Rayudu stars as India double lead

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By Callum Dent

Ambati Rayudu struck a career-best 64 as India took advantage of another disappointing batting performance from England to win the third Royal London one-day international at Trent Bridge by six wickets and move 2-0 ahead in the series.

Needing to bounce back from Wednesday’s defeat at the SWALEC Stadium to retain any hope of winning the five-match rubber, the hosts started well as Alastair Cook and Alex Hales shared an opening stand of 82 after losing the toss.

But just as they did at Cardiff, England struggled against the tourists’ spinners and were dismissed for 227, Ravichandran Ashwin returning figures of 3-39.

India then coasted to victory courtesy of Rayudu and Suresh Raina building on solid performances from Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli with an impressive stand of 87.

Despite Raina departing towards the end of the chase, Rayudu – included in the side due to Rohit Sharma’s tour-ending finger injury – grabbed his opportunity with both hands and guided his side home with seven overs unused.

Things had initially started well for the hosts as Cook and Hales flourished in their second game together at the top of the order.

Ambati Rayudu smashes returning England paceman Steven Finn over his head for four during his impressive knock of 64 at Trent Bridge

However, with Mohit Sharma off the field due to what appeared like a nasty foot problem, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s decision to try and make up the remainder of the seamer’s seven overs with part-time spinners reaped instant rewards.

Hales, on 42, top-edged Raina, in his first set of six, to Dhoni before Rayudu collected his maiden ODI scalp by having an advancing Cook stumped down the leg side for 44.

India ’s frontline tweakers then came to the fore to reduce England to 149 for six.

Joe Root departed to the same dismissal at his skipper, this time pushing forward to Ravindra Jadeja’s fourth ball.

Ashwin had Eoin Morgan caught behind with a beauty and, after the remarkably fit-again Mohit ran out Ian Bell from wide long-off, Ben Stokes was the victim of a stunning diving catch from Raina at first slip off Ashwin.

England ’s troubles were evident during the second batting powerplay that brought only 12 runs as Buttler and Woakes had no option but to play cautiously.

But Buttler, who ended droughts of 15 overs and then nine without a boundary by finding the rope, lost the company of Woakes when the latter aggressively pulled Mohammed Shami down deep midwicket’s throat.

Suresh Raina takes a stunning diving catch to his right to hand Ravichandran Ashwin, who finished with 3-39, the scalp of Ben Stokes

When Buttler was bowled by Ashwin for 42, Tredwell provided late momentum with a format-best 30 off 17 deliveries as England collected 45 runs off the final five overs.

The left-hander cracked a quartet of fours and the only maximum of the innings before losing his wicket going for another big shot in the final over, which ended with Steven Finn – playing his first game for England in almost a year – run out.

India ’s chase started positively until Shikhar Dhawan, fresh from driving Woakes down the ground, cut straight to Morgan at point next ball.

Rahane excelled in his new opening role and was quick to attack Finn, replacing Chris Jordan in the side, and Stokes.

But Finn responded by having Rahane caught behind by Buttler, ending a 50-run stand with Kohli, who then picked out mid-on off Stokes after moving to 40 – his highest score of the tour – following back-to-back boundaries.

Just as England looked to apply the pressure, Rayudu and Raina joined forces and coasted towards the victory target.

The former struck two successive fours to reach his third ODI fifty and, despite losing Raina to Tredwell with 21 still needed, saw his team comfortably home alongside Jadeja. 

Match scorecard /  Live ball-by-ball commentary

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Post-Match Reaction 

England skipper Alastair Cook said: “(Spin) is something we need to keep trying to work on, we’re not doing it right.
 
“We need to keep working because if we don’t we will keep not getting enough.
 
“I didn’t think Trent Bridge would spin as much as it did but you have to adjust to that. The bottom line is we didn’t play very well with the bat.”

India Innings

5.21pm – INDIA WIN BY SIX WICKETS – Ind 228/4; Rayudu 64, Jadeja 12 – India coast to victory with seven overs to spare, Rayudu finishing with a career-best 64. England now have it all to do to square the series in the final two matches, at Edgbaston on Tuesday and Headingley three days later.

5.18pm – Woakes gifts India four runs with a wild throw that races past Buttler, who was blinded by the batsman.

5.10pm – WICKET! Raina c Woakes b Tredwell 42; Ind 207/4 –  With 21 runs needed for victory, Raina lofts Tredwell to Woakes at long-on to end an 87-run stand.

5pm – FIFTY! Rayudu (63b 5×4 0x6) – Rayudu guides a Finn bouncer over the cordon region for a boundary that brings up his half-century.

4.58pm – Rayudu has the finishing line in his sights. The right-hander blasts Finn back over his head for another four. India need 33 to win.

4.46pm – India call for the batting powerplay and immediately Rayudu opens his body and crunches Finn through the covers.  

4.39pm – Rayudu edges Anderson towards third man to take his stand with Raina to fifty, off 56 balls. India appear to be racing to victory. 

4.29pm – India are picking up the pace as Stokes’ latest over costs 11. That’s 22 runs leaked from the last two set of sixes. Cook throws the ball to Anderson in the hope of collecting some wickets. India need 68 from 18 overs.

4.23pm – Suresh Raina continues his fine form from Cardiff by chopping Root past Finn at point for consecutive fours and then replicates the same shot for a couple.  

4pm – WICKET! Kohli c Tredwell b Stokes 40; Ind 120/3 – Kohli moves to his highest score of the tour after clubbing and driving fours off Tredwell and Stokes, who then sees the right-hander pick out Tredwell at mid-on.

3.53pm – India are into three figures as skipper Alastair Cook opts for spin at both ends in the form of Tredwell and Joe Root. Ambati Rayudu finely sweeps the latter for four, his first of the innings. 

3.35pm – WICKET! Rahane c Buttler b Finn 45; Ind 85/2 – Finn gets his man! Rahane, on the back foot, feathers a catch behind to Jos Buttler.

3.22pm – Rahane is relishing his new opening role, straight driving Ben Stokes for a maximum to move India to 74 for one after 15 overs. England need wickets. 

3.14pm – Finn concedes eight off his opening set of six, including a lofted drive for four from Rahane. Virat Kohli then hoists Tredwell over his head for six. Is this the innings that sees the right-hander return to form?

3.09pm –  Here comes Finn for his first spell in international cricket since last September. 

3.05pm – India reach 42 for one from the opening 10-over powerplay. There is no sign of Steven Finn yet. James Tredwell is on for Anderson.

2.53pm – WICKET! Dhawan c Morgan b Woakes 16; Ind 35/1 – Woakes over-pitches and is driven for four by Dhawan, who then cuts to Eoin Morgan at point next ball.   

2.39pm – Woakes holds up India by delivering the first maiden of the match.

2.35pm – Rahane pulls Anderson and then drives him through the covers for consecutive boundaries. India are racing along. 

2.30pm –  After James Anderson concedes a single off the opening over, Shikhar Dhawan collects three off Chris Woakes and then Ajinkya Rahane, promoted to the top of the order due to Rohit Sharma’s tour-ending finger injury, flicks to the fine-leg rope.

England Innings  

1.41pm – WICKET! Finn run out (Rayudu) 6 – END OF INNINGS! England 227 all out; Anderson 0 –  Finn is run out from the final ball trying to sneak a second run. India require 228 to move 2-0 ahead in the Royal London One-Day Series. 

1.40pm – WICKET! Tredwell c&b Bhuvneshwar 30; Eng 226/9 – Tredwell hits two full Bhuvneshwar deliveries behind point for four and lifts a no-ball over long-on for the first maximum of the innings. However, attempting another big stroke, he skies in the air and is taken by the bowler. His 30 off 17 balls has generated a little bit of momentum for England. 

1.34pm – Tredwell and Steven Finn are trying to add some late impetus. England are 209 for eight with an over remaining. 

1.25pm – WICKET! Buttler b Ashwin 42; Eng 202/8 – Buttler reverse-sweeps Ashwin for four but misses another big shot next ball and is bowled.

1.23pm –  James Tredwell wants something to bowl at! The left-hander backs away and cracks Shami through the covers and over midwicket for consecutive fours.

1.16pm – WICKET! Woakes c Mohit b Shami 15; Eng 182/7 –  Shami delivers a bouncer that Chris Woakes pulls down the throat of Mohit on the midwicket rope.

1.10pm –  Buttler reverse-sweeps Raina for four to collect only the second boundary since the 18th over.

1.01pm –  The five-over batting powerplay brings only 12 runs, all singles. That highlights England’s struggles at the moment.

12.46pm – WICKET! Stokes c Raina b Ashwin 2; Eng 149/6 – Ashwin squares up Ben Stokes and the ball flies to slip, where Raina dives to his right to take a stunning catch. 

12.37pm – WICKET! Bell run out (Mohit) 28; Eng 138/5 –  Bell sets off for a single to wide long-off but cannot make his ground before Mohit’s direct-hit. 

12.29pm – Ian Bell, on 28, and Jos Buttler are rebuilding now for England, but India’s spinners are frustrating the duo. The last boundary was 14 overs ago. Jadeja, coming in from round the wicket, is tempting Buttler by placing no fielders on the leg side. 

12.17pm – WICKET! Morgan c Dhoni b Ashwin 10; Eng 120/4 – Ashwin produces a beauty of a delivery that Eoin Morgan does well to edge behind to Dhoni. Mohit is back on the field after making a speedy recovery. 

12pm – WICKET! Root st Dhoni b Jadeja 2; Eng 97/3 – Joe Root pushes forward at Ravindra Jadeja’s fourth delivery and cannot get his foot back behind the line of the crease before Dhoni breaks the stumps. India are on top now.

11.52am – WICKET! Cook st Dhoni b Rayudu 44; Eng 93/2 – Ambati Rayudu and Raina are charged with the task of making up the injured Mohit’s overs and now have a wicket each. Cook dances down the track and misses a wide down the leg side, with Dhoni taking off the bails. That is Rayudu’s first ODI wicket. 

11.39am – WICKET! Hales c Dhoni b Raina 42; Eng 82/1 – Suresh Raina strikes in his first over. Like he did at the SWALEC Stadium, Hales tries to sweep and only succeeds in top-edging to Dhoni.  

11.35am –  Hales is tied down by Ashwin, operating round the wicket, and then misses a wild heave across the line at Shami in the next over. 

11.18am – REVIEW! –  Hales opens his body and lifts Ravichandran Ashwin over mid-off for four. The right-hander then tries the trick next ball and is the subject of a stumping review. His foot was back, though.  

11.12am – Cook and Hales meet halfway down the track to shake hands after securing their second successive half-century opening stand. Mohit looks in some pain and is helped off the pitch. That could be the end of his action today. 

11.08am –  Shami gets the same treatment as Mohit, Cook pulling just short of the rope at midwicket. England’s openers are going along nicely. 

11am – Runs are arriving more freely now for England as Hales drives Mohammed Shami, in his first over after replacing Mohit, past mid-on for four.

10.52am – Cook punishes a short Mohit delivery by pulling him powerfully for four, England’s first of the day in the sixth over. Hales then drives the same bowler through the covers for consecutive fours.  

10.44am – Cook edges Mohit Sharma just wide of second slip. England are nine without loss after four overs.

10.40am – Bhuvneshwar cannot jump high enough to catch a leading edge from Alastair Cook off his own bowling. That was close.

10.32am – India are convinced Alex Hales gloved Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s second ball behind to Mahendra Singh Dhoni. However, the ball flicked his thigh pad and he remains in the middle.

Pre-Play News

10.20am –  Alex Hales made his ODI debut at the SWALEC Stadium and is looking to build on his innings of 40 today on his home ground. In a press-conference yesterday, the right-handed opening batsman spoke about his desire to prove his worth and represent his country at next year’s World Cup. 

England: Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, James Tredwell, Steven Finn, James Anderson.

India: Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma. 

10am –  TOSS! –  India win the toss and field. England make one change, bringing in Steven Finn for his first appearance in almost a year at the expense of Chris Jordan, while the tourists also make an enforced alteration with Rohit Sharma’s finger injury handing Ambati Rayudu an opportunity. 

9.45am –  Alastair Cook’s side need to bounce back from their heavy defeat in Cardiff on Wednesday if they are to retain any hopes of winning the five-match series. 

9.30am – Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the third Royal London one-day international between England and India at Trent Bridge. It is slightly overcast at the moment in Nottingham. But, as you can see from the tweet below, some rain may arrive towards the back-end of the afternoon. 

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