India Make Heavy Weather Of Modest Total

India have beaten England by four wickets at Chennai to take a two-one leadin the six-match series. Although India were ultimately made to work for theirwin, England's total of 217 on a pitch that was good for batting never reallylooked adequate. India eventually reached the target with three overs to spare.

With Anil Kumble captaining India for the first time in the absence of theinjured Sourav Ganguly, Nasser Hussain won the toss and chose to bat. MarcusTrescothick immediately showed early signs of his current form with boundariesoff both Srinath and Ajit Agarkar. But Nick Knight perished in the seventh over,playing an ungainly heave at a slower ball from Srinath to be caught by Mongiaat mid-wicket. Trescothick, after promising something magical, tried to guide ashort ball from Agarkar down to third man and gloved it to Ratra behind thestumps.

The introduction of Sanjay Bangar spelt more trouble for England, as Hussaintried to pull a ball which wasn't short enough for the shot. The result was astraightforward catch for Harbhajan at mid-on, and England's rollercoaster waslurching dangerously. Paul Collingwood and Michael Vaughan initially proceededwith due caution, but after striking Bangar for two boundaries in an over,Collingwood was undone by Harbhajan Singh, who found the edge with a ball thatheld its own and was caught at slip by VVS Laxman via Ajay Ratra's gloves.

Andrew Flintoff hoisted England's hundred in the 20th over with a well-timedboundary to long-off, but perished driving in the same over, returning a simplecatch to Kumble. Joined by Ben Hollioake, Vaughan collected four more offHarbhajan with another trademark off-drive before cutting Kumble with the sameresult. However Kumble took the key wicket in his next over, when Vaughan triedand failed to pull out of a cut for Sachin Tendulkar to take a fine, sprawlingcatch at backward point.

Hollioake gave England something to cheer about with a magnificent six wideof mid-on off Kumble. Jeremy Snape took a much-needed boundary down the groundas Srinath overpitched, and the two exchanged ones and twos, posting the 50partnership in the 39th over. Snape's valuable contribution came to an end when,having cut Agarkar to the third man boundary, he heaved across the line to losehis middle stump. Snape had made 38 and added 70 with Hollioake, who went on tobring up up England's 200 in the 45th over.

Hollioake's commendable effort came to an untimely end when he pulledcross-batted at Agarkar to be caught off the leading edge by Kumble at extracover. Darren Gough lost his middle and off stumps heaving at Agarkar, and theEngland innings ended two overs short of the 50-over mark with a needless runout as Matthew Hoggard attempted an unlikely second.

With India requiring 218 for victory on a blameless pitch, Tendulkar's startagainst Gough and Hoggard was explosive, with an array of pulled boundaries.When Gough overpitched, Tendulkar drove him high over Hussain at cover foranother. As he pitched up, the Indian superstar whipped him to the mid-wicketboundary to leave Gough glazed with admiration. Virender Sehwag joined the partywith two off-side boundaries as 17 runs came off Gough's third over.

Flintoff applied the brakes as he replaced Gough, but Sehwag had a let-offwhen he cut Hoggard and Snape, after parrying a difficult catch at backwardpoint, couldn't quite hold on to the rebound. Flintoff continued to keep Indiain check, although Sehwag cut a timely boundary off Hoggard, and then watchedTendulkar play two almost identical strokes in the Yorkshireman's next overbefore lifting a slower ball, one-handed, over midwicket for four more.Tendulkar's 50 came up off 44 balls in the 14th over.

The hundred came up in Hollioake's second over (the 18th of the innings) asSehwag pulled another boundary and India posted their best partnership of theseries. Sehwag's fifty quickly followed as he pulled Snape through mid-wicket,but he holed out to Trescothick playing a similar stroke next ball.

Laxman joined Tendulkar to keep the scoreboard ticking until the littlemaster finally succumbed, plumb lbw to Snape hitting across the line at astraight ball. But although England stuck to their task well in hot, humidconditions, Dinesh Mongia and Laxman kept the scoreboard ticking with no realneed to hurry.

Laxman, having just driven Flintoff delightfully through extra cover, playedover a slower ball from Hoggard and lost his off stump. Mongia responded with ahuge six over mid-wicket, but immediately got an outside edge driving which wassafely pouched by Foster. When Sanjay Bangar edged Hoggard to Trescothick atfirst slip, England were nurturing faint hopes of an unlikely victory.

After a lengthy delay while the ball was changed, Badani was missed as Fostercouldn't quite scoop up an edge as he dived to his left. A misfield bysubstitute Owais Shah allowed four to third man off Hoggard. Gough came backonly to be driven to the long-off boundary by Ratra.

With just 16 runs needed for victory, Badani was caught at the wicket byFoster after Gough's slower ball had flicked his glove. With Hollioake off thefield with an upset stomach, Hussain had to call on Collingwood and Vaughan tobowl the closing overs as Ratra and Agarkar saw India home.

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