Joyless In Jamshedpur

Two perennial 'passengers' -- Virender Sehwag and Mohammad Kaif -- in the Indian team failed again in the midst of a shoddy display by the home side which enabled England to register a pride-restoring five-wicket win in the sixth one-dayer today.

Sehwag, who was promoted as captain after Rahul Dravid was rested with India having already clinched the series, departed in the very first over for 4 to trigger off a by-now familiar top order collapse which saw India being dismissed for 223 in 48 overs.

Kaif (15), who was promoted to number three to sort out his batting, also failed to arrest his poor form and had it not been for mature knocks of 96 by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and 54 by Ramesh Powar, the Indians would have cut a really sorry figure.

With the target not enough to challenge England on a good batting track, the visitors rode on a 74-run knock by Andrew Strauss to canter to victory with 44 balls to spare. They made 227 for five in 42.4 overs to break India's golden run of eight wins on the trot.

Strauss, leading the side in place of rested Andrew Flintoff, shared a 107-run opening stand with Ian Bell (46) before retiring due to cramps caused by furnace-like conditions.

With the platform having been laid, in contrast to India who failed yet again to put up a good start due to the early dismissal of Sehwag, the rest was easy for England who now travel to Indore for the seventh and final game on April 15.

After the reverses in the first four matches -- the fifth was abandoned inGuwahati -- England put up an inspiring performance both with the ball and thebat to make it a one-sided affair in the end. Cruising at 190 for two at stage,they lost a couple of quick wickets, but by then the fate of the match wasalready sealed.

However, some drama was injected into the proceedings late in the Englandinnings when Harbhajan Singh sent back Kevin Pietersen (33) and Ramesh Powar,who had hit a crucial 54 earlier, dismissed Liam Plunkett in quick succession.

The highlight of England's chase was the fine 85-ball knock by Strauss,leading England for the first time ever.

The left-handed opener, who battled cramps in his innings before retiringhurt, hit ten fours and was declared man of the match.

Earlier, Dhoni rescued India from an inexplicable batting collapse. The wicketkeeper, promoted to open the innings, slammed 10 fours and three sixes in his 106-ball knock to lift India from a sorry-reading 79 for 5.

The Jharkhand player found able support in Powar who scored his maidenhalf-century and shared a crucial 107-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Nothing seemed to to go right for the hosts after Sehwag won the toss andelected to bat on a placid track.

India suffered further reverses when Plunkett showed the door to Yuvraj Singh(4) and Suresh Raina (2) in his first two overs. While Yuvraj dragged the ballonto his stumps while going for a pull, Raina miscued a glance to finish in thehands of Mathew Prior who brought off a good catch as India were reduced to63-4.

With wickets falling at the other end, Dhoni showed maturity by cutting downon his stroke making and depending on deft placements to push the score along.

Strauss then decided to bring in James Anderson from the other end and themove paid immediate dividends as Venugopala Rao, who made it to the Indian teamfor the first time in the series, was dismissed by the bowler for 10.

Powar had a shaky start, but lady luck was with him.

The Mumbai cricketer was first dropped by Ian Bell at leg gully when on 3,with Anderson again being the victim. Without making any further addition, Powaroffered a bat and pad chance at silly point to Paul Collingwood off IanBlackwell, but this chance also went abegging.

Powar grew in confidence as time wore on and provided able support to Dhoni,who played some scintillating strokes.

He hit four fours and one six in his 83-ball knock before being caught byMatthew Hoggard off Collingwood.

Dhoni's delightful essay came to an end when he was four away from what wouldhave been his fourth ODI hundred. He played half-cock to a rising ball, andVikram Solanki gleefully accepted the catch at short mid wicket.

Sehwag's poor form continued, being dismissed for 4 and triggering off a nowfamiliar batting collapse. His partner in bad times Mohammad Kaif (15) alsofailed to arrest his run of poor form as England bowled with a lot of purpose inthe searing heat conditions.

India were reduced to 63 for four in the 13th over, with Yuvraj (4) and Raina(2) -- the two in-form batsmen -- being sent back to the pavilion by Plunkett inhis consecutive overs.

The Indians got a jolt in the very first over as Sehwag edged Anderson toSolanki in the slips.

Unaffected by the fall of the big wicket at the other end, Dhoni plunderedruns at will, collecting 14 runs in the next over by Hoggard who gave away 59runs in 8 overs.

The new poster boy of Indian cricket cracked three fours past cover point,square leg and extra cover apart from taking a couple, leaving Hoggardcompletely befuddled.

Kaif hit a couple of good shots but in the end fell cheaply, unable to cashin on a life at nine when Collingwood floored a simple chance at backward point.Anderson was the unlucky bowler.

Kaif (15) was trapped leg before off Sajid Mahmood (3-27) who impressed withhis pace and also bagged the prized scalp of Dhoni.

PTI