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Live Commentary: India vs. England - First one-day international - as it happened

Live text commentary of the first one-day international between India and England in Rajkot.
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England went into the first one-day international of five against India as the underdogs, but the number one ODI side in the world.

Alastair Cook won the toss and chose to bat, before he and Ian Bell put on 158 for the opening wicket. Samit Patel hit 44 off 20 to help England to a good 325-4.

India were slightly ahead of England's rate for most of their innings, but as the wickets tumbled the tail-enders were unable to get the required runs as they fell nine runs short of England's total.

Read below how the action unfolded with Sports Mole's live commentary.


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Hello and good morning. England will be looking to remain unbeaten in each of the three series within this tour, having managed a historic Test win and claim a draw in the T20s after Eoin Morgan's final-ball six.

TOSS: ENGLAND BAT: Straight to the toss, which is always vital in ODIs. And, believe it or not Alastair Cook has won the toss and has opted to bat.

Some team news. Joe Root has been handed his debut today and he will bat at number four.

There's one change for India from their win over Pakistan last week as part of their 2-1 series defeat. For them Ashok Dinda is in for Shami Ahmed.

INDIA XI: Gambhir, Rahane, Kohli, Singh, Raina, Dhoni, Jadeja, Ashwin, Kumar, Sharma, Dinda

ENGLAND XI: Cook, Bell, Pietersen, Root, Morgan, Kieswetter, Patel, Bresnan, Tredwell, Finn, Dernbach

So KP also returns and it's a batting-heavy lineup. Just three full-time bowlers, although Tim Bresnan should count there really. Bresnan and Samit Patel also decent with the bat.

Here's what Cook had to say to Sky Sports News after the toss: "We have a very different squad from the Test series, it's a great opportunity for some of these players in what is a hard place to play one-day cricket. It looks a fantastic wicket and a very quick outfield. It's the first international game here, but it looks like it will be high scoring."

Looking at the lineup, I tend to agree with him.

Despite India being favourites here, let's not forget England are currently ranked number one in the world. Cook will certainly be making sure his players do everything they can to remain there. Three wins from five will do it with ease.

It's certainly going to be tough, however, especially considering the warm-up games in the past week. England lost to India A by 53 runs and Delhi by six wickets.

Despite the defeats, Ian Bell put in two magnificent showings with the bat - notching 91* and 108 respectively. In good knock the Warwickshire man is a fine, fine batsman.

The players are out on the pitch here. I anticipate a close one but I see too many players in that India lineup for England to keep quiet. Cook and Bell to face.

Kumar opens to bowling. A nice wide one for Cook to leave first ball and he fends off the next one with a solid back-food defence. A push to backward square gets Cook off the mark with a single. A shade of reverse swing there to the right-handed Bell, who leaves a couple before clipping to square leg for a single of his own.

Sharma in at the other end and he also finds some early inswing. Bell gets the first boundary of the match but it was something of an edge to fine leg for four. A nice prod to short mid-wicket and they run a quick single and, despite a direct hit, the ball goes for four overthrows! Poor backing up there and some free runs.

Kumar continues and it's better fielding that time prevents a Bell clip to leg from getting him any runs, before he goes the other way and gets four with a superb cut. He gets off strike with a quick single and Cook sees out the remainder.

Good line from Sharma at the start of his second over and finds a thick inside edge from Bell off the fourth over. It's a maiden, a very good one from Sharma.

Cook hits to deep backward point for one run off before Kumar finds Bell's edge and somehow it flies between Dhoni and second slip for four! Muted appeals as Bell gets his pad way out of the line of off stump. Solid start.

Cook gets a gift from Sharma and smashes a short and wide one square for his first four. The next one sticks to the turf and bounces no more than a foot off the ground. Cook now gets an edge, but this time it's well clear of the slip fielder and goes for four. Lovely front foot drive through extra cover brings up 12 from the over.

Kumar continues to Bell. He's hit on the pad again and this time it was closer but this time looked to be going down leg side from a big bit of reverse swing. An excellent shot through covers brings up four and the only runs from the over.

Cook is again fed a wide one from Sharma but this time can only pick out Jadeja at backward point. He picks him again with a cut, but this time it was a straighter delivery. He gets a thick inside edge on to his own pads on the fourth ball and he cannot get off strike; it's Sharma's second maiden.

The batsmen run a good two with a Bell clip to leg and an absolutely thumping half-volley straight back past the bowler brings up another four. The final ball is wide and easy for Bell to swat through covers for four more.

Ashoke Dinda replaced Sharma. Cook gives himself space for a slog to leg, but cannot connect and it's in fact given as a wide. He totally misses one slightly outside his off stump and another wide is given down leg side. This time he does make contact and clips a lovely shot over mid-wicket for four. Another clip to leg, but this time just a single. The powerplay ends and England have notched 54 runs from 60 balls to start.

The new rules state that now only four fielders can be outside the circle in non-powerplay overs. There's now only two of them, one at the start and the other chosen by the batting team before the 40th over. Ravichandran Ashwin replaces Kumar and Cook picks up an early single from him. The strike is rotated a few more times and it's four from the over.

Ravindra Jadeja is straight in to replace Dinda and Bell takes a single off his first delivery. Cook does likewise to long-on and Bell again returns his skipper to the strike. The spinners have slowed down the runs a shade here.

Bell picks up a couple from the fourth delivery of Ashwin's latest over. There's a battle going on between the two with the bowler delaying a delivery as Bell looked to move his feet to attack. The batsman nicks a single to leg off the final delivery.

SIX! Bell opens Jadeja's second over with a marvellous clip to the extra cover boundary. He really races through his overs does Jadeja, and the rest of it flies by without drama.

Cook gets off strike on the first ball of Ashwin's latest offering. Bell does likewise a couple of deliveries later, and Cook, who seems happy with singles at this stage, follows suit. Four from the over in total.

Fifty for Bell: Jadeja continues to Bell, who has removed the helmet. The batsman takes an early single down the ground and Cook does to after sweeping fine to leg. Bell tries a reverse paddle sweep and brings up his half-century with a four from it. That has come off 60 deliveries. Two runs follow and it's a decent over for England.

Ashwin bowls a wide past Cook's legs, before the captain sweeps towards the boundary but Dinda does very well on the rope to keep it down to two. Absolutely no stopping that one, however, as the next sweep fair races to the boundary for four. He then takes on a wide one to the off side but has to settle for just the single. Another one for Bell ends the over.

Bell knocks one to the off side for an easy single and Cook opts for a delicate reverse paddle that goes to the boundary via the rapid outfield. The captain then gets off strike with a single and Bell cannot add any more to the total.

Dinda comes back to replace Ashwin for his second over. A delicious cover push from Cook brings up four and England's hundred and a couple of balls later he whips a cut square for four more. Dinda switches to round the wicket and this time forces Cook into a play and miss.

Fifty for Cook: After the drinks break Ashwin is back in for an end-change. Bell nicks an early one and Cook advances to push one back over the bowler's head for a good four. He then sweeps in the air and it falls short of the fielder and the boundary, but is enough to bring up his half-century. Fifty off as many balls for the captain.

Bell seems to have gone off the boil since his 50 and one from Dinda just went right through him. As I say that he recovers with a cut to the rope, but it's stopped well Gautam Gambhir. The next shot is unstoppable, however, with a chip over mid-off for four.

Bell opens Ashwin's next over with an easy single to leg side and they have to run much quicker next ball. The strike is rotated a couple more times before Bell miscues a sweep, but it falls safe.

It's still Dinda and England must soon be looking to up the run rate with the safety of 10 wickets still standing. Not so textbook from Bell with a wild semi-pull down the ground, and it's just one, before Cook gets one of his own to extra cover. Again Bell doesn't get hold of one as Dinda drops it short as the batsman looked to advance on him. Just three from the over.

SIX! Bell sweeps Ashwin for one at the start of his over before a good stop from Suresh Raina stops Cook driving through him. No worries for the England captain as this time he lofts over mid-off for a glorious six. He then goes leg side and it's one bounce to the deep mid-wicket boundary.

Dinda still running in and Bell takes an early single down the ground before some good deliveries to the legs of Cook stop him from scoring. His work is undone, however, as Cook hits a no-ball for one and Bell gets the free hit. New bats are being brought out, is Bell picking his chunkiest bit of wood for this shot? It's down the ground and just the one after the wait. Cook back in and tucks away off his pads for two, but it's another no-ball! Cook this time gets the chance with a free hit, but Dinda bowls really well to push it up and Cook misses.

Raina is given his first over, to replace Ashwin and Bell picks up an immediate single. Cook mishits one with a top edge over his head but it falls well safe and it's just three off the over.

Another bowling change as Virat Kohli comes in for Dinda. Bell goes on the offensive but gets just one with a cut to cover. Fantastic controlled sweep from Bell goes through backward leg for four. He picks up two more and gets a full toss but picks out a fielder instead of the boundary rope.

Wicket! Bell (85) run out (Rahane)

A silly run from Bell after a very fine glance to leg from Cook - it might even have flicked his pads. It's a direct hit from Rahane and he's short of the crease. His 85 was a great knock but it was a poor way to get out.

Raina seems to be getting as much, if not more, spin than his full-time colleagues. Which isn't a lot, mind. A faster one almost gets through Cook's defences, before a very risky run from Bell ends his knock. Kevin Pietersen is in and picks up a single off his first delivery.

It was just one over from Kohli, and Jadeja is immediately back into the attack to bowl to KP. He starts with a wide before good bowling keeps Pietersen rooted to his crease. He gets a single with a flick to leg and Cook does likewise. Just the three from it and the runs have slowed right down now.

Raina continues to Cook and a superb controlled push over extra cover brings the captain another four runs. Raina gets away with a couple of wide ones and five come from his over.

The capped KP continues to struggle early on against Jadeja but brings up a single with a decent push to mid-on. Cook sweeps but there's a man deep to stop anything more than one run and the strike is rotated again when Pietersen flicks off his legs. Another Cook sweep picks up just a single to end the over.

Wicket! Cook (75) c Rahane b Raina

Raina starts with a wide to Cook before the England captain again goes for a sweep. This time he gets a huge top edge and it falls safely to Raina at short leg. A good knock, but again it's a failure to capitalise on a great position.

Eoin Morgan is in to join KP. These are the two you would expect to pick up the run rate, but they have to get in first. Morgan swings and misses at one just wide of his stumps and cannot get off the mark in five deliveries. Just the wide from the over.

Morgan gets off the mark with a nudge to leg after Pietersen's paddle sweep for a single. Both men are visibly frustrated by this tight Indian bowling, before Pietersen finishes Jadeja's over with a good push through the off side for his first four.

Morgan picks up another single and Pietersen gets back off strike with a leg-side nudge. Morgan opens his shoulders and gets through the gap to the extra cover boundary and a rapid single ends the over with seven from it.

Jadeja continues with Morgan facing. He defends the first couple of deliveries before picking up a leg-side single. Pietersen clips leg side for one of his own and Morgan looks to advance, but extra pace on the ball ensures he can only push down the ground for one. The second powerplay will come into effect now.

Drinks: With the batting powerplay comes seam bowling. Just three fielders allowed outside the circle now for five overs. Sharma pins Morgan back for the first couple of deliveries before he picks up a risky single - a direct could have seen him walk there! A bouncer from Sharma catches Pietersen off guard and there's just one off the first powerplay over.

Morgan picks up an early single from Ashwin. The bowler tries his little pause again, but Pietersen clips away for a single. Morgan tries a big shot but doesn't get hold of it and it drops just short of Yuvraj. He gets a single next ball with a neat sweep. Morgan tries to pull a short one but picks out a man on the boundary. The score is not looking as promising as it should be.

Morgan once more finds Gambhir on the boundary with his cut shot and it's just the one again. Pietersen goes big and just gets it above Ashwin at mid-on - not textbook KP but it's an important four. Sharma changes his pace well and Pietersen is too early on the pull wide of off stump but next ball goes straight down the ground and gets four thanks to an awful bit of fielding at the rope. A quick single ends the over with 10 from it.

Six! Pietersen opens Ahswin's next over with a lovely shot through cover point for four, before a clip to leg is slightly misfielded and they run two. Pietersen makes a mockery of Ashwin's pause this time and hammers him back over his head for six. Now the pace is picking up with one over left of the powerplay.

Six! Pietersen pulls backward of square, but finds a man on the boundary. Morgan times a square drive really well and that's the 50 partnership off 49 balls. Four more from Morgan with a slash backward of point. Morgan goes leg side this time and pulls gloriously over mid-wicket for six and 15 off the over.

Jadeja comes in for Ashwin, and Pietersen nicks a single off his first ball, before Morgan advances and gets one of his own. Full-toss to Pietersen, which caught him by surprise and he only achieves one run off it.

WICKET! Morgan (41) c&b Dinda

Another bowling change with Dinda in for Sharma. Morgan starts the over with an absolutely monstrous six from a very wide one, then plops it over the bowler's head for four - in truth that was a little lucky to clear the fielders. Then he plumps one back to Dinda, who manages to hang on. Replays suggest he just about did, good fielding. Here comes Root.

Apologies, it's Craig Kieswetter, so Root is demoted further still. Pietersen starts Jadeja's next over with a single and Kieswetter is off the mark straight away with one run. Just three from the over.

WICKET! Pietersen (44) c Kohli b Dinda

It's the big one for India. Kieswetter runs a risky single and would have been long gone with a direct hit but Jadeja missed the stumps. Poor fielding gives KP an easy couple before a mistimed club down the ground goes hard and in the air but down the throat of Kohli. Samit Patel in now, who ends the over with a block.

Sharma returns to the attack, replacing Jadeja, and he starts with a wide and follows it up with another. Kieswetter plays into space on the leg side for an easy single and Patel gets off the mark with a similar shot. Just some singles off the over.

Patel clubs Dinda through mid-off for four and clips leg side for a single. Kieswetter misses the chance to dispatch a wide one to the boundary by directing it straight at cover and he swings and misses with the final ball.

SIX! Sharma continues and Patel flicks his wrists to send a short one one-footed to the leg side boundary. He goes the other side for two runs and then picks up a single. Kieswetter hauls one over mid-wicket for a superb six and then Sharma gets one through the edge and leg stump. Play and a miss ends the over.

Kumar back in with three overs left and Patel hits him square for two. He then bowls very, very wide - if two extras could be given they would have been for that one. A few balls later he unbelievably goes even wider - one of the widest wides I've ever seen. In fact the word 'wide' doesn't even cut it for that one. A full toss smacked for a single by Patel ends the over.

SIX! Kieswetter thumps Sharma through the mid-off gap for four, a fine shot. Four more come leg side from Patel - he didn't quite time it to perfection but it's safely away from the fielders. This time he's very lucky, edging through the slip area for another four, bringing up England's 300! A club down the ground brings Patel a single. And wow.. An utterly fantastic six down mid-off from Kieswetter finishes the over with 20 off it!

SIX! Kumar bowls the final over, with Patel and Kieswetter each picking up an early single. Patel then gets his 32nd run from 17 balls with a fantastic off side four, which he follows up with one straight back past the bowler. Then six! Similar to Kieswetter's in the last over and they finish the innings with a couple.

End of innings: England 325-4

A fantastic cameo from Patel and to a slightly lesser extend Kieswetter. Patel ends with 44* from just 20 deliveries and ensures England's innings of 325 is above par for this track.

India can certainly chase 326, but it's a big ask for any team even on this wicket. I rate England's chances as good and early wicket will be vital. Catch me in about half an hour for the Indian innings.

Welcome back. Not too long until India begin their chase.

They require 326 to win after England set them a big target. The average in Rajkot is 303 so England's was a good innings. Danielle Joynson's summary of the action can be read here.

England always seemed in control of the pace in their innings, and put on 158 for the first wicket. It was steady rather than rapid for the tourists, before Morgan and Pietersen got quick 40s, with Patel's knock of 44* from 20 and and Kieswetter's 24* from 20 ensured an excellent end to the innings.

MS Dhoni et al are more than capable of making 326, especially on a pitch that has little in it for the bowlers, but it would still take a big effort on their part. England have a good total to defend.

Gambhir to face first, with Steven Finn to open the bowling.

In fact it's Rahane facing first and he fends off the first delivery to the leg side. It takes Finn just two deliveries to kick the stumps. Rahane collects the first Indian boundary with a fine flick off his pads.

Jade Dernbach from the other end and a short, leg-side delivery gets the deserved treatment from Gambhir who pulls it fine. A single gets him off strike and Dernbach improves his line and length for the rest of the over to the right-handed Rahane, who collects a leg bye off the last ball.

Rahane picks up a single to get Gambhir facing his first ball from Finn and he gets pinned on to his back foot with some good length bowling. He finally clips one but it goes in the air and just safe of the fielders. Good over from Finn, just two from it.

Gambhir nicks one from Dernbach but the thick edge takes it over James Tredwell at gully. It races for four and he gets off strike with a leg side single. A big appeal from Dernbach as he gets one to nip into Rahane, but it wasn't in line and the batsman got an inside edge too. Rahane then latches on to a poor short ball and dispatches it to mid-wicket. Much better from Dernbach as one zips past Rahane's edge before an excellent stop from Bell saves a run. Lots of action in the over and nine from it.

Gambhir has started really well and flicks one through square leg from Finn, who then finds the inside edge - but it goes for another four instead of hitting the stumps. Finn moves Tredwell from second slip to gully and Gambhir cheekily clips it through where he was originally standing! A single stops the run of consecutive fours before Rahane gets another off the last ball with a glance to leg. India have come flying out of the blocks and Gambhir has 24 from just 12 so far.

Dernbach allowed to continue as Gambhir notches a quick-fire single off the first delivery. Rahane clips one fine of third man and the bowling is not straight enough for the field positions. It's better from Dernbach for the rest of the over as just one more run comes from it.

Tim Bresnan is the first change following Finn's expensive last over. Rahane immediately clips him to leg for a couple of runs, and with the last ball of the over Rahane again flicks fine to the leg side boundary. That's happened countless times already and England's seamers are struggling.

Finn will try from the other end as he replaces Dernbach and gets a far better line to begin with. A wider, shorter one tempts Gambhir after a few blocks but it just goes past the edge. He pips a single off the final ball and it's a much-needed low-scoring over for England.

Bresnan is given another go and he too is keeping a better line. Rahane hits one to square leg for a single and Gambhir follows suit. The batsmen look happy to keep the score ticking over for the time being with five singles coming from the over.

Finn goes again. Gambhir takes a big stride down the wicket and Finn drops it shorter to force a wild swing from the left-hander before he slips over gully for a single. Rahane gets a single of his own before the final ball sees a neat glance to the square leg boundary from Gambhir for four. A very good start for India.

Tredwell is into the attack now for Bresnan. He gets a good length from ball one but strays slightly down leg which allows Gambhir a quick two. Just three from the first over of spin.

Root is having a bowl now. His first action on debut is with the ball, not the bat. Decent deliveries but not much danger to the Indians, as expected.

Tredwell continues and he's clipped neatly to the deep mid-wicket boundary by Gambhir. They're working the field now with not many dot balls and nine came off the over.

Root continues and is still keeping the run rate down. Rahane and Gambhir work just four runs from the over.

Tredwell tempts Rahane into a sweep but he misses. Nothing in the pitch for the spinner and India continue to work singles with three more coming off the over.

Rahane goes on the attack to Root with an advance and shot to extra cover, but gets just two as it falls way short of the rope. He then gets lucky mistiming a sweep that races behind for four off his arm. Both batsmen on 47 - Rahane taking 54 balls and Gambhir just 42 so far.

WICKET! Rahane (47) c Dernbach b Tredwell

The double spin attack continues and Tredwell gets the first breakthrough. Rahane goes for the big shot but gets too much air on it and Dernbach is right under it to take the catch at extra cover. How will the wicket affect things?

Kohli is in and he's capable of very quick runs. Gambhir moves on to 49 in what was an excellent over from Tredwell.

Fifty for Gambhir: Root continues and Gambhir nicks a single down the ground to move on to his 50 from 48 balls. Kohli is underway with a single off his first ball and Gambhir digs out another to bring up India's 100.

WICKET! Gambhir (52) c Bell b Tredwell

The batsmen exchange singles at the start of Tredwell's next over before Gambhir, just like Rahane, chips one in the air. This time it's Bell with solid hands to cling on and the spinners have turned this around. The pressure is back on India. Yuvraj Singh is the next man.

Yuvraj has two deliveries to get off the mark and manages it on the second attempt with a quick single. Another great over from Tredwell.

The so-far economical Root continues. Yuvraj picks up a single with a flick off his pads and some good fielding from Root and Bell stops any further runs.

Yuvraj gets down on one knee and lofts Tredwell over mid-wicket with once bounce to the rope. A wide and four more singles come from an expensive Tredwell over.

Bresnan replaces Root for his third over and he gets a shade of reverse swing. A very well disguised bouncer flies past Yuvraj's bat and shoulder and very fine glance goes past Kieswetter's dive for four.

Root is only out of the attack for an over and comes back in at the other end. He's wide with his first delivery with Yuvraj clipping him of his legs for two. An excellent stop from Morgan stops a certain four before Root plops up a full one that gets the treatment from Kohli and goes for four.

Bresnan continues from the other end and Bell gets in the way of an early powerful Yuvraj pull to keep him down to a single. Five singles come from the over in total and India are just picking up the pace slightly in the last few.

Dernbach returns now after his early spell and Kohli goes on the attack straight away but picks out Morgan at point. He does the same before going finer with a cut and picking up a single. A bouncer from Dernbach completely bamboozled Yuvraj who flails at it and somehow misses the edge. His second allowed bouncer is more easily dealt with and good fielding by Tredwell saves two runs off the clip to leg. Much better from Dernbach and India have had half their overs.

WICKET! Kohli (15) c Kieswetter b Bresnan

After a couple of singles Kohli dabbles at a short, wide one without much conviction and get sa clear edge behind to Kieswetter. It was a nothing shot really and Bresnan earned that with some aggressive bowling. Raina in next.

SIX! Raina gets off the mark with a clip to leg from his first ball and somehow Yuvraj digs out one at his body and pulls it over the boundary for six. Not textbook by any means and it used the pace on the delivery to get over the rope.

Root comes back after that excellent Dernbach over and the batsmen exchange singles early on. Root almost gets one through the gate of Raina but the batsman gets enough of an inside edge on it to get it to safety. Just two runs from another super Root over.

Dernbach replaces Bresnan and starts with a very good straight one to Yuvraj. He drops one not short and not full and it's easy for Yuvraj to pull to the square leg boundary to bring up India's 150. Poor leg side delivery from Dernbach is slapped away fine for another four. Another leg side one is called wide before Yuvraj matches his first four in the over with another delivery at the wrong length. He is now on 40 off 31.

Root begins his eighth over and Raina picks off an early single to get the flying Yuvraj back on strike. Yuvraj wants to come back for two after a clip to leg by Raina has no interest whatsoever. Instead, he rotates the strike with another single of his own. Yuvraj gets a thick leading edge and somehow it falls safe of the fielders before a misfield from Finn lets a sweep through to the boundary. Harsh on Root, that, as he follows it up with another sweep - this time textbook. India and Yuvraj are motoring now.

Fifty for Yuvraj: Dernbach is given another go and insists on his leg-side length. Raini clips for a single and Yuvraj is on strike with 49. A decent slower ball forces a miscue but it doesn't go in the air and Yuvraj reaches his fifty with a four from a hook after a terrible misfield from Patel. It took just 38 balls.

Tredwell returns to the attack at the spin end and Raina again clips an early single to give Yuvraj the over. He's attacking every ball now and his first effort goes to Finn at short fine leg before a sweep shot brings him a single. Another good over from Tredwell, just two runs from it.

Root comes back at the other end for over nine and bowls a wide first up. Raina catches a low full toss to sweep it to the deep mid-wicket boundary. He then goes off side but picks up just one, with the score ticking over nicely. A big sweep from Raina brings up another boundary and England must stop these runs or India will pull away here.

Tredwell continues and a good diving stop from Morgan (I think) saves several runs from a big hit by Raina. Yuvraj again opts for the sweep but picks out the fielder on the square leg boundary. Another good over from Tredwell.

Patel comes in for his first over and Yuvraj steals an early single from him. A slightly short delivery is punched for an easy single by Raina but with just three runs coming it's a very useful over at just the right time.

WICKET! Yuvraj (61) c Dernbach b Tredwell

A sweep from Yuvraj goes in the air slightly and he doesn't catch it properly so gets just one run. Then, off possibly Tredwell's worst delivery so far - short and very wide down leg side - Yuvraj plops it into the air for Dernbach to grasp at short leg. Poor batting and a huge breakthrough for England.

The good news for England is that the in-form Yuvraj is gone. The bad news is that Dhoni is in. He's good enough to knock these runs off himself. No further action in the over and Tredwell now has 3-36. Fantastic figures for this pitch.

India too take their powerplay at the last possible chance as Finn returns to the attack. The over starts with Raina punching through extra cover for four, bringing up India's 200 in the process. They run a quick two from a clip backward of square, before Raini leans back and somewhat slogs over the outfield for four more. An expensive over with 12 runs coming from it.

Raina knows exactly what to do in this powerplay and clips another slightly leg side delivery from Dernbach over the infield for four. A single later in the over gets Dhoni on strike for only his third delivery. Absolutely fantastic stop from Morgan saves a certain four and just five come from the over this time. Better from Dernbach.

A couple of good length balls from Finn to start his next over and Raina picks up a single to the leg side from ball three. Dhoni finally gets off the mark with a glance off his pads. Just three runs off the over and really good disciplined bowling from Finn.

Raina plonks one into the air that drops just short of Cook at the edge of the infield. It ended just between him and Patel and Raina is fortunate. He recovers later in the over to clip over mid-wicket for four and follows up with a clip to leg and 10 runs off the over. The runs required is now below 100 - 98 in fact from 66 balls.

Finn will bowl the final powerplay over. Dhoni does well to get the in-form Raina back on strike and Finn puts a fizzer just past his edge at pace. Raina does well to keep a shorter ball down. Good running again gets Raina back on strike and Bresnan looks to have taken an excellent catch at third man but it's ruled NOT-OUT!

It looked to me Bresnan got his fingers under the ball before it went down towards the ground, but the angles do not help one bit. His certainty is what decides it for me, but Raina has got away with that.

Patel now into the attack and Dhoni again works a quick single. Raina clips into a gap between three men but Bresnan fields superbly to save two runs. A push down the ground gets Dhoni another one and just four from the over. Nine left with 91 runs required.

Fifty for Raina: Tredwell replaces Finn and Raina nudges one to the leg side to bring up an excellent 50. Dhoni gets strike and now the push begins, it's a mammoth SIX over mid-wicket. But...

WICKET! Raina (50) c&b Tredwell

Raina got in a bit of a mess and plopped it back to the bowler for his fourth wicket. He recovered well from the six. Jadeja is in and sees out the rest of Tredwell's final over, who finishes with 4-44 off his 10. England will miss him for the remaining eight overs.

SIXES! Dhoni absolutely whacks Patel for six back over his head off his first ball, then again on the third delivery - this time he ends up one-handed! He glances a single off his pads in preparation for the next over, but Jadeja gets a single and instead he will be on strike. 14 from the over and India start to close in.

Bresnan now back in to replace Tredwell. It's seam owing to the treatment Patel's spin got from Dhoni! Jadeja gets off strike immediately and Dhoni has five goes at Bresnan. First up is a wide, before Dhoni hits his 150th ODI six with a club over mid-wicket. It'll be T20 stuff from here on in. India doing enough here with the rate just over nine an over.

WICKET! Dhoni (32) c Root b Dernbach

Big, big, big wicket for England! Dhoni has gone. He was hitting sixes all over the shop but a really good piece of slower bowling from Dernbach has stopped him getting power on the shot and Root catches at deep mid-off.

WICKET! Jadeja (7) b Dernbach

India's chances look to be slipping away. Jadeja tried to pull a straight one and bottom edges on to his own stumps. Dernbach has two from the over and just like that the momentum has swung. He almost got a third with his last ball in the over as Kumar inside-edged.

Ashwin gets a single blocking from Finn and the seamer has almost an over at the bowler Kumar. He swings and misses at the first but manages to squeak a single, with Ashwin cutting well to the off side boundary and finds a gap on leg side for two more. 45 runs needed from four overs now.

Kumar thrashes one through the covers for four, a really good shot, before he plops one in the air and it somehow evades Bell and Cook. Ashwin comes across his stumps but he can only pick up one, with Kumar notching another couple. They're still favourites I reckon.

WICKET! Ashwin (13) c Kieswetter b Finn

Kumar would be out with a direct hit from Bell there and he, of all people, missed the stumps. Instead it's a single. Ashwin goes over long-on and finds a gap to get another four. Just as the momentum is building Finn puts in a slower one and Ashwin nicks it behind to Kieswetter.

Dinda is in now and gets very little on a slog down the ground - just one run. India have just two overs to get 27 runs now. They're still ahead, but they don't have Samit Patel.

WICKET! Dinda (3) b Bresnan

It's a thick edge from Bresnan by Kumar but four runs are four runs. Bresnan follows it up with a beamer, which adds another run to India's total. Bell fields well at cover to stop the run and he gets one run to the leg side next ball. Dinda gets two to the off side before Bresnan finds a pearler of a yorker to split his stumps. That must be England's win now. Here's Sharma.

Sharma gets a single and will have the strike for Dernbach's final over. 18 needed from it...

Four straight up with a thick edge, and is followed up by a very, very full dot ball. It's edged again and Kieswetter can't reach a difficult diving catch. Only one run there and Sharma needs two sixes to win! He can't do it, and India end with 316.

ENGLAND WIN BY NINE RUNS! India 316-9

Well, what a brilliant ODI that was. In the end, the partnership between Patel and Kieswetter made the difference. It was an excellent chase from India but once Dernbach took the wicket of Dhoni the writing was on the wall.

England remain top of the ODI rankings and pick up a long-overdue win in India.

That's all from me today. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for the action and be sure to stick with us for the remaining four games in the series. For a reminder of the action, read Barney Corkhill's report here. Goodbye.

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Alastair Cook
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