No respite for India, England win 3rd ODI to take 2-0 lead

London:England survived jitters to win the third ODI against India by three wickets at the Oval and are now 2-0 up in the five-match ODI series.

After India set a target of 235 for England, it was reduced to 218 in 43 overs due to light drizzle that robbed around an hour’s play. The home team ultimately reached the target with seven deliveries.

England were 95 for 3 from 20 overs when showers sent them indoors and when they returned, they needed 123 from the remaining 23 overs.

Their nerves were further rattled when the two batsmen at the crease at the time of the break, Ian Bell (23) and Ben Stokes (20), were dismissed within a space of two runs to leave the hosts tottering at 133 for 5.

England were then revived by Ravi Bopara (41) and Tim Bresnan (28) who put on 60 runs for the sixth wicket but then the latter departed to Ravindra Jadeja in the 39th over the bring the game back on even keel. England at that point of time needed 25 runs from 25 balls with four wickets in hand.

England then moved their score to 208 for 6 in the 41st over, the first of the two overs of batting Powerplay, at which stage Bopara was bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin and England needed 10 runs from the final 13 balls.

The penultimate over, bowled by Munaf Patel, settled the issue when the two batsmen at the crease, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann ran their singles smartly and the latter, in between, also hit a four through mid-off.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni blamed the profligacy of his bowlers in the initial overs as the prime reason for his team’s defeat in the third ODI .

“The first 10 overs were crucial. We gave away too many runs. Otherwise spinners would have had a few more runs to play with,” said Dhoni after the first 10 overs of England innings, cost 60 runs to the Indian team.

“It’s not the first time it has happened to us. There was a phase when we suffered from the same malaise. If the rivals have to chase more than six runs per over, it becomes difficult for them but we gave away too many runs upfront.” Dhoni didn’t blame the weather much for his team’s defeat although he did say the spinners got less turn after the interruption.