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SWINGING IT BACK: Zaheer Khan is ecstatic after getting rid of Andrew Strauss. England was well on course when the Indian speedster struck the vital blow. Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

 

Strauss’s blood and guts innings is an ideal riposte to Tendulkar’s magical knock

A sensational match of several twists and turns ended in a tie at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.

Chasing 339 for victory and needing 14 from the last over, a fighting England finished at 338 for eight. The India-England World Cup Group ‘B’ duel had witnessed a dramatic finish.

Earlier, touched by magic, this caress under the afternoon sun certainly was. This was a maestro’s legerdemain.

England paceman James Anderson had a cover, a mid-off and a sweeper cover, yet Sachin Tendulkar bisected the field with exquisite timing and placement to find the cover fence.

On view was a heady amalgam of footwork, balance and last-minute adjustment of hand and wrists as the ball was driven through the slender gap, past desperately diving fielders.

After Tendulkar’s ethereal 115-ball 120, England captain Andrew Strauss came with a blood and guts captain’s innings of 158 as his team pursued a stiff 339 on a belter at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.

The left-hander’s fluency in stroke-making — he was exceptional square off the wicket and flicked with panache — and his commitment came to the fore in what was a great World Cup innings.

Strauss, living a dream in the cauldron, and the determined Ian Bell — the two put on 170 — seemed to take the game away from India. The left-right combination worked even as the Indian attack ran out of ideas.

Zaheer’s incisive spell

Zaheer Khan turned the game around in the nick of time for India. Taken apart by Kevin Pietersen in his first spell, the crafty left-arm paceman struck two vital blows in the 43rd over; also the first over of the batting Power Play.

A fighting Bell (69) was held at mid-off and then a scorching yorker ended Strauss’ heroic tenure. Not much later, Paul Collingwood was done in by Zaheer’s clever change of pace.

The gripping contest was not without drama. When on 17, Ian Bell, charging down, was beaten on the sweep by Yuvraj Singh’s left-arm spin. Umpire Bille Bowden ruled not out.

India asked for a referral. Although the replays showed the ball hitting the off-stump Bowden’s decision stood since the law stipulates that if the point of impact is more than two and a half metres the standing umpire’s decision cannot be reversed.

Unaware of the rules, Bell had started walking back before being called back by the umpires.

Spectacular catch

In the initial overs, Pietersen blitzed a rapid 31 before being spectacularly held by bowler Munaf Patel. Jonathan Trott played across to leg-spinner Piyush Chawla to be adjudged leg-before. Chawla bowled well in parts but would seek greater consistency.

Earlier, Tendulkar held centrestage with his 47th ODI hundred. Years do fall away when the 37-year-old Tendulkar, riding on belief and expectations, conjures and conquers. In a career of peaks, Tendulkar, with five, now holds the record for most centuries in the World Cup.

An England attack without the indisposed Stuart Broad narrowed its horizons. Apart from the tireless Tim Bresnen — the paceman scalped five with a smart mix of yorkers and slower ones at the death — the English attack suffered.

The script might have been different had England struck off the first ball after India elected to bat. With static feet, Sehwag followed a James Anderson delivery deviating away but Graeme Swann could not cling on to a tough offering at second slip.

Living dangerously

Sehwag lived dangerously before attempting to glide a Bresnan delivery for ’keeper Matthew Prior to hold a fine diving catch to his right.

Tendulkar, cautious at the start, gradually found his batting rhythm. A flick off Anderson highlighted his poise. And a flowing straight-drive off Swann underlined his balance.

He waltzed down the track to strike Collingwood over the cover fence and then stuck the medium pacer for a six close to the sightscreen.

When Swann came on for his second spell, Tendulkar disrupted the off-spinner’s line, dismissing him over the long-on ropes and then slog-sweeping the bowler into the crowd.

The right-left combination of Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir (51) raised 134 for the second wicket. Gambhir sashayed down the track to Swann to drive and loft the off-spinner but (on 14) almost inside-edged a delivery down the leg-side to ’keeper Prior.

Swann, eventually, nailed the southpaw with a delivery that pitched on middle and spun away to rattle the timber.

Yuvraj Singh, rightly promoted in the order, essayed a few booming blows, driving, pulling and lofting the bowlers for a well-made 50-ball 58 before holing out off left-arm spinner Michael Yardy. Dhoni biffed an entertaining 32 but India, going for quick runs, lost a rush of wickets in the end overs.

Actually, India should have done better in the batting Power Play — taken between overs 37 and 41 — than scoring 32 runs.