The Battle between India-England ends on tie at last
BANGALORE: The historical match between two winner teams of World Cup cricket 2011 matches fought against each other in Group B today and the battle ends on tie leaving no one as winner or a looser.
England’s Andrew Strauss led from the front in another daunting run-chase, compiling a captain’s innings of 92 from 90 balls to follow up his agenda-setting 88 against the Netherlands last week, as England pointed themselves in the right direction in pursuit of India’s massive target of 339 at Bangalore. Strauss added 68 for the first wicket with Kevin Pietersen, who fell for 31 to a freakish caught-and-bowled from Munaf Patel, and though Jonathan Trott was pinned lbw for 16 by the legspinner Piyush Chawla, England’s score at the halfway mark remained a creditable 163 for 2.
A positive start was a pre-requisite as England set off in pursuit of what, if successful, would be the fourth-highest in ODI history, and Strauss responded in the perfect fashion when Zaheer Khan, armed with the new ball, strayed onto his pads first-up to gift a flicked four through fine leg. Later in the same over he doubled his tally with a punched square drive, and when Munaf followed a first-ball appeal against Pietersen with a second-ball half-tracker, England were properly up and running.
Sachin Tendulkar produced the performance that every man in his nation had prayed was in his grasp, as India’s batsmen ignited their first home fixture of the 2011 World Cup with a towering display against England at Bangalore. On a sporty wicket that offered assistance to the bowlers but value for every stroke, they pillaged 35 fours and seven sixes in an imposing total of 338, with Tendulkar standing supreme with 120 from 115 balls, his 47th ODI century, and his fifth in six World Cup campaigns.
The England bats after India and scored similar 338 and leave the match on a tie.
India made 338 runs (Tendulkar 120, Bresnan 5-48) tied with England who made 338 runs for 8 wickets (Strauss 158, Bell 69, Zaheer 3-64)
(source- espncricinfo)
