BANGALORE, (Reuters) – India and England set alight the World Cup today after a record-breaking run-feast ended with a dramatic tie off the last ball.
India appeared to have set a daunting 339-run winning target in the Group B match but England kept cool and were coasting towards victory as they eased to 281-2, thanks largely to a classy 158 from skipper Andrew Strauss.
However, when England opted to play their powerplay from the 43rd over, Zaheer Khan produced a superb bowling spell to take three wickets in six balls to revive the home team’s fortunes.
With two wickets in hand and needing 14 to win off pace bowler Munaf Patel’s last over, England were brought right back into contention after Ajmal Shahzad blasted a huge six that had Strauss leaping off his seat in the pavilion.
The nail-biting match went down to the last ball with England two runs short of their victory target.
Graeme Swann nudged the ball to mid-off and scampered across for one run to leave both teams tied on 338 — a result that was loudly cheered by all those lucky enough to witness one of the best ever ODIs.
The match featured a World Cup record 676 runs.
GREAT GAME
“In some ways we’re happy and in some ways we’re distraught. A great game of cricket,” man-of-the-match Strauss said during the presentation ceremony after England finished on 338-8.
“You back yourself to play better than that (in the powerplay). We lost (Ian) Bell and myself which is the last thing you want and that put pressure on the batsmen coming in.
“In some ways we’re disappointed but in some ways we’re privileged to play in a game like that…. (but) I’ve got to say with three overs left, it didn’t look great.”
His Indian counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni added: “The Indian team will be thinking that you score 340 odd runs and still you have not won the game and the England team will be thinking that you get off to such a good start and get so close to the end and yet you can’t finish it off.
“Both teams will be a bit disappointed but they will be relieved to take one point.
“At the end of the day, I’m happy with a tie.
“With just two wickets down (after 42 overs) … it was getting pretty difficult for the bowlers and Zak (Khan) came in and bowled a really good spell and brought us back into the game.”
Earlier India’s total revolved largely around Sachin Tendulkar’s record fifth World Cup century.
Tendulkar’s flawless innings of 120 was studded with 10 fours and five sixes — two of them off consecutive Graeme Swann deliveries — and by the time he left in the 39th over with the score on 236, he had set the perfect launch pad for India’s big-hitting middle order.
Virender Sehwag (35), Gautam Gambhir (51), Yuvraj Singh (58) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (31) also chipped in with useful scores.
Strauss’ frequent bowling changes were ineffective as their attack, which leaked 91 runs in the last 10 overs, sorely missed the service of the in-form Stuart Broad, who had to sit out the match due to an upset stomach.
Although Tim Bresnan took a career-best five for 48, four of them were claimed in the last five overs as the Indian batsmen were looking to score as many runs as possible. The hosts were all out for 338 with one ball left in their innings.
In reply, England’s run-chase was set well on its way by Strauss’s sweetly-timed knock, the first century by an English captain in a World Cup. He stroked 18 fours and one six.
Ian Bell (69) also joined the party on a flat batting track and put on 170 runs for the third wicket with Strauss and flayed the Indian bowlers to all parts of the field.
However, they both fell off consecutive deliveries to Zaheer (three for 64), which lifted not only the Indian teams’ flagging spirit but also got the crowd at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium cheering the Indian team on.
Scoreboard
India innings
V. Sehwag c Prior b Bresnan 35
S. Tendulkar c Yardy b Anderson 120
G. Gambhir b Swann 51
Yuvraj Singh c Bell b Yardy 58
M. Dhoni c sub (Wright) b Bresnan 31
Y. Pathan c Swann b Bresnan 14
V. Kohli b Bresnan 8
Harbhajan Singh lbw b Bresnan 0
Z. Khan run out (Prior/Strauss) 4
P. Chawla run out (Anderson) 2
M. Patel not out 0
Extras (lb-3 w-7 nb-5) 15
Total (all out; 49.5 overs) 338
Fall of wickets: 1-46 2-180 3-236 4-305 5-305 6-327 7-327 8-328 9-338 10-338
Bowling: Anderson 9.5-0-91-1 (1nb 1w), Shahzad 8-0-53-0 (2w), Bresnan 10-1-48-5, Swann 9-1-59-1 (2w), Collingwood 3-0-20-0, Yardy 10-0-64-1 (2w).
England innings
A. Strauss lbw b Khan 158
K. Pietersen c and b Patel 31
J. Trott lbw b Chawla 16
I. Bell c Kohli b Khan 69
P. Collingwood b Khan 1
M. Prior c sub (Raina) b Harbhajan Singh 4
M. Yardy c Sehwag b Patel 13
T. Bresnan b Chawla 14
G. Swann not out 15
A. Shahzad not out 6
Extras (b-1 lb-7 w-3) 11
Total (for eight wickets; 50 overs ) 338
Did not bat: J. Anderson
Fall of wickets: 1-68 2-111 3-281 4-281 5-285 6-289 7-307 8-325
Bowling: Khan 10-0-64-3 (1w), Patel 10-0-70-2 (1w), Chawla 10-0-71-2 (1w), Harbhajan Singh 10-0-58-1, Yuvraj Singh 7-0-46-1, Pathan 3-0-21-0
Result: Match tied
India won the toss and elected to bat.