Indian team who was down and out after loosing the first game of seven match series, bounce back superbly in second ODI at Bristol to beat the England by 9 runs in high scoring cricket match.
Earlier Rahul Dravid won the toss and decided to bat first on a wicket that looks like run feasters under beautifull shun shining weather condition. His decision was proved right by the most successful opening pair in the world Sachin Tendulkar & Saurav Ganguly. They put on 113 runs for the first wicket. They both battle cautiously in first 12 over but after that Ganguly picked up the tempo when he slammed a six and a four off consecutive balls off Andrew Flintoff in the 17th over.
On the other hand Tendulkar looked in an ominous touch right from the word go and he played like champ. England had their first breakthrough in the 20th over when Ganguly spooned a catch off Flintoff for 39, leaving India one down for 113. Tendulkar, however, remained unperturbed as he motored along with a flurry of boundaries around the ground.
Sachin Tendulkar who looks to get his hundred but he misses out only by one run, when he was given out on 99 (112 balls) caught behind the wicket on the bowling of Flintoff. After his dismissal Rahul Dravid arrive to the crease and played fluently right from start and score brilliant 92 of just 63 balls. Yuvraj Singh wh came at no. 3 miss his half century by one run and got out on 49 runs. However M.S. Dhoni and Rahul Dravid pushed the tempo by scoring quick runs and get the Indian score to pass 300 run mark.
At the need try to score quickly Indian loss some quick wickets and Flintoff (5/56) ended with his first five wicket haul in ODI.
Chasing a huge target of 330 for win England openers started well and manage to score 70 plus in first 10 overs. Now Rahul Dravid made the much needed bowling change and bring Munaf Patel and he doesn’t disappointed his Captain and got two wickets in one over in which he dismissed Prior twice but one was off no ball.
England, meanwhile, had their share of luck with a number of straightforward catches as well as tough went down. Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen were both dropped and managed to put on 50 in 43 balls.
When this partnership looking to threatened the Indians Piyush Chawla got rid off Kevin Pietersen clean bowled by the Googly. After that Indian spinner (Chawla & Pawar) bowls some tight line and manage to keep wicket at regular Interval.
Paul Collingwood scored 27 before got out bowled by Chawla. Andre Flintoff was beaten in the flight by Ramesh Pawar and caught at deep midwicket when he tries to hit him out of the park. The first match centurion Ian Bell kept his cool at other end but since the run rate was climbing over after over he was also foxed by Piyush Chawla and caught at long on for 64 240/7. After wards many people think that match is over but Dimitri Mascarenas got England within striking distance of the Indian total, as the all-rounder brought up a 50-run eighth wicket partnership in just 36 balls. Mascarenas' efforts, though, came to a halt in the 49th over with England still needing 31 runs.
Stuart Broad slammed two sixes in the last over off Munaf Patel, but the visitors managed to hold on and keep England out by a mere nine runs.
Rahul Dravid was declared Man of the Match with his brilliant 92* of 63 balls.
