ENGLAND LEFT IN A SPIN
Nottingham, Aug. 30: India beat England by six wickets to win the third one- day international at Trent Bridge on Saturday to take a 2- 0 lead in the five- match series.
World champions India, set 228 to win, overhauled the target with six wickets and seven overs to spare.
It was their second dominant victory this week after they beat England by 133 runs in Cardiff on Wednesday.
Ambati Rayudu, only playing because of Rohit Sharma’s tour- ending finger injury, was an ODI best 64 not out after putting on 87 for the third wicket with Suresh Raina ( 42).
Earlier, spin again proved England’s undoing as they were dismissed for a seemingly below par 227. England were 82 without loss thanks to under- fire captain Alastair Cook ( 44) and Alex Hales ( 42).
But, as happened in their 133- run defeat by world champions India in Cardiff on Wednesday, they again succumbed to spin, losing three wickets for 15 runs in six overs to be 97/ 3.
Off- spinner R. Ashwin led India’s attack with 3/ 39 in his maximum 10 overs, with only Jos Buttler ( 42), apart from Cook and Hales, passing 40.
England managed just one four in 26 overs midway through their innings and didn’t hit a six until the last over when tailender James Tredwell, who made 30 off balls, lofted Bhuvneshwar Kumar over longon.
After losing the toss, England made an uncertain start before scoring 13 runs in a sixth over which Hales, on his Nottinghamshire home ground, finished by driving Mohit Sharma for two fours through extra- cover off successive balls. Cook and Hales posted their second fifty partnership, off 64 balls, in as many matches.
But a stand of 82 ended when Hales top- edged a sweep off spin- bowling all- rounder Suresh Raina’s sixth ball onto his pad and was caught by wicketkeeper Dhoni for 42.