England suffer more heartache in India
The fifth ODI is on Wednesday in Cuttack
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Sunday, 23, Nov 2008 10:23
England have lost the one-day series to India after a 19-run defeat under the Duckworth-Lewis method in Bangalore.
In a match reduced to 22 overs per side after a number of rain delays, the hosts made 166-4 with Virender Sehwag firing 69.
Chasing a revised target of 198, England could manage only 178-8, with Owais Shah reaching 72. India now have an unassailable 4-0 lead in the seven-match series.
After being put into bat by Kevin Pietersen, India's openers Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar made an explosive start and hit 32 in the first six overs.
But after a delay to flatten out a section of the pitch, Tendulkar was clean bowled next ball by Stuart Broad for 11.
Sehwag continued his devastating form and smashed James Anderson for 15 in the 12th over to accelerate the run-rate.
But rain again played spoilsport and play was stopped in the 14th over with the home side on 82-1.
After the interruption, the game was reduced to 44 overs per side. The delay failed to disrupt Sehwag who reached his 32nd half-century after hitting a six off Broad.
The players were off again after another shower which resulted in the game being reduced to 22 overs per side.
In the final four-over spell, spinner Graeme Swann got the breakthrough after dismissing Sehwag for 69 after Anderson took a routine catch at long-on.
Swann repeated the trick in his next over to leave India on 142-3 when Gautam Gambhir's (40) shot fell straight into the hands of Anderson at long-off.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed a six before being bowled by Samit Patel for nine off the penultimate ball.
But all-rounder Yusuf Pathan ensured India set an imposing total by hitting the final ball of their innings for a towering six.
England's target under the Duckworth-Lewis method was 198 off 22 overs. And they made their trademark poor start with Ravi Bopara (one) caught by a stunning catch from Ishant Sharma off the bowling of Munaf Patel to leave them on 1-1.
Ian Bell and Owais Shah then put on a useful partnership of 43 runs and nullified the threat of India's seamers.
That caused Dhoni to send on his spinners and it was Harbhajan Singh who broke the deadlock in the seventh over when he got through Bell's defences to scatter the stumps.
The next batsman in was skipper Pietersen (five) but his nightmare tour continued as he dragged a delivery from paceman Sharma onto his stumps.
That brought in Andrew Flintoff who put on a vital stand with Shah to set up a grandstand finish.
The all-rounder hit four boundaries, which included one six, while Shah reached his 50 off 35 balls with a boundary.
Shah reached 72 before skying a full-toss from Zaheer Khan which was caught by Tendulkar to leave the tourists on 134-4.
In the next over, Flintoff (41) departed after steering a shot straight to Khan at extra cover after a slower ball from Sharma.
But that triggered a collapse with Patel being dismissed by Khan for 11 and Paul Collingwood sent back to the pavilion by Munaf Patel for 22.
And Swann was run out in the final over as England suffered yet another defeat in the sub-continent.