Kedar Jadhav almost inspired India to a second victory in three video games but the hosts fell just short of their bid for a series sweep with England winning the 1/3 One-day worldwide by way of five runs at Eden Gardens on Sunday.
Set a target of 322, India nearly was given the runs with an inspired effort with the aid of Kedar Jadhav, who made 90 (75 balls, 12x4. 1x6), his partnership of 104 runs with Hardik Pandya (56) reviving an innings while all seemed lost.
wanting 16 off the closing over, Jadhav hit Chris Woakes for a six and 4 off the first balls but did not rating of the following and changed into out inside the fifth. Bhuvneshwar Kumar could not connect the remaining ball and England notched up their first ODI win at Eden in 4 tries.
OPENERS FLOP
Ajinkya Rahane couldn’t make the opportunity to replace Shikhar Dhawan count, failing to negotiate an in-swinger from David Willey. Rahane’s bat came down straight to meet the late in-swinger and there was no feet movement, signs of a man whose batting’s looking iffy at the moment. After scoring 8 and 5 in the first two ODIs, KL Rahul got 11 but when he fell, unable to tame the bounce of a Jake Ball delivery, it meant skipper Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh needed to repair the innings at 37/2.
They added 65 runs before Kohli (55) fell, playing away from his body to Ben Stokes. Not before he had got to another half-century, though, this time making the most of being dropped by Ball at long leg, off Liam Plunkett, on 35.
PAINFUL BLOW
Yuvraj Singh took a Ball delivery on his chest but greeted Stokes by smashing him through midwicket. Not long after, Plunkett gave him width and Yuvraj again sent him to the same area, swinging those massive forearms. But neither he nor MS Dhoni (25) stayed long enough. Jadhav, who struck a stunning century in his 256-run stand with Kohli
England reached 321/8 after Kohli put them in on winning the toss, scoring 58 runs in their last five overs.
Hardik Pandya was India’s most successful bowler taking three for 43 while Ravindra Jadeja took 2/62 to become the first Indian left-arm spinner to complete 150 wickets in ODIs.
After negotiating a good first over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, opener Jason Roy got his third half-century in a row, making 65. However, he fell to Jadeja for the third time in this series. Sam Billings (35) and skipper Eoin Morgan (43) got starts they frittered away due to poor shot selection. Both were caught by Jasprit Bumrah, Billings trying to reverse sweep and holding out to backwards point and Morgan sending one down the fielder’s throat with a flick.
It was Pandya who got the breakthrough, dismissing Morgan just when he was beginning to play the kind of innings Kolkata Knight Riders expected him to at their home.
Morgan and Bairstow benefited from the Decision Review System. The second ball of the 28th over had India appealing for caught behind and Kohli sought to review umpire Kumara Dharamsala's decision that Morgan had not made contact. Bairstow took his review after umpire Anil Chaudhary upheld Dhoni’s appeal, off Pandya. He was on 46 then. Pandya though ended the over by dismissing Jos Buttler, whose cover-drive was caught by Rahul.
Having survived a no-ball dismissal off Bumrah on 28, Bairstow got to his half-century, but couldn’t stay on.
Morgan and Roy took England to 194 and if England didn’t lose the momentum it was because of some fine rearguard action by Ben Stokes (57) and Chris Woakes (34). Stokes struck some lusty blows including a six over long-on when Kumar returned for his second spell, in the 46th over.
Chris Woakes tore into Bumrah in the 48th over, hitting him for a six and two fours.