Sixth ODI: England register first win over India

Jamshedpur, April 12 (IANS) Opener Andrew Strauss smashed a fine 74 to help England beat India by five wickets in the sixth one-day international here Wednesday for their first win in the series.

Besides Strauss (85 balls, 10x4s), his opening partner Ian Bell also came good with a fine 46 (64 balls, 6x4s) as England made 227 for five wickets in 42.4 overs, replying to India's 223 for 48 overs.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh took three wickets for 30 and Romesh Powar took two.

India lead the series 4-1. The fifth match could not be played due to rains in Guwahati Sunday.

Earlier, local boy Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored a hard-hitting 96 (106 balls, 10x4s, 3x6s) and off-spinner Powar scored his maiden half-century (54, 83 balls, 4x4s, 1x6) as the top order failed yet again after captain Virender Sehwag won the toss and opted to bat.

England pacers James Anderson and Sajid Mahmood took three wickets apiece.

The seventh and last one-dayer of the series will be played at Indore Saturday.

SCOREBOARD

Sixth one-day international, India vs. England, Keenan Stadium, Jamshedpur, April 12

India:

V. Sehwag c Solanki b Anderson 4
M.S. Dhoni c Solanki b Mahmood 96
M. Kaif lbw b Mahmood 15
Yuvraj Singh b Plunkett 4
S. Raina c Prior b Plunkett 2
Y. Venugopal Rao c Prior b Anderson 10
R. Powar c Hoggard b Collingwood 54
Harbhajan Singh b Pietersen 4
R.P. Singh c Blackwell b Mahmood 7
V.R. Singh c Blackwell b Anderson 8
M. Patel not out 1
Extras: (lb 4, w 14) 18
Total: (all out in 48 overs) 223

Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Sehwag, 0.5 overs), 2-46 (Kaif, 7.1), 3-58 (Yuvraj, 10.3), 4-63 (Raina, 12.3), 5-79 (Rao, 15.3), 6-186 (Dhoni, 38.1), 7-196 (Harbhajan, 40.2), 8-209 (Powar, 43.2), 9-216 (R.P. Singh, 46.3)

Bowling:

James Anderson 9 2 28 3 (1w)
Matthew Hoggard 8 0 59 0 (2w)
Sajid Mahmood 8 0 37 3 (6w)
Liam Plunkett 5 0 22 2 (2w)
Ian Blackwell 10 0 33 0
Vikram Solanki 4 0 25 0
Kevin Pietersen 1 0 4 1
Paul Collingwood 3 0 11 1 (1w)

England

: A.J. Strauss retired hurt 74
I. Bell c Dhoni b Harbhajan 46
V.S. Solanki b Powar 7
K. Pietersen c & b Harbhajan 33
P. Collingwood not out 23
M. Prior c V.R. Singh b Harbhajan 3
L. Plunkett c Sehwag b Powar 0
I. Blackwell not out 14
Extras: (lb 10, w 7, nb 10) 27
Total: (for five wickets in 42.4 overs) 227

Fall of wickets: 1-107 (Bell, 19.5 overs), 2-120 (Solanki, 22.6), 3-198 (Pietersen, 36.1), 4-207 (Prior, 38.5), 5-209 (Plunkett, 40.3)

Bowling:

Rudra Pratap Singh 8 1 48 0 (2w)
Munaf Patel 7 0 37 0 (6nb, 2w)
Vikram Rajvir Singh 5 0 33 0 (3nb)
Harbhajan Singh 10 0 30 3
Ramesh Powar 8.4 0 44 2 (1nb, 2w)
Yuvraj Singh 4 0 25 0 (1w)

Result: England won by five wickets

Series: India lead the seven-match series 4-1
Man of the Match: Andrew Strauss
Toss: India
Umpires: K. Hariharan (India) and Rudi Koertzen (South Africa)
TV umpire: A.V. Jayaprakash (India)
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka)