West Indies v Australia, 2nd ODI, St Vincent,West Indies Beat Australia By 5 Wickets

West Indies 163 for 5 in 38.2 overs (Pollard 47*) beat Australia 154 for 9 in 40 overs (David Hussey 37, Narine 4-27) by five wickets on D/L method 

Kieron Pollard blazed West Indies to a first ODI victory over Australia since 2006, his stand with Dwayne Bravo swallowing up the tourists' modest total in a rain-affected match at the Arnos Vale Ground.

Set the Duckworth/Lewis-adjusted target of 158 from 40 overs after holding Australia to 154 for 9, the hosts made the worst possible start when Kieran Powell shouldered arms to Brett Lee's first ball of the innings and was palpably lbw. But from an uncertain 74 for 4, Pollard and Dwayne Bravo constructed the most assured stand of the match, and took West Indies to a deserved win with five wickets and 11 balls to spare.

Pollard's innings was punctuated by three sixes in one critical four-over burst, and it was a spell of scoring that would prove decisive. He saved a fourth for the closing stages of the chase, swinging Doherty over midwicket with such force that the ball clanged off the roof of a stand and bounded out of the ground.

Bravo was run out before the end, the final few runs collected a little nervously, but there was no doubting the importance of his contribution to a West Indian victory that ended a 14-match run without a win against Australia. Though Doherty and Clint McKay bowled diligently for the visitors, they had been given too few runs to defend. The five-match series is now level at one apiece.

The wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh landed the final blows, and with Chris Gayle celebrating in the stands amid speculation of a possible compromise between the former captain and the WICB, the hosts' prospects for this series looked far brighter than they had on Friday.

Sent in to bat as much because of the threat of that rain as anything else, the tourists slipped to 46 for 3 and lost regular wickets across the innings that staggered to 154 for 9. David Hussey, Watson and George Bailey did their best, but could not find the right gears on a pitch slower and lower than the one for the first match.

Kemar Roach had struck twice in his fourth over, the second after a lengthy rain interruption, and Darren Sammy followed up with the wicket of Australia's captain Watson. Roach's display was particularly arresting as he fights to return to the Test team, while Sunil Narine's spin was tidy and intelligent and earned four wickets.

Powell simply lost his bearings against Lee's first ball when West Indies chased, letting go a delivery that shaped back a fraction but would still have been much too close to leave even if it had not moved. Watson chimed in with a yorker that Samuels played over, and while the slide from 42 for 1 to 74 for 4 was gradual, it left Australia with what appeared a decent chance of rushing to a 2-0 series lead.

However, Pollard swung the game definitively towards West Indies with a flurry of sixes. He powered three in a matter of minutes to push Watson's fields back and cause him to change his bowlers, while also making the runs-to-balls ratio more or less irrelevant.

In contrast to Pollard, Bravo played with good sense and few risks, only once leaping down the pitch to loft Doherty over mid-on. In their contrasting approaches, Pollard and Bravo presented Watson and Australia with a union they could not separate before the match's course had been determined, and it was a joyous celebration by both the home crowd and their players when the target was reached in fading light.

David Warner and Watson had made a steady opening after a brief shower delayed the start, reaching 16 for 0 in five overs. At this point more substantial rain pelted the ground, and sent the players off the field for about 90 minutes. When they returned, Warner was swiftly disposed of, playing back to a Roach delivery that skidded through low and flicked off stump. Next man Peter Forrest was undone simply and quickly, edging a ball of high pace and teasing line to second slip to depart for a duck in the same over.

Roach's strikes had the hosts buzzing in the field, and when Andre Russell relieved him, Roach had the startling figures of 5-3-4-2. Watson had returned the West Indian fire with a smart six from the bowling of Sammy, but the West Indies captain would have the last laugh when he floated a slower ball that his opposite number chipped to midwicket.

Michael and David Hussey then set about repairing the innings, as Narine's offbreaks received plenty of assistance from the pitch. The elder Hussey was dropped on eight, a sharp chance from the bowling of Sammy bursting through Pollard's hands in the gully. The drop was not to prove too expensive, as Narine tossed an off break fractionally fuller than his usual length, prompting a thin edge behind and a neat catch by Carlton Baugh. Bailey again looked at home in international company, but was upset to squander his start by cutting Bravo to backward point.

While Lee scrapped as best he could, adding the second six of the innings with a mighty swipe wide of long-on, Australia's total looked insubstantial. Thanks to Pollard, it would prove exactly that.

Smart stats

• West Indies won their first game against Australia in more than five years and ended a sequence of 13 consecutive losses. Their last win came in the group phase of the Champions Trophy in India in 2006. This is only the sixth match that West Indies have won against Australia since 2000. In the same period, they have gone on to lose 27 matches.
• Australia's score of 154 is their third-lowest first-innings total in ODIs against West Indies and their lowest such total against West Indies since 1993. Overall, it is Australia's joint seventh- lowest first-innings total in ODIs (minimum 40-over innings).
• For the second time in two consecutive matches, not a single Australian batsman scored a half-century and the highest score this time was 37. There have been only nineinstances when there has not been a single 40-plus score in an Australia innings (innings where all batsmen have batted).
• Sunil Narine's haul of 4 for 27 is the second-best bowling performance by a West Indian spinner in ODIs against Australia after Chris Gayle's 5 for 46 in 2003.
• The average run-rate in seven matches in Kingstown is just 4.12 (since 2005). It is the lowest in the period among all venues in West Indies. Since 2008, the run-ratein matches in West Indies (4.92) is the third-lowest after those in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

South Africa Lead Series 2-0

South Africa 231 for 4 (Amla 92, Duminy 43) beat New Zealand 230 (Brendon McCullum 85, Morne Morkel 5-38) by six wickets

An alluring one-day innings, this time from another of South Africa's batting juggernauts, Hashim Amla, saw the visitors canter to a series win with a six-wicket trouncing inside 39 overs in the second ODI in Napier. Amla's 92 took South Africa smoothly to within striking distance of the target, after a middle-order collapse from New Zealand had seen them bowled out in 47.3 overs for a woefully inadequate 230. Morne Morkel brushed aside the lower order and the tail, exploiting a hard pitch that supplemented his natural bounce, to collect each of New Zealand's last five wickets. South Africa were never at risk of fluffing an easy chase, with Amla at the rudder.

Less than 24 hours after Virat Kohli and India put on an exhibition in Powerplay batting, New Zealand spat up a performance at the other end of the spectrum, which derailed their innings, and effectively surrendered the match. Having overcome a tougher early period, the hosts skated to 163 for 2 in the 33rd over before unraveling dramatically. Brainless aggression from New Zealand, and superb execution in the field from South Africa, saw three wickets fall while the field was in, before two more quick strikes crushed any New Zealand hopes of a respectable total on what South Africa proved was a dream batting surface.

Kane Williamson's dismissal began the slide, but he was more the victim of terrific work from South Africa than his own folly. With mid-on and mid-off up, he attempted to loft Tsotsobe straight, but was fooled by the lack of pace and ended up launching it high in the air. He might have got away with it were it not for an outstanding backpedalling take from Jacques Kallis, who arched back and plucked the ball from two feet behind him as it hurtled down.

Brendon McCullum was next to go, after another promising half-century, picking out the fielder on the fence for the second time in as many matches, after Lonwabo Tsotsobe had invited his aerial leg-side flick with a full ball on the pads. Jesse Ryder's series failed to improve, as he too perished offering a poor stroke, to an angled Dale Steyn delivery that caught the edge as it moved across him.

Morkel scythed through the New Zealand tail after Tsotsobe and Steyn had made the incision in the middle order. He was on a hat-trick twice, with only Tim Southee's defiant 27-ball 28, breaking up his string of wickets. He finished with 5 for 38, his first five-wicket haul in ODIs.

At the end of their innings, New Zealand had lost eight wickets for 67, after Martin Guptill's 107-run partnership with McCullum had set them on track for 300.

Amla's imperious uppercut in the third over of the chase ignited a ten-ball salvo that yielded six fours, and launched South Africa's chase into a breakneck pace that did not relent until his dismissal in the 32nd over. Jacques Kallis departed early, after opening in place of an injured Graeme Smith, but Amla progressed unfazed, lacing crisp boundaries square on the off side during the mandatory Powerplay to propel the scoring rate beyond six an over, where it stayed for the entirety of the innings.

Faf du Plessis took little time to get in and match Amla's tempo, proving the trueness of the surface. The pair cavorted at close to seven an over at times, buffeting the square boundaries, but also ensuring the cover and straight fence got a pounding whenever the New Zealand bowlers over-corrected their lengths. du Plessis' departure to a clever catch from Martin Guptill, who tossed the ball to himself as he stepped over the square-leg boundary and then back in, did not slow the scoring, as JP Duminy resumed where his teammate left off and Amla cruised beyond 50.

Legspinner Tarun Nethula was the only bowler to trouble Amla, but with South Africa having made half New Zealand's target by the 20th over, the hosts had seemingly lost hope, which only compounded their woes. Nethula should have had Amla twice in one over, but the first top edge eluded fielders, while the second was shelled by Rob Nicol at long off. Jesse Ryder then frustrated Nethula further, by spilling Duminy, before Nethula caught the batsman himself, leaving nothing to his teammates who were seemingly already resigned to loss.

Nethula grew in confidence as his spell wore on, even finding turn on the rock-hard surface that Robin Peterson had earlier found difficult to bowl on. He bamboozled Amla several times before eventually having him caught behind, in sight of his tenth one-day hundred. AB de Villiers and Justin Ontong sauntered home under little pressure.

McCullum's 85 and Guptill's 58 were the only bright spots for New Zealand with the bat. Their partnership came at almost a run-a-ball as they looked to make the most of the favourable conditions. Though a spineless performance from the middle order will bear most of the blame, both set batsmen will be distraught not to have converted their half-centuries, and guided their side closer to a competitive total. New Zealand now only have pride to play for in Auckland on Saturday.

Pakistan Win Series

Pakistan 262 for 7 (Akmal 59, Afridi 42, Shakib 1-27) beat Bangladesh 186 for 6 (Nasir 100, Gul 4-36 Hafeez 2-15) by 76 runs

For the second time in two matches, Bangladesh's top-order batsmen collapsed quickly, this time playing rash shots on an easier pitch, and Pakistan secured the three-match series 2-0 without being stretched in Mirpur. The home side's approach to their innings was in contrast to that of Pakistan, who had batted with deliberate caution to guard against early wickets and build a platform for a strong total. The difference in how the teams fared in the first ten overs of their innings decided the match.

Bangladesh's batsmen did not even begin to challenge Pakistan, crumbling against Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Gul, whose economical yet incisive spells with the new ball made the target of 263 disappear from sight. The collapse began in the fourth over and went on until the tenth, at the end of which Bangladesh were 19 for 4. Tamim Iqbal slashed at a potential wide and toe-ended it to slip; Imrul Kayes chipped a drive softly to cover; Shahriar Nafees might have inside-edged on to his pad but he had just survived a closer lbw shout; and Mushfiqur Rahim pushed away from his body and was caught at gully. In between these dismissals the batsmen couldn't get the ball off the square and the asking-rate spiraled irreversibly out of control. Hafeez eventually finished with figures of 10-2-15-2.

Pakistan, on the other hand, used an old-school approach. They were content to play within themselves and build slowly. Pakistan weren't entirely successful, because Bangladesh broke steady partnerships before they caused too much damage, but the power-hitters, Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi, fired from the platform built for them to reach a sizeable total.

Hafeez and Younis Khan laid the foundations with a partnership of 57 for the second wicket. They blocked the good deliveries when they had to, and shouldered arms when they could. Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain conceded only 28 in the first nine overs before Mushfiqur turned to the left-arm spin of Shakib Al Hasan, who continued to tighten Bangladesh's grip on the run-rate. Hafeez and Younis eventually fell in succession and, at 93 for 3 in the 26th over, Bangladesh had inched ahead.

Then began Pakistan's strongest partnership, between the two most different batsmen in the XI: Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal. Misbah ensured solidity, while Akmal infused the innings with urgency with his running between the wickets and his repertoire of attacking shots. Though Misbah had begun batting earlier, Akmal was soon double his captain's score in virtually the same number of deliveries.

The fifty partnership for the fourth wicket came off 54 balls and Akmal brought up his half-century off 49. Shakib had been Bangladesh's best bowler and his only wicket broke the threatening partnership: Akmal skied the ball inside out to long-off to be caught for 59. Misbah fell soon after, becoming the debutant Elias Sunny's maiden ODI wicket. At 193 for 5 in the 42nd over, Bangladesh had restored parity.

Shahid Afridi hit his second ball for six, over long-off, and was then dropped on 8 by the bowler Shafiul. He went on to hurt Bangladesh, hitting the ball powerfully and charging between the wickets to score 42 runs off 27 balls. That Bangladesh had to chase more than 250 was their own fault, for they conceded 22 runs in extras, 17 of them through wides.

Bangladesh were not without a hero, though, for Nasir Hossain entertained the strong crowd by scoring his maiden ODI century. Unfortunately for Hossain, he began his innings after the game was lost, and he did not have partners who batted with similar purpose. Even Shakib, who is usually hard to subdue if he bats long, managed only 34 off 90 balls. That partnership of 106 for the fifth wicket took 32.1 overs and caused the asking-rate to skyrocket.

Hossain could have been out on 9 had the wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed held an easy catch, and as Pakistan eased their intensity because they were never going to lose, he began to play his shots, taking on a formidable spin attack. Hossain began the 49th over on 86 off 127 balls and reached his century in the next four deliveries. He slammed Afridi over the extra-cover boundary for six, and cut through point, before playing a dot ball. On 96, he charged and swung, getting an edge that beat Sarfraz and went to the boundary. The crowd and his team-mates applauded him warmly, for he had been an example to his more experienced team-mates.

India Get 2-0 Lead

India 270 for 5 (Kohli 117, Rohit 90*) beat West Indies 269 for 9 (Rampaul 86*, Simmons 78, Yadav 3-38) by five wickets

Lendl Simmons withstood like the boy on the burning deck, while Ravi Rampaul shot from the hip like the last man standing. Their half-centuries were stirring for they created them from ruins, but neither led West Indies to victory. Instead, Virat Kohli's methodical century, which enhanced his growing stature as an expert of the chase, and Rohit Sharma's efficient finishing act, prevailed and led India to a 2-0 lead on a drizzly day in Visakhapatnam.

India's bowlers had a critical role in the victory as well, before they were rendered bereft of ideas by Rampaul's record-breaking assault at No. 10. Umesh Yadav and Vinay Kumar, the new-ball operators, exploited rare seam-bowling conditions on the subcontinent and cut through the West Indian top order. Under cloudy skies, on a cracked pitch that had bounce, they used consistent outswing to help reduce West Indies to 149 for 8 despite defiance from Simmons. The end should have quickly followed, but it didn't, because Rampaul blitzed 86 off 66 balls and added 99 for the tenth wicket to lead West Indies to 269 for 9.

The chase was not hiccup-free either. India suffered two early wickets and the loss of an off-colour Sehwag - whose 26 lacked enough strike and momentum - to slip to 84 for 3 in the 17th over. Sehwag could have fallen on 1 and 15 but was dropped by Darren Sammy and Darren Bravo, who is as poor a fielder as he is promising a batsman.

The moments that cost West Indies most, however, were the let-offs Kohli had. On 24, Kohli swiveled and tried to pull Andre Russell, a shot he would execute with success later during his eighth century. This time Denesh Ramdin failed to catch the ball and the umpire did not signal leg-byes. On 40, Kohli drove the ball hard back at the bowler Marlon Samuels, who couldn't hold on as he dived to his right. Kohli gave West Indies no more chances.

Rohit had a painful start to his innings. His third ball was a short one from Rampaul and it thudded into the glove of his bottom hand. Three balls later Rohit retorted with a audacious pull off the front foot that sent the ball into the crowd beyond the midwicket boundary. It was the start of a 163-run partnership that decided the game.

Though the challenge was sizeable, Kohli and Rohit ensured the asking-rate, which hit a run a ball for the first time after 23 overs, was always under control. Sammy, unlike his counterpart Sehwag who often had six fielders in the circle when India were bowling, spread his field and the batsmen were able to whittle down the target without risking their wickets.

There were a few more tense moments as the contest entered its home stretch. After closing the gap between runs required and balls left with five boundaries in ten balls - Kohli 3, Rohit 2 - Kohli was dismissed for 117. Raina was caught behind hooking a short ball soon after, and India needed 22 off 24 balls. Rohit, however, did the job he didn't do in Cuttack. He stayed the course, striking a six over long-off to reach 90 and then watching from the other end as the game was won.

A few hours earlier, the match didn't look like it would go into its 99th over. The floodlights were on as play began after a delayed start in front of a strong crowd and Yadav didn't take long to give them reason to roar. In the second over, he produced a late outswinger that grazed Adrian Barath's outside edge en route to the wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel.

A feature of Yadav's bowling was how upright the seam was before the ball hit the pitch and seamed away. Sehwag had a third slip because of all the movement, and when Samuels edged Yadav, Raina dived to his right and took a low catch. West Indies were 25 for 2.

Simmons went on the attack, stylishly whipping Yadav to the square-leg boundary, and walking out of his crease to drive Vinay on the up through extra cover to bring up 1000 career runs. At the other end, there was false promise from Bravo, who flicked and straight drove Varun Aaron for fours before lofting Vinay to the fielder at mid-on. Two balls later, Danza Hyatt was walking back for nought.

Only after Ramdin - Yadav's third wicket - departed with his team reeling at 63 for 5, did things begin to look up for West Indies. Simmons reached his half-century and Pollard brought up the 50 partnership by launching the offspinner R Ashwin over the straight boundary. He followed that with another six over wide long-on next ball. Another slump was around the corner, though.

Pollard, Sammy and Russell fell in quick time and it was then that Rampaul made his entrance. He swept Ashwin for four and clubbed him over long-on, before targeting Jadeja and scoring two more fours. Between those braces of shots, Simmons had been run out for 78.

The boundaries were small but Rampaul would have cleared larger ones today. He brought up his half-century off 35 balls and hit half a dozen sixes and as many fours, most of them swung with power on the leg side. There was an inevitability about how the innings ended, with Rampaul slamming Aaron over the straight boundary. He walked off the field with a composed look on his face, knowing the job was only half done. He wouldn't be able to complete it, though.

Sri Lanka Win 2nd ODI By 25 Runs

Sri Lanka 235 for 7 (Tharanga 77, Jayawardene 50, Ajmal 3-61) beat Pakistan 210 (Umar 91, Malinga 3-36) by 25 runs

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The ICC's latest fiddle with the rules was primarily responsible for the intrigue in Dubai, where the tale of two batting Powerplays decided the course of the second ODI. Sri Lanka stole 48 off theirs, to poke a slumbering innings to life and propel a surge that yielded 136 runs off their last 20 overs. Chasing 236, Pakistan were rocked by seam before Umar Akmal's dazzling strokeplay left them needing 93 off the last 15 overs, when their Powerplay came into force. A hat-trick of boundaries from Umar reduced the equation to 72 at under a run-a-ball, but he holed out attempting a fourth successive four in the restrictions. Sri Lanka roared back with two more quick breaches, pegging the Powerplay damages at 26 for 3, and steadily closed the game out thereafter.

If the match was played before October 1, Pakistan might have waited for the very end to call the field in, and Umar might have remained cautious until then. As it transpired, Umar heaved Dilhara Fernando over mid-on, before backing away and scything him through point and blazing him through the covers for fours in the 38th over. He looked to muscle the next ball over mid-on as well, but Dinesh Chandimal intercepted well to give Sri Lanka an opening.

Umar's exit ended a 62-run stand, and there was more trouble when Lasith Malinga removed the set Sarfraz Ahmed next ball, to a questionable lbw call, with Pakistan out of reviews. Thisara Perera then dismissed Umar Gul to put Sri Lanka on the brink, but Shahid Afridi kept fighting. Tillakaratne Dilshan, however, ended Afridi's cameo, and Pakistan's hopes, with a direct-hit from point.

Dilshan's athleticism at the end of the evening was in stark contrast to his sluggish footwork while at the crease. Sri Lanka weathered an exemplary new-ball spell from Gul through gumption and fortune - mostly the latter in the captain's case. Nine times in that spell, Dilshan groped and and missed balls that buzzed away off the seam, before shouldering arms to one that came in and passed perilously close to the stumps. Just when it seemed like Dilshan could get away with anything, Afridi slipped a patent faster one past a lazy cut to wreck his stumps.

Upul Tharanga had two escapes, dropped at cover by Imran Farhat, and by the keeper Sarfraz, but fought along gamely. Kumar Sangakkara, however, fell by the wayside, leaving Sri Lanka reading from a script similar to the first game: the pitch was drastically losing pace, and Pakistan's all-sorts middle-overs specialists were tying them down. Two maidens were played out, Dinesh Chandimal combusted, and Mahela Jayawardene conceded another maiden as Sri Lanka's outlook worsened by the moment. But the script was about to be rewritten in the Powerplay.

In the 36th over, Jayawardene sensed release and launched Afridi over extra-cover and the straight field for fours. Tharanga too cashed in, taking Saeed Ajmal for a raft of boundaries as Pakistan's spin gambit in the Powerplay backfired. Jayawardene pounded Gul for two more fours through the off side, and Sri Lanka had finally found their voice in the Middle East. The innings gradually decelerated thereafter, with Tharanga and Angelo Mathews falling at inopportune moments, but the Powerplay had provided enough momentum for Sri Lanka to post a respectable total. A 17-run final over from Ajmal helped the cause too.

With runs to back him up, Malinga bowled with a freedom that was conspicuously absent in the first ODI. His first ball was on the pads, and Mohammad Hafeez duly whipped it for four, but the radar came on immediately. Two balls later Malinga zipped one away off the seam, and Hafeez nicked behind as he tried to cover the line without getting across. Younis Khan then fiddled at the sort of ball he had avoided so assiduously in the Tests, and Sangakkara veritably flew to his right, to grab the edge in front of first slip. Thisara backed up Malinga with equally felicitous seam-work, and pinned Farhat with one that nipped in. Farhat left Pakistan in more trouble than they needed at 11 for 3, using up their only review on his way out.

Misbah-ul-Haq guided Umar through the troubled waters, blunting the new balls and saving resources for late. Umar interspersed Misbah's defiance with a streak of breath-taking strokes, starting with a flick and a drive off Malinga. Fernando hurried him into a pull against an effort ball, but the chance slipped past Mathews' lunge at short extra cover. Pakistan seemed to have restored parity when Umar hit back with two punchy fours, before heaving the first ball of Fernando's sixth over for a six. But Sri Lanka reclaimed control when Misbah walked into an inswinger in the same over. Abdul Razzaq's run-out gave Sri Lanka a firmer grip, but Sarfraz and Umar wrested the advantage back with 15 overs left. The Powerplay was about to provide the final twist, though.

Sri Lanka Vs Pakistan 2nd ODI Live Score,Cricinfo

Toss Sri Lanka chose to bat v Pakistan

Sri Lanka elected to bat for the second time in two games, but were left hoping for a change in the outcome in Dubai. Mahela Jayawardene, who was struggling with a knee injury in the lead-up to the game, was passed fit, but Sri Lanka made two other changes to their XI. Suranga Lakmal was ruled out with an ankle injury, giving the allrounder Thisara Perera a chance, while Kosala Kulasekara made way for the legspinning allrounder Jeevan Mendis.

Pakistan retained their winning combination from the first game. Misbah-ul-Haq said he would have liked to bat first too. The pitch was unchanged, though it looked drier than it did in Pakistan's spin-inspired win on Friday.

Sri Lanka: 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt.), 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Seekkuge Prasanna, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Dilhara Fernando

Pakistan: 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt.), 6 Abdul Razzaq, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Aizaz Cheema

Dhoni Comments On 2nd ODI

Gambhir, Kohli were brilliant: Dhoni

Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni, wearing a broad smile, praised the performance of the youngsters after the second successive win in the ODI series against England.

Dhoni was particularly happy about the unbeaten third-wicket partnership between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli which ensured a smooth eight-wicket victory.

“We did not have to chase too much. It (England's 237) was a slightly under-par score. The partnership between Gautam and Virat was brilliant,” said Dhoni.

He stressed the need for century-maker Kohli to be more consistent and learn to convert his starts into big scores. “He is going through that phase. He is improving,” said the Indian captain.

Dhoni was satisfied with the team's run-chasing ability. “We have been able to chase slightly difficult targets. We are improving while chasing,” he said.

SUPER-SOPPER!

Impressed with the use of three super-soppers at the Ferozeshah Kotla to absorb the dew, Dhoni said the “wet ball” was responsible for India's plight in the rain-affected matches in England as the spinners could not grip the ball properly.

England skipper Alastair Cook admitted that it was a “concern” for his team to “lose heavily twice in a row.”

He said it was difficult for his bowlers to stop the Gambhir-Kohli onslaught.

CONDITIONS PLAY A PART

Cook added that his team was well prepared for this series, and felt that the conditions in the sub-continent played a huge part in the defeats.

“Just as India struggled in England, we are struggling here,” he said.

Watch Ghambhir,Kohli 200 Partnership Moments

Airtel Trophy 2nd ODI Scorecard With Highlyghts

India inflicts second heavy defeat on England

  

TAKING CONTROL: Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir shrugged off the loss of two early wickets to take India to an eventually facile win in the second ODI

Eventually, it turned out to be a no-contest in spite of England doing its bit to bounce back more than once.

Riding on Virat Kohli's unbeaten 112 and his record unfinished double-century stand with Gautam Gambhir, India scored a resounding eight-wicket win with 80 deliveries to spare to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

When the Indian openers, Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane, returned to the dressing room with just 29 on the board, the Englishmen were obviously entertaining hopes of defending 237 on what is traditionally considered a pitch that does not encourage free-flowing stroke-play. But the two men who grew up as cricketers at the Ferozeshah Kotla obviously know more.

Making light of a modest run-chase, Kohli and Gambhir set the pace for each other on their home ground and turned the visitors into hapless bystanders. Together, they held centrestage for 29.5 overs, and raised a record unfinished 209 to enthral the sparsely-filled stands in the second contest of the five-match series on Monday.

Shaky start

The right-left combination made the English attack look grossly inadequate and sprayed the ball in all directions. Gambhir may have started shakily by getting a couple of lucky boundaries off the edge of his bat, but once he got into the rhythm there was no reprieve for the visiting side. If Gambhir was happy to delectably play square off the wicket, Kohli preferred to play in the ‘V'.

As the scoring picked up pace, Kohli overtook Gambhir in reaching the half-century and later pressed on the accelerator to reach his seventh century in One-Day Internationals.

He also reached the 1000-run mark this year to be third on the list of run-getters in ODIs this year, behind Jonathan Trott and Shane Watson.

Kohli, in fact, had a complete day. He bowled five overs for just 18 runs, took two catches, scored a strokeful century studded with 16 boundaries.

He was lucky to be around to put the finishing touches to the chase after being dropped soon after reaching the three-figure mark. He deservedly walked away with the Man-of-the-Match award!

Gambhir, who smashed 10 boundaries in his unbeaten 84, played his part to perfection. Earlier, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel and Jonny Bairstow raised visions of setting India a fairly challenging total. However, each of these batsmen perished, exposing the English tail. Overall, it was a below-par batting performance that made the Indian bowling look better.

If it was spin that did the damage to England's chase at Hyderabad, pace and swing combined today to keep the visiting team in check. Vinay Kumar's career-best four-wicket haul and Umesh Yadav's two crucial strikes ensured that the start given by Praveen Kumar did not go in vain.

After Praveen and Vinay sent back openers Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter with wicket-maidens, Trott was the first English batsman to show that neither the pitch nor the bowlers held any terrors before he played a wee bit casually to an away going delivery from Vinay.

Thereafter, Pietersen and Ravi Bopara raised 73 runs for the fourth wicket.

Samit Patel and Jonathan Bairstow raised 86 runs for the sixth wicket but it proved too little in the end.

Scoreboard

England: A. Cook c Jadeja b Praveen 0 (4b), C. Kieswetter c Kohli b Vinay 0 (5b), J. Trott c Dhoni b Vinay 34 (37b, 7x4), K. Pietersen c Dhoni b Yadav 46 (55b, 3x4, 2x6), R. Bopara lbw b Ashwin 36 (50b, 4x4), J. Bairstow c Kohli b Jadeja 35 (49b, 3x4), S. Patel lbw b Yadav 42 (53b, 2x4, 2x6), T. Bresnan c Raina b Vinay 12 (13b, 1x4), G. Swann b Vinay 7 (7b, 1x4), S. Finn (not out) 6 (13b), J. Dernbach (run out) 3 (4b); Extras (lb-5, w-11): 16; Total (in 48.2 overs): 237.

Power Plays: Overs 1-10: 48/3; Bowling (16-20): 27/0; Batting (36-40): 36/0.

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Cook), 2-0 (Kieswetter), 3-48 (Trott), 4-121 (Bopara), 5-121 (Pietersen), 6-207 (Patel), 7-211 (Bairstow), 8-227 (Swann), 9-229 (Bresnan).

India bowling: Praveen 9-1-40-1, Vinay 9-1-30-4, Kohli 5-0-18-0, Yadav 8.2-0-50-2, Ashwin 10-0-56-1, Jadeja 7-0-38-1.

India: Parthiv c Cook b Bresnan 12 (17b, 2x4), A. Rehane c Dernbach b Bresnan 14 (15b, 1x4, 1x6), G. Gambhir (not out) 84 (90b, 10x4), V. Kohli (not out) 112 (98b, 16x4), Extras (lb-3, w-13) 16; Total (for two in 36.4 overs) 238.

Power Plays: Overs 1-10: 53/2; Bowling (18-22): 32/0; Batting (36 onwards): 13/0

Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Parthiv), 2-29 (Rehane).

England bowling: Bresnan 7-1-41-2, Finn 9-0-50-0, Dernbach 5.4-0-41-0, Swann 8-0-52-0, Bopara 3-0-21-0, Samit 2-0-17-0, Pietersen 2-0-13-0.

Man of the Match: Virat Kohli.

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Airtel Trophy 2nd ODI Cricinfo

  

England will look to hit back strongly

England coach Andy Flower would be plotting the host’s downfall and avenge the loss at Hyderabad. 

Dhoni's brigade will be out to prove that it is firmly on the redemption course

Blame it on the fatigue of watching and discussing the game! The average cricket fan in the country is far from excited about India's on-going one-day series against England.

From the delight of regaining the World Cup to the disenchantment in England, the Indian cricketers and their fans have experienced the extremes in a short span. The joy of watching two Indian teams play the Champions League final was hardly a consolation.

India's thumping victory over England at Hyderabad was just the kind of impetus the fans needed to rekindle their enthusiasm. The impact on the cricket lovers remains to be seen because the customary clamour for complimentary tickets was missing on the eve of the second clash of the series at the Ferozeshah Kotla here.

Slow and low

The slow and low nature of the Kotla pitch means little encouragement for the pace trio spearheaded by Tim Bresnen. Wicket-less and taken for 66 runs in his 10 overs, Bresnen will likely come hard at the Indian top-order to erase the bitter experience of Hyderabad. He will find bowling on the sub-continent's pitches hugely different from home.

Among the spinners, Graeme Swann made an impression in the first game. It was clear that the Indian batsmen were far from comfortable with the variations the off-spinner had in his armoury.

Not much, however, should be read into England's batting display, or the lack of it, the other night. The series has just begun.

Skipper Alastair Cook proved that he is comfortable in these conditions and hence, will always be a threat. Kevin Peitersen, run out early at Hyderabad, and Ravi Bopara, would surely use their IPL-experience to serve the team better.

Sense of adventure

Craig Kieswetter and Jonny Bairstow have done enough to prove their sense of adventure when faced with challenges. They love to be aggressive.

The contribution of Andy Flower as coach can never be undermined. This humble man from Zimbabwe is believed to have plotted the downfall of India in England. Even in India, Flower's presence in the dressing room can give Cook all the inputs he needs to take the best decision on the field.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men may not look very intimidating but did prove effective in the lung-opener that never really rose as a contest. Dhoni's form with the bat looks ominous and Gautam Gambhir is hungry to make up for lost time.

Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane should consider themselves fortunate to get these opportunities in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.

The middle-order, minus Yuvraj Singh, surely has the capability to stand up to the pressure, as seen at Hyderabad. Virat Kohli still has some way to go before he learns to value his wicket.

Dhoni, Raina and Ravindra Jadeja rescued India from early crisis but need to be consistent. Putting runs on the board will be Dhoni's preference.

Inexperienced bowling

The inexperienced bowling attack, including Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav and an untested Varun Aaron, needs the cushion of a tall score on the board to boost its confidence. R. Ashwin and Jadeja will obviously look forward to repeat the dose they administered to England the other night.

In a nutshell, it promises to be an intense contest. Cook's men will strive to maintain their reputation of being fiercely competitive. Dhoni's brigade is ready to prove that it is firmly on the redemption course.

The teams (from): India: M.S. Dhoni (captain), G. Gambhir, A. Rahane, P. Patel, V. Kohli, S. Raina, M. Tiwary, R. Jadeja, Praveen Kumar, R. Vinay Kumar, R. Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, V. Aaron, S. Arvind and Rahul Sharma.

England: A. Cook (captain), C. Kieswetter, Ian Bell, J. Trott, K. Pietersen, J. Bairstow, R. Bopara, A. Hales, J. Buttler, S. Borthwick, Samit Patel, G. Swann, T. Bresnan, J. Dernbach, S. Finn, C. Woakes and S. Meaker.

Umpires: Billy Bowden and Shahvir Tarapore. Third umpire: Sudhir Asnani. Match referee: Roshan Mahanama.

Match starts at 2.30 p.m.