Kochi, in tourist terms at least, is the gateway to the backwaters but
India, 1-0 down in the ODI series with four to play, were in no mood to
take that journey. MS Dhoni, impassioned not just with the bat but just
as strikingly in every aspect of his captaincy, made that abundantly
clear with every muscle flexed and every order barked and it was England
who were sunk without trace in a 127-run defeat.
England's pursuit of 286 always looked a daunting task and it became an
improbable one from the moment that Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Kevin
Pietersen and Eoin Morgan in the space of three balls in an outstanding
new-ball spell. There is nothing like a humid evening in Kochi to perk
up a swing bowler and Bhuvneshwar, a 22-year-old from Uttar Pradesh
playing in only his fifth ODI, also summoned impressive stamina as Dhoni
ran his 10-over spell through without interruption and was rewarded
with his best international figures of 3 for 29.
But the match had swung India's way much earlier than that - and it was
Dhoni, a captain deemed to be under pressure, and Ravindra Jadeja who
were at the heart of it. England had sensed they held an element of
control, at the very least, for much of India's innings but 108 runs
from the last 10 overs, 68 from the last five, shook that notion to the
core.
As so often, Dhoni was left to plot a route to victory, wresting control
from England's attack with 72 from 66 balls. He creates his own
virtuous circle, creating a febrile atmosphere and then feeding off it,
in turn causing a crowd of around 70,000 to roar with even greater
intensity. He fell four balls from the end of the innings when he sliced
Dernbach to Joe Root at deep cover - a suitable end because Dernbach's
unwavering policy of bowling wide to him outside off stump had been
England's most effective counter.
India approached the last 10 overs in unconvincing shape, at 177 for 5,
having been confounded in the batting Powerplay by the variations of
Dernbach and Steven Finn, which conceded only 21 runs in five overs and
dismissed their batting mainstay, Suresh Raina, in the process.
Dhoni had failed to manage India's run chase in Rajkot, holing out at
long-off against Dernbach's slower ball. He received a near-replica in
the closing overs but this time his hands were fast and his brain
quicksilver and he muscled it well beyond the boundary rope. It was a
statement about how things would be different this time.
What Dhoni stirred, Jadeja delivered, rounding things off by taking 14
from Dernbach's last three deliveries to finish with an unbeaten 61 from
37 balls. They were impressive statistics for a batsman who had been
overshadowed until the last. As for Dernbach, for all his relative
success against Dhoni, he still spilled 73 from nine overs.
For Chris Woakes, who was playing his first ODI in India after his late
inclusion for the injured Tim Bresnan, it was an examination far beyond
anything he had ever experienced. He thought he had Dhoni caught at the
wicket when he had made 6 from nine balls but it was impossible for the
umpire Vineet Kulkarni to hear a nick in such a din and normal-speed TV
replays, which were all that were shown, made things no clearer.
Raina had made 55 from 78 balls before he dragged on a pull at Finn and
departed bashing the peak of his helmet with his bat in frustration,
just as Virat Kohil had done earlier when he flayed Woakes to the cover
boundary. Raina prospered primarily against the offspin of James
Tredwell, two slog sweeps for six representing the highlight of his
innings, and ensured that Tredwell, who took four wickets in the opening
ODI in Rajkot, did not repeat the mayhem. As for England's bonus
allrounder in the opening match, Joe Root, who bowled nine overs
relatively unscathed, there was no encore.
India's opening pair did not survive long, Gautam Gambhir and Ajinkya
Rahane both departing by the fifth over. Finn and Dernbach, also
impressive with the new ball, had clamoured for several lbw appeals
before they prospered by hitting the stumps.
Dernbach's nip-backer to bowl Gambhir through the gate was a delivery
made to order. There are few more productive, or less convincing, shots
in ODIs than Gambhir's dab through gully for four, bat hanging away from
his body and he had played it the previous ball much to the bowler's
frustration. The ball that cut back was the classic retort. Finn also
brought a delivery back in his next over, late inswing accounting for
Rahane as he shuffled across his crease.
India's frustration grew when Yuvraj Singh fell to an erroneous lbw
decision by Steve Davis, who did not see - and, like Kulkarni in the
case of Dhoni, certainly could not hear in such a deafening atmosphere -
a deflection off the glove as he swept at Tredwell. With no DRS in use,
Yuvraj had to take his punishment, although he did not do so without a
stray comment or two.
So, for that matter, did Alastair Cook in England's reply, with
Bhuvneshwar fortunate to win an lbw decision with a delivery that
pitched outside leg stump.
Cook should have been run out on 17 when Jadeja failed to pick up
cleanly at midwicket to take advantage of complete confusion between
Pietersen and Cook over a leg-side single. Dhoni's annoyance was clear,
but Bhuvneshwar's eighth over had an impact on the course of the match
and the captain's mood.
First Pietersen (42 from 44 balls) was bowled by one that jagged back as
he sought to run into the off side and two balls later Bhuvneshwar
found movement away from the left-handed Morgan from a good length and
Dhoni dived to claim one his finest catches against England this winter,
in what has been a somewhat troubled wicketkeeping sequence.
England, four down for 74 by the 17th over, had much rebuilding to do.
But the ball turned for India's spinners and it was jerry-built stuff.
Craig Kieswetter and Joe Root assessed a while then both got out,
Kieswetter unimpressively as he pushed a short ball from R Ashwin to
midwicket, Root sliced apart by Jadeja's arm ball. Woakes' managed a
second-ball duck - another Jadeja arm ball to enhance his excellent
match -and England's tail quickly subsided, in no doubt about the extent
of the challenge ahead.
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