India scramble to 256
Willey and Rashid strike as England restrict India
Leeds, July 17: David Willey and Adil Rashid took three wickets apiece on their Yorkshire home ground as England held India to 256 for eight in the third and deciding one-day international at Headingley on Tuesday. Left-arm quick Willey took three for 40 in his nine overs and legspinner Rashid three for 49 in his maximum 10. Rashid's haul included two wickets for two runs in six balls as he dismissed both India captain Virat Kohli, who topscored with 71, and Suresh Raina in the 31st over.
MS Dhoni, criticised for slow scoring during England's 86-run win at Lord's on Saturday that levelled the three-match series at 1-1, made 42 off 66 balls.
But when he was out, caught behind after being squared up by Willey, it meant India had to play out the final 4.1 overs of their innings without a recognised batsman at the crease.
It was not until the penultimate over that India hit their first sixes of the innings, with tailender Shardul Thakur twice pulling Ben Stokes high over square leg.
Thakur made a valuable 22 not out off 13 balls and together with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (21) — another of the three changes to India's side at Lord's — added 35 before his fellow paceman holed out off Willey's final ball of the innings.
After England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss, India initially found runs hard to come against accurate bowling from Mark Wood (one for 30 in 10) and Willey, who were given some early assistance by overhead cloud cover.
It took the normally fluent Sharma, who scored a superb century during India's eightwicket win in the seriesopener at Trent Bridge, 18 balls to score two runs.
His Headingley innings ended when, with a rare attacking shot, he flicked Willey off his pads to Wood at deep square leg.
But the introduction of fast bowler Liam Plunkett, one of five Yorkshire players in England's XI, helped India break the shackles. Shikhar Dhawan struck three fours in as many balls of Plunkett s the bowler's first two overs cost an expensive 21 runs.
England then missed a chance to dismiss Kohli when the India captain was on 23. — AFP