Ind Eng ODI 3 Half Time: Dhoni, Jadeja Revive Innings, Set England 235 To Chase

The third India England ODI at the Kennington Oval in London seemed to be heading down the drain once more for the Indian cricket team until the Indian captain and Ravindra Jadeja put up a remarkable rearguard action to bring the match back into contention.

James Anderson

After the rained out first ODI, a curtailed Twenty20-like second ODI that went the way of England, it appeared that India were stuck in a Twenty20-like mode. Wickets fell so quickly within the first forty-five minutes that one wondered whether rain was even required because the match threatened to be over even before the blink of an eye. With James Anderson astute in his accurate bowling, the Indian cricket batting fluttered like a trembling leaf on a pitch that was expected to hold some excitement for the bowlers, but not quite as exaggerated as the Indian cricket team would have one believe.

Anderson was all over the Indian cricket team in a manner of minutes. Ajinkya Rahane who has been a revelation since joining the Indian cricket was the first to fall and it left the Indian cricket team with one wicket down with only one run on board. Rahul Dravid, the only Indian cricketer to leave an indelible mark on India’s tour of England, could not blame technology this time as he was run out.

Anderson meanwhile continued to rip through India’s top order with Parthiv Patel being dismissed after a tentative time and Virat Kohli’s wicket reducing India to four down for twenty-five in only the eleventh over. With Suresh Raina attempting a six in such a situation, India appeared doomed for more humiliation as the score reduced further to five down for fifty-eight with the better part of thirty overs still left in India’s innings.

In danger of being bowled out for a meager score and calling for more scrutiny, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian captain, found an unusual ally in Ravindra Jadeja. The youngster who had failed to cement his place in the team after a promising start to his cricket career showed a great deal of grit and enterprise even as Dhoni continued to forge his way through India’s shoddy pile up. Dhoni’s innings of sixty-nine runs may have seemed somewhat labored compared to his dynamite innings. However, it proved just the anti dote India needed against the England resurgence that would have greatly heartened the England ODI captain, Alastair Cook.

There was a moment in the match where it appeared Dhoni was struggling to run between the wickets. But Jadeja continued to motor along, making seventy-eight good runs to push India past the 200 mark. Eventually Dhoni’s dismissal paved the way for Ravichandran Ashwin who appeared to use his Twenty20 and IPL experience to play a cameo knock of thirty-six runs from only nineteen balls.

India’s enterprising end saw as many as sixty runs come in the last five overs for India to score 234 runs in their allotted fifty overs. Whether the score is enough to dent England remains to be seen even as India managed to put up a competitive total when it appeared there would be none of note.