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Cricket

India ease to third win over England in fading light

20/11/2008

A confusing end to the third one-day international between India and England in Kanpur resulted in a third straight win for the home side via the Duckworth-Lewis method.

The hosts were restricted to 40 overs after the umpires called time on their innings, replying to England's 240 all out from 49 overs earlier in the day with Harbhajan Singh's spin taking 3-31.

But it was another solid effort from in-form batsman Yuvraj Singh, who hit 38 off 31 balls, and Virender Sehwag's 68 off 76 that gave India enough of a cushion as the fading light brought an end to proceedings.

Andrew Flintoff (3-31) was the pick of England's bowlers as they did well to restrict India's explosive top order when defending what was in essence a below-par total.

Spinner Graeme Swann (1-47 off ten overs) and Flintoff's fellow strike bowler Stuart Broad (1-36) also did well, but it was not quite enough.

India were set an initial target of 241 to win after they bowled England out in the tourists' allotted 49 overs after a delay in the morning.

Ravi Bopara - installed as a surprise opening batsman - top scored in the innings with a confident 60 opposite Ian Bell, who grabbed 46 off 47 balls, as the openers put on 79 for the first wicket.

There was also a decent showing from middle-order man Owais Shah, who scored 40 off 42, and all-rounder Samit Patel got 26 off 29.

Flintoff played a watchful 26 off 46 balls in the middle of the innings before being trapped lbw, although captain Kevin Pietsersen endured a frustrating innings – scoring just 13 off 16 balls before he was caught by Zaheer Khan off the spin of Harbhajan.

After being demoted to number eight in the batting order, wicketkeeper-batsman Matt Prior found life tough going among the tailenders with just five off 13 balls before being bowled by Ishant Sharma.

The result means England now face a massive task to get anything from the series, as they trail by 3-0 with just four matches to play.