England humble India to draw series 1-1

An England team that had five top players missing thrashed a spineless India by 212 runs to win the third and final Test and draw the series 1-1 here Wednesday.

India, 18 for one overnight, batted poorly and lost the remaining nine wickets for 82 runs - the last seven for just 25 - to be all out for 100 while chasing 313 for victory.

England had scored 400, after India captain Rahul Dravid surprisingly asked the visitors to bat first, and 191 in their innings while India made 279 in the first innings.

India had taken the lead in the second Test at Mohali after the first match at Nagpur ended in a draw.

Off-spinner Shaun Udal, who had taken only three wickets in three matches before this Test, captured four wickets in the second innings to finish the match with five scalps.

Sachin Tendulkar scored 34 - the highest second-innings score - and was one of the three Indian batsmen to reach double figures. Yuvraj Singh (12) and Wasim Jaffer (10) were the others.

Captain Andrew Flintoff chipped in with three wickets. Besides he scored two half-centuries in the match to be named the Man of the Match.

The Lancashire player, who led the side after regular captain Michael Vaughan had returned home with an injury, was also adjudged the Man of the Series for scoring 264 runs and capturing 11 wickets in the three matches.

Dravid will rue that India capitulated so badly in his 100th Test match, which was also watched by his parents. The skipper scored 52 and 9 in the two innings.

It was also the match in which Tendulkar overtook Kapil Dev's 131 Tests-record to become the most capped Indian player. However, Tendulkar failed to make it a memorable outing, managing just 1 and 34.

Fielding, especially catching, let India down badly in the match as a number of catches were spilled over the five days. It is, however, a matter of conjecture how India would have fared.

England were severely short on experience in the absence of Vaughan, opener Marcus Trescothick, left-arm spinner Ashley Giles and pacer Simon Jones.

Pacer Steve Harmison was added to that list here in Mumbai. But it eventually made little difference to the fortunes of England as they, in the end, cantered to the win with 49.4 overs to spare.

India resumed their second innings at 18 for one wicket with Jaffer and night watchman Anil Kumble adding just 15 before Matthew Hoggard had Kumble leg before the wicket for 8.

Jaffer followed him soon, trapped before the wicket by Flintoff. His dismissal brought Dravid and Tendulkar to the crease.

The two batted cautiously and took the total to 75 for three at lunch. Soon after the interval, Flintoff had Dravid caught by Geraint Jones for 9. He and Tendulkar added 42 for the fourth wicket, the highest partnership of the innings.

And when one run later, Tendulkar also departed after a 77-minute vigil (57 balls, 5x4s), caught bat-pad by Ian Bell at short leg, all hopes of the packed galleries that included his elder brother Ajit and millions of Indian fans vanished.

Virender Sehwag, who had not fielded in the entire England innings due to back spasms, came out to bat with Jaffer as his runner.

But he was obviously not fully fit, and pacer James Anderson, who had replaced the injured Harmison, brought one in sharply to win an LBW verdict.

After Sehwag's dismissal, it was just a matter of time before England wrapped up the match with a valiant display of rearguard action. The Indian innings lasted just 196 minutes.

The two countries have played 93 Tests, with India winning 16 and England 34. The rest, 43, have been drawn.

Wankhede Stadium has been one of India's lucky grounds. Of the 21 Tests played here, India have won nine matches, the visitors six and six have been drawn. England now have won two of out six Tests at this venue.

SCOREBOARD

Day 5, Third Test, India vs. England, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, March 22

England (1st innings): 400

India (1st innings): 279
England (2nd innings): 191

India (2nd innings, overnight 18/1):

W. Jaffer lbw b Flintoff 10
I. Pathan b Anderson 6
A. Kumble lbw b Hoggard 8
R. Dravid c Jones b Flintoff 9
S. Tendulkar c Bell b Udal 34
Yuvraj Singh c Collingwood b Flintoff 12
V. Sehwag lbw b Anderson 0
M.S. Dhoni c Panesar b Udal 5
Harbhajan Singh c Hoggard b Udal 6
Sreesanth not out 0
M. Patel c Hoggard b Udal 1

Extras: (b 1, lb 4, w 1, nb 3) 9

Total: (all out in 48.2 overs) 100

Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Pathan, 3.2 overs), 2-21 (Kumble, 10.3), 3-33 (Jaffer, 18.2), 4-75 (Dravid, 33.3), 5-76 (Tendulkar, 34.3), 6-77 (Sehwag, 39.2), 7-92 (Dhoni, 44.4), 8-99 (Harbhajan, 46.4), 9-99 (Yuvraj, 47.4)

Bowling:

Matthew Hoggard 12 6 13 1
James Anderson 12 2 39 2
Monty Panesar 4 1 15 0
Andrew Flintoff 11 4 14 3 (3nb, 1w)
Shaun Udal 9.2 3 14 4

Result: England won by 212 runs

Man of the Match: Andrew Flintoff (England)

Man of the Series: Andrew Flintoff (England)

Toss: India

Umpires: Darrel Hair and Simon Taufel (both Australia)

Third umpire: K. Hariharan (India)

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)