Five-star Finn puts India to the sword

Leave a Comment / By / January 20, 2015

Steven Finn’s maiden one-day international five-wicket haul inspired England to a bonus-point victory over world champions India in their Tri-Series clash at the Gabba.

As part of a stunning bowling performance containing excellent control and discipline, Finn claimed 5-33 and fit-again James Anderson wrapped up the tail to complete figures of 4-18 as India, who won the toss, were skittled for 153 inside 40 overs.

The former used his extra bounce to snare three victims in as many individual overs before completing the milestone with two in as many balls, ending fifty partnerships on two occasions.

Finn dismissed Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli and Ambati Rayudu and, after Suresh Raina became a fourth wicket to fall for just 10 runs, he returned to account for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Akshar Patel in the 37th over.

Ian Bell and James Taylor, both dismissed for ducks in the defeat to Australia last week, ensured there would be no further alarms after Moeen Ali’s early dismissal, helping England coast to a nine-wicket victory in the 28th over with an unbeaten 88 and 56 not out respectively.

Faced with a six-over spell before the extended interval, Bell and Moeen showed intent although an attacking approach proved to be the left-hander’s downfall when he failed to clear Kohli at mid-off off Stuart Binny, playing in place of Ravichandran Ashwin.

Steven Finn is congratulated by his team-mates after dismissing Akshar Patel first ball to complete his maiden ODI five-wicket haul

England needed 113 from 34 after the break to collect the extra point, a target they achieved comfortably courtesy of Bell and Taylor’s unbroken 131-run alliance.

Bell was strong through the off side and although Taylor lacked fluency early on, he soon went through the gears as his side boosted their hopes of qualifying for the final.

Anderson, who replaced the ill Chris Jordan, required just seven deliveries to strike on his return to the England side following a knee complaint, forcing Shikhar Dhawan into edging behind an away-swinger.

The Lancastrian and Chris Woakes kept things tight early on with a nagging line and length, helping to restrict India to just 36, featuring just two fours and a six, at the end of the powerplay.

Rahane and Rayudu initially struggled for timing but battled their way to a stand of 56. However, the introduction of Finn disturbed India, without the injured Rohit Sharma, as they slipped to 67 for five in the space of 27 balls.

The 25-year-old had an advancing Rahane caught at mid-on in his second over before dangerman Kohli and Rayudu provided Jos Buttler with two of five dismissals in the innings, the latter for a scrappy 23.

James Anderson celebrates the dismissal of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, one of four wickets at the Gabba for the fit-again England paceman

In the midst of Finn’s trio of scalps, Raina walked past Moeen’s second delivery and was stumped.

Binny showed some intent, bringing up his team’s 100 by hitting Woakes for three consecutive fours in the 29th over, which cost 14, before clubbing Moeen for the first of his two sixes.

Anderson spilled a caught-and-bowled opportunity to dismiss Dhoni, who feathered Finn to Buttler while trying to hook in the next over, ending a 70-run partnership with Binny.

Finn, switching to round the wicket, then angled one through the defences of left-hander Akshar first ball to complete his five-for, although his hat-trick delivery to Bhuvneshwar Kumar was wayward.

Anderson ended the innings in style with three wickets in eight balls, including Binny for 44, helped by stunning catches from skipper Eoin Morgan and Moeen, the latter just inside the deep-midwicket rope. 

Match scorecard / Live ball-by-ball commentary

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Post-match reaction

Man of the match Steven Finn said: “I thought the guys set the tone with the new ball really well. And the way the guys came out with a broken innings was really good.

“It is nice to come here, take some wickets and help us win a game. There is a few bad memories of Australia for me last year, but I’m glad we have won here and I helped to do it.

He added: “I’m not far off (my best), there is still things to work on as there always is. Coming here and bowling as well as I did today and feeling the rhythm that I did is a good place to be.”

On the return of James Anderson, Finn said: “Jimmy is a world-class bowler. To have him and Stuart back together, playing with us out here with the experience they have on the pitch and the cool heads that they have really helps.” 

Eoin Morgan, who tasted victory in a competitive game for the first time since replacing Alastair Cook as one-day international skipper, said: “Outstanding. We really put a team performance together, which I’m delighted with.

“Steve Finn got some rhythm early and managed to take advantage of that. He has come a long way over the last two years. I have played a lot of cricket with him at Middlesex and for him to produce performances like this makes me very happy.”

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said: “We didn’t bat really well. The wicket was slightly two paced to start off and our batsmen found it difficult. A lack of partnerships was the main reason.”

England innings   

8.54am – ENGLAND WIN BY NINE WICKETS! Eng 154/1; Bell 88, Taylor 56 – Taylor paddle-sweeps Akshar for a couple to complete England’s bonus-point victory. 

8.45am – FIFTY! Taylor (58b 3×4 0x6) – Taylor’s third ODI fifty arrives from just 58 deliveries. This knock will give him plenty of confidence following a duck in the first match. 

8.30am – CENTURY PARTNERSHIP! –  It’s like a net out there now for Bell and Taylor. The opening batsman opens the face and runs Akshar down to the third-man rope to take the stand into three figures. 

8.22am –  Bell rocks onto the back foot to pull a short Akshar Patel ball for four and then cuts the left-arm spinner to the boundary. Only 43 are required for victory now. 

8.13am – FIFTY! Bell (50b 5×4 0x6) – Bell takes two off Umesh Yadav to move to a run-a-ball half-century. 

8am –  Taylor is growing at the crease now, flicking a leg-side Binny delivery to the rope. He and Bell added 50 in just 59 deliveries. 

7.48am –  Classic Bell! The right-hander punishes a full, wide Binny delivery and crashes him for four. Taylor then pulls Mohammed Shami for his first boundary and England are coasting here. 

7.42am –  Bell carries on where he left off before the break, driving Binny to the cover boundary. The ball beats a diving Kohli, who looks to have sustained a knee problem. He leaves the field for treatment. Taylor is struggling a little for fluency. England need 100 from 32 overs to secure that extra point. 

6.53am –  Bell looks in excellent touch, flicking Umesh Yadav over square-leg for four and then punching through the covers for three. James Taylor gets off the mark by replicating his fellow right-hander’s previous shot. England are 41 for one off six overs at the interval. Surely they will have a bonus point in their sights? 

6.39am – WICKET! Moeen c Kohli b Binny 8; Eng 25/1 –  Moeen tries to go over the top but does not get enough on it and Virat Kohli takes a simple catch at mid-off. 

6.33am –  Moeen and Bell both collect boundaries in the second over, the former pulling over the on side and the latter driving through the covers. 

6.28am – England’s reply is up and running. They have 26 minutes to bat before the extended interval. Stuart Binny starts with a no-ball that allows Moeen to lift the resulting free-hit over cover for two.

India innings 

6.15am – WICKET! Shami c Moeen b Anderson 1; Ind 153 all out – Mohammed Shami launches Anderson towards the deep-midwicket boundary where Moeen pulls off a stunning catch over his head. That was in the air for some time. A fantastic display from England’s bowlers. 

6.13am – WICKET! Binny c Morgan b Anderson 44; Ind 153/9 – Binny tries to go over the top against Anderson but Eoin Morgan runs back to take a fine catch. India are on the brink now. 

6.06am –  Binny looks to be upping the tempo now as he blasts Finn over wide long-on for his second maximum. He survives two appeals for caught behind, the latter hitting him on the helmet.

6am – WICKET! Bhuvneshwar b Anderson 5; Ind 143/8 –  Anderson produces a beauty to bowl Bhuvneshwar Kumar all ends up.  

5.53am – WICKET! Akshar b Finn 0; Ind 137/7 – Finn has five and is on a hat-trick. Bowling round the wicket, the 25-year-old angles one back through the defences of Akshar Patel. 

5.52am – WICKET! Dhoni c Buttler b Finn 34; Ind 137/6 – Golden-arm Finn has a fourth when a hooking Dhoni feathers a fourth catch through to Buttler. 

5.45am – CHANCE! – India take the batting powerplay at 34 overs. Anderson returns to the attack and drops a caught-and-bowled opportunity from Dhoni first ball. 

5.38am – Binny picks up the length early and clubs Moeen back over his head for six. With 16 overs to go, India are 135 for five. England need a wicket now. 

Some news from the Australia camp, Steven Smith will act as captain against England on Friday following George Bailey’s one-match suspension. David Warner is to miss the clash with a slight hamstring strain, so Cameron White and Shaun Marsh are added to the squad. 

5.33am – Binny and Dhoni are playing the situation well and bring up the fifty stand, the second of the innings. Buttler unsuccessfully goes up for caught-behind appeals in successive balls in the hope of dismissing Dhoni off Moeen and Binny off Woakes. 

5.20am – Binny uses his feet and lofts Woakes over mid-off for four before reaching the vacant third-man rope next ball, albeit with an edge that would have been taken if a slip had been in place. The right-hander then hooks the bowler for another boundary. 

5am – This has been a superb performance from England’s bowlers, who have showed great control and discipline. Stuart Binny and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are charged with the task of rebuilding as the wicketless Broad returns to the attack. 

4.47am – WICKET! Rayudu c Buttler b Finn 23; Ind 67/5 – Finn has a third wicket in as many individual overs when Rayudu chases a wide one and provides Buttler with a third catch.  

4.40am – WICKET! Raina st Buttler b Moeen 1; Ind 65/4 – England are on top now. Suresh Raina walks past Moeen Ali’s second ball and Buttler does the rest. That’s three wickets in four overs.

4.35am – WICKET! Kohli c Buttler b Finn 4; Ind 64/3 – Finn has another! Dangerman Virat Kohli tries to run the paceman down to third man but edges behind to Buttler. A huge wicket for England. 

4.21am – WICKET! Rahane c Taylor b Finn 33; Ind 57/2 –  Rahane tries to force the issue, walking down the pitch and attempting to hack Finn into the leg side, but only picks out James Taylor at mid-on.

4.15am –  Rayudu advances down the pitch and clubs Steven Finn, on for Anderson, through the covers for four. The boundary, Rayudu’s second, brings up the fifty partnership. 

4.03am – Rahane cashes in on a short Broad ball by pulling him for six over midwicket. The bowler responds with a full delivery that squares Rahane up and draws an edge that races for four.

3.55am –  Broad replaces Woakes at the other end and concedes a trio of twos in his opening over while almost dismissing Rahane. The right-hander lofted Broad just over mid-off first ball and then chased a wide one and almost played on. 

3.50am –  Runs are arriving for India now, off Anderson. Rahane follows a clip off his hips for a couple by cutting a wide delivery for three, before Ambati Rayudu pulls the paceman for four, the first of the innings. 

3.45am – India are really struggling to get the immaculate Anderson and Woakes away at the minute. Excellent line and lengths from the pace duo. They are nine for one after six overs. 

3.36am – Anderson completes a wicket-maiden, meaning he has not conceded a run from his opening two overs. 

3.30am – WICKET! Dhawan c Buttler b Anderson 1; Ind 1/1 – Anderson needs just seven deliveries to strike on his return to the side. The Lancastrian shapes one away from Shikhar Dhawan and has the left-hander caught behind by Jos Buttler. 

3.25am – The returning James Anderson, shaping the ball away from Ajinkya Rahane, starts with a maiden. In-form Chris Woakes takes the new cherry again, ahead of Steven Finn and Stuart Broad. 

Pre-play news

3.20am –  Here we go then, a vital match in the Tri-Series is about to begin. Anderson has the ball in hand.

3.10am – England’s top order were blown away by Australia on Friday and Joe Root knows the tourists’ key batsmen have to fire if they are to be successful in the Tri-Series and World Cup.

England XI: Moeen Ali, Ian Bell, James Taylor, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Steven Finn.

India XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Stuart Binny, Akshar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav. 

2.52am – TOSS! – India win the toss and elect to bat. England make one change from the side that lost to Australia in their first outing, Anderson returning in place of Chris Jordan, who is suffering from illness.

Rohit Sharma, a centurion against the hosts on Sunday, and Ravichandran Ashwin miss out for India, the latter with a sore hamstring, with Ambati Rayudu and Stuart Binny handed an opportunity. 

2.45am – Fit-again James Anderson has missed England’s last two games on this tour as a precaution and could return to bolster skipper Eoin Morgan’s bowling unit today.  

2.40am – Both teams are searching for their first win of the tournament after losing to Australia in their opening match. 

2.35am – Good morning and welcome to live coverage of England’s Tri-Series encounter against India at the Gabba. 

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