Wednesday 27 August 2014 20:57, UK
India eased ahead in the one-day series with an emphatic 133-run triumph over England at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff.
A lively century from Suresh Raina helped propel India to 304-6 after a sticky start and England never came close to reaching a revised target of 295 after a rain break, bowled out for just 161 in 38.1 overs.
The tourists lost a couple of early wickets in the second ODI - the first match having been washed out - after being put in to bat under cloudy skies and even after recovering they were still only just chugging along at 132-4 in the 30th over.
Raina changed the tone of the game though as he teed off on England’s muddling bowling and smacked exactly 100, he and skipper MS Dhoni adding 144 in quick time.
Chris Woakes was the pick of the home team's attack with his 4-52, including the two early wickets of Shikhar Darwan and Virat Kohli which reduced India to 19-2.
Yet India managed to recover from the double setback, firstly through Ajinkya Rahane (41) and Rohit Sharma (52) until both fell victim to the off-spin of James Tredwell.
Crucially, though, they had laid the platform for an onslaught in the final 20 overs. India duly accelerated in style, including taking 62 from a fruitful batting powerplay, as they showed just why they are the reigning world champions.
Left-hander Raina hit 12 fours and three sixes in his 74-ball century before holing out in the deep off Woakes from his next ball, with the same bowler also ending Dhoni's knock at 52 with a clever slower delivery.
The damage, however, had already been done. Chris Jordan helped India out with no fewer than 12 wides - five of them in one long over - while Ben Stokes also proved expensive, sending down just seven overs at a cost of 54 runs.
England's run chase looked to be going smoothly enough to start with, the new-look opening duo of Alastair Cook and Alex Hales putting on 54 inside 11 overs. That was until five wickets went down for 31 runs, Cook beginning the collapse when he was adjudged lbw shuffling across his stumps in an attempt to hit Mohammed Shami to the leg side.
Ian Bell managed a single before an error in judgement saw him bowled offering no stroke to Shami and although Joe Root (four) did at least attempt to use his bat when facing Bhuvneshwar Kumar, he was still bowled by one that nipped back off the seam.
Hales' encouraging debut innings came to an end at 40 when he top-edged a sweep off Ravindra Jadeja to short fine leg, while Jos Buttler chipped the left-arm spinner tamely to cover to depart for two.
Eoin Morgan and Stokes at least reached double figures, making 28 and 23 respectively, before holing out, and Jordan's miserable day was complete when Raina trapped him lbw for a duck.
Jadeja claimed 4-28 and Ashwin claimed the final wicket of James Tredwell to finish with 2-38, the spin pairing helping India quickly banish the memories of their miserable 3-1 Test series defeat against the same opponents.
England, spun out again in 50-over cricket despite the conditions favouring the pacemen, will hope to make it a bit more of a contest in the remaining three games, starting at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
