Aug 25: Team India got a bit of relief with the win in second ODI by leveling the series 1-1. A discipline batting by the top order batsmen made India building a huge total of 329 at the loss of 7 wickets at Bristol. This time the top order batted well to ensure a good start with some superb partnerships. The match was certainly entertaining for the crowd as England reached 320 for 8 with some excellent batting by the lower order.
Keeping in mind the condition of the first One Day at Southampton, Indian Captain Rahul Dravid after winning the toss opted to bat first. This proofs fruitful as both the experienced openers Sachin and Sourav though started slowly in the first 6 overs but keeps the scoreboard running with some excellent shots from the little master. Both did well to cross the hundred mark of the team total but Sourav was the first to go when he was caught by Collingwood in the bowling of Flintoff.
The opening partnership came to end at the score of 113 runs but the next batsman Yuvraj Singh promoted ahead of Rahul Dravid as the first down and that made it easier for Tendulkar for keeping the scorer busy with excellent running between the wickets. Sachin made his fifty playing just 56 balls and those came with some of the finest shots on the onside. He also became the first Indian batsman who has made 1000 runs against England.
Unfortunately for Tendulkar he again missed another century in his record when the ball crushed his arm and went straight to the keeper’s hand. Though TV reply shows that as not out but again he became a victim of bad umpiring. This was the 13 th instance in his career that he got out in the 90’s; it is really disappointing for a player who had already 40 centuries in his kit.
However, it was time for Yuvraj and skipper Rahul Dravid to continue the attack against English bowler and built a partnership of 63 runs before Yuvraj got out in the bowling of Stuart Board and again Collingwood was the man to take the catch. Yuvraj missed his half century just one run short.
Dravid whose strike rate doesn’t consider among the best played brilliantly to register his 80 th ODI fifty and along with Dhoni (21 of 18 balls) crossed the 300 mark. Dhoni was the fourth wicket to fall in the hands of Chris Tremlett in a well length bouncer of James Anderson. But the lower-order including Agarkar, Dinesh Karthik, Ramesh Powar easily gave their wicket to Andrew Flintoff as the bowler claimed a five wicket haul in this match.
Team India after its 104 run defeat in the Southampton had two changes as ace pace bowler Zaheer Khan was absent due to Flu and in place of Gautam Gambhir, the team wanted to play an extra bowler as off-spinner Ramesh Powar.
In reply though England had a good start but lost wickets in quick succession and that does the difference in the match. However, Ian Bell again contributed a valuable 64 runs and some cameo performances by the tell-enders especially Dimitri Mascarenhas (52) and Stuart Broad’s 29 of 24 balls took England close to the target.
Earlier both the openers Alastair Cook (36) and Matthew Prior (33) gave a flying start but Munaf Patel was the man for India to strike by taking two wickets in a single over and then it was spinner Piyush Chawla who removed the dangerous Kevin Pietersen (25) and Paul Collingwood (27).
Off-spinner Ramesh Powar did bowl well by taking the wicket of Andrew Flintoff in his 10-over spell. England’s hopes faded with the loss of Ian Bell’s wicket who was the third victim of Piyush Chawal. Munaf Patel caught a high but easy catch on mid-on. However, Dimitri Mascarenhas added some more entertainment to the crowd by thumping five huge sixes and one boundary in his 52 ball innings that came of just 39 balls. Stuart Broad also made the last over interesting by hitting two sixes and one four of Patel’s over.
As far as Indian bowling is concerned Chawla and Patel got three wickets each and RP Singh and Powar one and one. It was very close match Indian won it just very little margin of 9 runs. Captain Rahul Dravid awarded man of the match for his unbeaten 92 of 63 balls.
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