Yuvraj magic sinks England

All-round masterclass sees India move 2-0 ahead in Indore

By Joe Drabble   Last updated: 17th November 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Yuvraj magic sinks England

Yuvraj: Match-winner

India v England
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Second One Day International
Indore
India 292-9 (Yuvraj Singh 118, G Gambhir 70, Y K Pathan 50 no, S C J Broad 4-55) v England 238 (O A Shah 58, Yuvraj Singh 4-28)
India beat England by 54 runs

Yuvraj Singh proved the difference for the second match in the space of three days as he inspired India to a 54-run victory over England in Indore.

The India No.5 blazed his second successive century to propel the hosts to 292-9 and then claimed 4-28, including the wickets of Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen to all but end England's run chase.

Flintoff (43) and Pietersen (33) had given England an outside chance of levelling the series with an explosive 74-run partnership before Yuvraj dismissed both in a match-turning over.

Yuvraj's 122-ball 118 included 15 fours and two sixes and proved the difference as England were dismissed 54 runs short on 238.

Peter Moores' unchanged men, desperate to atone for Friday's display in Rajkot, made a superb start with Stuart Broad claiming 3-14 from his five-over new ball spell to leave India reeling on 29-3.

Snaffled

The Nottinghamshire paceman, wicketless in the series opener, struck with his second ball when Virender Sehwag attempted to cut a ball too close to him and chopped onto his stumps for just one.

Broad followed up with a second wicket in his next over with new batsman Suresh Raina (4) mistiming an attempted drive off his legs straight to Samit Patel at square leg.

And when Broad lured Rohit Sharma into a mistimed pull which was snaffled by Owais Shah, England had India in dire straights midway through the eighth over.

However, India fought back brilliantly as Yuvraj and Gautam Gambhir paced a 134-run stand expertly.

The destructive duo reached their half-century partnership off just 61 balls and brought up the hundred partnership off 105 balls to leave England scratching around for answers.

The pair finally parted when Gambhir played on to Pietersen's off-spin after hitting a superb 70 off 76 balls, leaving Yuvraj to complete back-to-back centuries.

Fightback

Yuvraj became Broad's fourth victim when he edged behind with six overs remaining, but all-rounder Yusuf Pathan (50 not out) demonstrated his attacking strokeplay to help India add 82 off the final 10 overs.

Facing such a daunting total on a slow pitch, England needed to make a solid start but were instead undermined in the first over when Ian Bell (1) set off on a suicidal run and was run out from cover by Raina.

Matt Prior and Shah then forged a half-century stand off only 66 balls, however skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni turned to Yuvraj and Harbhajan Singh in an attempt to dry up the runs.

The spin twins turned the screw with a nagging line and length to help restrict England to 120-3 after 30 overs of their reply.

However, feint hopes of an England fightback were renewed when Pietersen and Flintoff smashed 59 runs off the final five-over powerplay to leave the tourists needing 110 runs off 13 overs.

Once again, though, Yuvraj stole centre stage and dismissed both within the space of four balls - ending a productive 74-run stand off 70 deliveries - and their departures signalled England's spiral towards another comprehensive defeat.

Cameos from Patel (20) and Broad (22) gave some respectability to an innings which ended on 238, and attention now turns to Kanpur on Thursday as England go in search of a much-needed response.