run in Mumbai. This time he will receive a lot more criticism, after staying put for too long though his senior partner Rohit was running to the danger end, and was confident of making it.

Before that run-out, India were 54 away with plenty of overs to go, with Rohit and Ashwin - fresh from a Test century - in the middle. A fairly comfortable state, which India reached due to a 83-run stand for the sixth wicket between Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja. That stand administered CPR to a chase that was fast fading at 59 for 5.

Rohit played the more expansive strokes - a stylish six over the bowler, a textbook cover drive for four off Russell, followed by a controlled pull for another boundary. Jadeja was more content playing the no-frills role, picking up several of his boundaries through glides behind point. It was crucial innings for both players - Rohit, returning after several months out due to a finger injury, is looking to secure a spot in the crowded middle order, while Jadeja is still to emphatically prove he deserves a spot as high as No. 7.

All the drama seemed unlikely when India's openers galloped to 37 four overs into the chase. The dew was expected to play a huge role in the evening, and a chock-a-block crowd was probably one of the biggest many of the West Indians had played in front of. Kemar Roach didn't let any of that affect him as he pulled West Indies back into the match by removing Parthiv Patel and Gautam Gambhir in the fifth over, and adding the scalp of Virat Kohli soon after.

When Russell snuck one past Virender Sehwag's bat, and Suresh Raina chipped a catch to mid-off, it was West Indies who were in control, particularly as India's most reliable middle-order finishers, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, were absent.

Rohit and the bowlers clinched it for India at the end, but the inexperienced attack had been hugely impressively in the afternoon as well. India had none of the regular members of their World Cup-winning line-up but that didn't prevent them from limiting the visitors to a small total. Umesh and Varun showed off the pace for which they have made a name, Vinay 's patented away-swinger was on display, and the spinners continued to give the selectors no reason to think of Harbhajan Singh.

West Indies' batting had had a reviving stand of its own between Darren Bravo and Danza Hyatt after the top-order stumbled. Bravo doled out his usual share of easy-on-the-eyes boundaries as he extended his rich form from the Tests to make 60, while Hyatt was more controlled after starting problems, due to which he has reached double-digits only twice in six ODI-innings so far.

Some amateurish running from Hyatt took away any semblance of momentum from the West Indian batting, and the dismissals of Bravo and Kieron Pollard within a short span, meant the final third of the innings was slow going.

The 211 they posted seemed far from substantial, especially as the pitch wasn't playing too many tricks - the curator had boldly predicted 300-plus ahead of the match - but they again showed an encouraging ability to fight. That may not have translated into results on this trip so far, but it has resulted in the home side being forced to dig very deep in most of the matches. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Dhoni, Sachin to miss opening three ODIs; Sehwag to lead

	Virender Sehwag will lead India in MS Dhoni's absence © AFP

Virender Sehwag is set to lead India in an ODI for the first time since December 2009, after the selectors decided to give MS Dhoni a break for the five-match series against West Indies.

Sachin Tendulkar was also rested for the first three one-dayers, while Yuvraj Singh informed the selectors that he was not fully fit, which means neither has played an ODI for India since their starring roles in the World Cup win. Offspinner Harbhajan Singh, who was dropped for the home ODI series against England and the ongoing Tests against West Indies, remains out of contention too.

Since taking over as full-time captain, Dhoni has been reluctant to miss one-day games despite his heavy workload as full-time wicketkeeper and captain of India and his IPL franchise, the Chennai Super Kings. In recent times, he sat out of two bilateral one-day series against New Zealand and West Indies, on either side of the World Cup. Gautam Gambhir stood in as captain against New Zealand, while Suresh Raina led an inexperienced side in the West Indies, in the absence of Sehwag, Gambhir and Yuvraj.

Yuvraj's exclusion is believed to be due to a recurrence of the lung infection that ruled him out of the tour of West Indies earlier in the year. He returned to the side for the Tests in England, and made a fifty in Trent Bridge, before suffering a fractured finger that put him out of the rest of the series and England's return tour. He came back for the ongoing Tests against West Indies, but failed in the first two matches, before making way for Virat Kohli for the Mumbai Test.

The rest of the side was along expected lines, with Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar returning to complete the four-man seam attack that also included Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav. S Aravind and Abhimanyu Mithun, who were picked for the England ODIs, were dropped despite not getting a game in that series.

Pragyan Ojha missed out despite making a strong comeback to the Test side, which meant offspinner R Ashwin, allrounder Ravindra Jadeja and legspinner Rahul Sharma will be the specialist spinners.

India squad for first three ODIs: Virender Sehwag (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel (wk), Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav, Rahul Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

India seal series in stiff run-chase

India 300 for 5 (Rahane 91) beat England 298 for 4 (Trott 98*, Patel 70*) by five wickets

	MS Dhoni finished the match off in typical style © AFP

MS Dhoni was India's matchwinner once again, as he marshalled an asking-rate approaching ten an over to seal an unassailable 3-0 series lead in the third ODI at Mohali. With Ravindra Jadeja alongside him, he clubbed Tim Bresnan for consecutive boundaries in the final over of the match to finish unbeaten on 35 from 31 balls, as England's best total of the series - 298 for 4 - proved insufficient to keep the series alive.

It was a sloppy fielding display from England in a match they could and should have won. Their own total had been built on another sheet-anchor performance from Jonathan Trott, who finished unbeaten on 98 from 116 balls, but the point-of-difference innings had been played by Samit Patel, whose career-best 70 from 43 balls enabled England to add 91 runs in their final ten overs. Given the history of chasing at Mohali - only five teams had previously managed it in 19 matches at the venue - their route back into the series was awaiting them.

Instead, they produced a listless defence, with Ajinkya Rahane cruising along to 91 from 104 balls in a second-wicket stand of 111 with Gautam Gambhir. They managed just one wicket in the first 34 overs - a marginal lbw against Parthiv Patel, which broke an opening partnership of 79 - and though they rallied well to claim four wickets in an eight-over spell of dominance, their failure to take their chances cost them dear in the closing stages.

The most culpable man was the wicketkeeper, Craig Kieswetter, who missed an early chance to remove Gambhir on 17, before dropping Virat Kohli off a Jade Dernbach bouncer at a crucial juncture. Kohli had been struggling to impose himself and should have gone for 4 from 12 balls, only for Kieswetter to spill the catch as his elbows hit the turf. Worse was to follow, however, when he trod on the stumps while attempting to run out Jadeja with 12 balls of the match remaining, and 17 runs still needed.

That final error unsettled the under-pressure bowler Dernbach, who had earlier shown his frustration when Tim Bresnan let a four fly through his legs at backward point. He finished his spell with a wide and a no-ball beamer in an over that went for 10 runs, moments after Steven Finn - who had bowled superbly to concede 31 runs from his first eight overs - had been battered for 13 runs in his ninth.

Regardless of England's shortcomings, it was another hugely impressive display from India's batsmen, with Rahane setting the game up superbly with the second half-century of his fledgling career. He picked off six fours in his innings - mostly through deft steers behind square - but the most telling feature of his innings was the ease with which he and Gambhir rotated the strike in the fallow middle overs. England were powerless to react as the gaps in their field were pinched at will, and it wasn't until a rare misjudgement from Gambhir led to an impressive one-handed catch from Kevin Pietersen at cover that they found a foothold in the game.

That wicket was due reward for another probing and pacey spell from Finn, and he doubled his tally three overs later when Rahane's quest for a maiden hundred ended in a leading edge to Alastair Cook at mid-off. Suresh Raina then drilled Bresnan to cover for a third-ball duck to tilt the balance of power firmly in England's direction, and when Kohli was trapped lbw by a sharp turner from Graeme Swann, India had slumped to 235 for 5 with nine overs remaining, and that target of 299 suddenly seemed a long way off. In the end though, Dhoni and Jadeja picked it off with aplomb.

England owed their shot at victory to another solipsistic performance from Trott, whose tempo is immoveable regardless of the format of the game. This was his first significant innings since being named the ICC Cricketer of the Year, and it was a reprisal of the role he had played at the World Cup in March. He picked off eight boundaries after coming to the crease in the fourth over of the innings following the loss of Cook for 3, and was denied his fourth ODI hundred by a sharp piece of fielding at short fine leg, when he paddle-swept the penultimate ball of the innings for a single. Though he missed out on his milestone, the net gain was England's, as Samit Patel blazed Vinay Kumar's final ball of the innings into the long-on stands for six.

The debate will rage about Trott's approach to one-day cricket, but seeing as England collapsed in a heap in the first two matches, the backbone he provided to this performance was self-evident. Both of his major partners - Pietersen, who made 64 from 61 balls, and Patel - thrived on the right to go for their strokes, with Patel instrumental in belting 43 runs from the final 24 deliveries of England's innings. With his place under threat after two inconsequential displays in the early part of the series, this was a timely reminder of his combative qualities, as he was pushed up to No. 6 ahead of Jonny Bairstow.

Pietersen, meanwhile, produced his best one-day innings for many a month. He and Trott came together with England wobbling on 53 for 2, but the pair soon settled into a comfortable accumulative rhythm. Pietersen glanced his second ball through fine leg for four, and later launched a calculated assault on the swing of Praveen Kumar, who was bludgeoned for four fours in consecutive overs. He had a familiar aberration when the left-arm spin of Jadeja entered the attack, and would have run his partner out for 32 had the shy from midwicket been anywhere near Dhoni's gloves. As it transpired, however, it was England's own failure to run out Jadeja later in the game that would prove to be the decisive error. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Bowlers, Kohli secure emphatic India victory

India 238 for 2 (Kohli 112*, Gambhir 84*) beat England 237 (Pietersen 46, Vinay 4-30) by eight wickets

	Virat Kohli made England's 237 look like very little at the Feroz Shah Kotla © AFP

A series of double-strikes at vital junctures in England's innings helped India limit the visitors to a below-par total in good batting conditions at the Feroz Shah Kotla and secure a 2-0 lead in the five-ODI series. The first occurred at the beginning of the innings, the second at the halfway stage and the third at the start of the slog. They forced England to revert to a watchful approach, when they had been well placed to surge, leaving India's batsmen with a modest chase on a fast outfield with small boundaries.

Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir made short work of it. After surviving a fiery new-ball spell from Steven Finn and helping India build after the early loss of the openers, both batsmen settled down to score with a fluency that had been visible only in patches in England's innings. Their 209-run partnership, during which Kohli raced to a century and Gambhir made a half-century, helped achieve the target of 238 with eight wickets in hand and 13.2 overs to spare.

The ease with which India chased on a dewy evening put their bowlers' effort, and that of Vinay Kumar who took a career-best 4 for 30, in perspective. India inflicted the first double-strike within the first two overs. Alastair Cook hoped to make best use of a pitch he felt would get slower as the match progressed but his duck was a setback to those plans. The fourth ball off the match, from Praveen Kumar, was short and wide and Cook cut it straight to Ravindra Jadeja at point. While Praveen was fortunate to strike with an ordinary delivery, Vinay Kumar produced a sharper ball in the second over to dismiss Craig Kieswetter - it bounced and seamed away from the right-hand batsman and took the outside edge of the tentative prod to a wide first slip.

The second brace of wickets occurred in the 25th and 26th overs. Bopara didn't pick a straighter one from R Ashwin and was lbw and Kevin Pietersen, who had found his fluency after a slow start, drove at and edged a wide ball from Umesh Yadav to give MS Dhoni a low catch.

Despite being reduced to 0 for 2 and 121 for 5, though, England hit boundaries regularly and had partnerships that helped them recover. What they didn't do well was take singles and twos - there were 172 dot balls in the innings. India would have only 108 dot balls in theirs. The first partnership, between Bopara and Pietersen, was worth 73, and the second, between Jonny Bairstow and Samit Patel, 86. All of those batsmen, in addition to Jonathan Trott, began to create problems for India but no one stayed long enough to cause significant damage.

Bairstow and Patel had led England to 207 in the 42nd over, when they also fell in successive overs - the third and decisive double-strike. Patel got a skiddy delivery from Yadav that kept low and struck him plumb in front, while Bairstow was caught on the long-off boundary. He had hit Jadeja hard and far but Kohli took the catch at head height just inside play. England had slumped to 211 for 7 and this time there was no recovery. The tail, which had caused India so many problems in England, did not contribute.

After 8.2 overs of the chase India were 35 for 2. England had been exactly the same in their innings. Tim Bresnan had dismissed Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane, but he wasn't England's most dangerous bowler. Finn was.

Finn clocked speeds of 150 kph and above consistently in his first spell. He beat Kohli with sheer pace after inducing an edge that went past slip for four. In the 10th over, Gambhir edged Finn past his stumps to the fine-leg boundary while attempting a cover drive. With three slips in place there was a huge gap between cover point and mid-off and Gambhir was aiming for it. He tried to steer once again, and Finn watched the outside edge fly wide of third slip once more. There was a third boundary in the over - Gambhir clipped a half-volley off his pads through square leg. Finn's frustration began to show and India began to pull away fast.

The other England bowlers caused no problems. Kohli pulled Jade Dernbach with a trace of arrogant dismissiveness, he drove Ravi Bopara with grace through cover, and Gambhir cut Graeme Swann behind point to bring up the 50-partnership off 42 balls.

Kohli reached his half-century off 45 balls, Gambhir got to his off 62. Both batsmen were level on 58 after 25 overs but thereafter Kohli began to race ahead with frequent boundaries and a constant turning over of the strike. He got to his century off only 89 balls with a deft glance off the pads against Jade Dernbach. He celebrated his seventh ODI hundred with a fist-pump. A few overs later, Kohli was fist-pumping again, after smashing Dernbach through midwicket to finish the game. © ESPN EMEA Ltd