England 321-8 (50/50 ov)
India 316-9 (50/50 ov)
Man of the match Ben Stokes (England)
Man of the series Kedar Jadhav (India)
KOLKATA // England narrowly avoided an Indian sweep of the one-day international series, winning the third and final cricket match by five runs as Ben Stokes took 3-63 and Kedar Jadhav’s fighting 90 went in vain on Sunday.
India fell short on 316-9 in reply to England’s 321-8 in 50 overs. Stokes blasted an undefeated 57 off 39 balls to propel the tourists’ innings late on, after Jason Roy (65) and Jonny Bairstow (56) both scored half-centuries.
India won the first two ODIs to take the series 2-1.
India started badly as its openers’ poor form continued. David Willey (1-8), who went off with an injured shoulder later in the innings, bowled Ajinkya Rahane (1) in the second over.
Lokesh Rahul (11) skied a catch while attempting a wild pull off Jake Ball (2-56) in the sixth over.
Virat Kohli (55) then put on 65 runs for the third wicket with Yuvraj Singh (45) but they didn’t look in control of the chase against England’s pacers.
Dropped on 35 by Ball at fine leg, Indian skipper Kohli reached his 39th ODI half-century off 54 balls, as India’s 100 came in the 19th over. Stokes got the big breakthrough in the next over with Kohli caught behind.
After adding 31 runs with MS Dhoni (25) for the fourth wicket, Singh holed out to Sam Billings in the deep off Liam Plunkett (1-65). England continued to claim regular wickets as Dhoni too departed in the 32nd over, caught behind off Ball.
India was 173-5 at that stage, but Jadhav put on 104 runs for the sixth wicket with Hardik Pandya (56). The duo started off slowly but, with the run-rate rising, they played some attacking strokes to change the complexion of the chase.
They put on 50 off only 45 balls, as India’s 200 came up in the 36th over. Jadhav reached his maiden ODI half-century off 46 balls, while Pandya scored his first half-century in international cricket too, off only 38 deliveries.
Stokes bowled Pandya in the 46th over, and India needed 43 runs off the last 24 balls. Ravindra Jadeja (10) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1) couldn’t do much, but Jadhav, who hit 12 fours and 1 six in all, took his side close.
With 16 needed off the last over, Jadhav smacked the first two balls for 10 runs, before holing out to Billings in the deep. Chris Woakes (2-75) then held his nerve as England registered its first win on the tour, stretching back to the test series in November and December.
India won the first ODI in Pune by three wickets, and the second ODI in Cuttack by 15 runs. The three-match Twenty20 series starts in Kanpur on Thursday.
Mathews leads Sri Lanka to win but injury forces captain out for tour
South Africa 113 (19.3/20 ov)
Sri Lanka 119-7 (19.4/20 ov)
Man of the match Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka)
JOHANNESBURG // Injured captain Angelo Mathews hit two sixes in the last over to hand Sri Lanka a series-levelling three-wicket win in the second Twenty20 international against South Africa on Sunday.
But the win came at a cost. Mathews said at the after-match presentation that he could miss the rest of the tour after twisting his right ankle when he dived to avoid being run out in the penultimate over.
“It’s pretty bad, I think I will be out for a couple of weeks,” said Mathews, who made 54 not out as Sri Lanka chased down a low South African total of 113 with two balls to spare.
The third and final Twenty20 international will be played in Cape Town on Wednesday, followed by five one-day internationals, finishing on February 10.
On an unusually dry, slow Wanderers pitch, South Africa were bowled out in 19.3 overs.
Left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan, playing in his first T20 international – although he has played in three Test matches and a one-day international – took four for 23 and bamboozled the South Africa batsmen with his ability to spin the ball both ways.
Seamers Isara Udana and Nuwan Kulasekera took three for 13 and two for 10 respectively. Heino Kuhn top-scored for South Africa with 29.
New fast bowling discovery Lungi Ngidi gave South Africa hope of defending their low total, taking four for 19.
Ngidi, who was man of the match when South Africa won the first game in Centurion, took three wickets in an electrifying three-over opening spell, then came back to take another wicket in the 15th over, at the end of which Sri Lanka were 89 for four.
It came down to eight needed off the last seven balls when man of the match Mathews was injured after a risky leg bye. He managed to hobble a single off Wayne Parnell’s last ball to keep the strike.
Mathews went for a big hit off the first ball of the last over, bowled by left-arm spinner Jon-Jon Smuts, and was dropped by a diving Heino Kuhn at deep midwicket.
He did not take a run. He hit the next ball for six to level the scores and two balls later finished the match with another six.
“I had to hit sixes because I couldn’t run,” he said.
South Africa captain Farhaan Behardien said: “On a deck that was a little bit slow, Sri Lanka kept taking wickets and we couldn’t launch at the end.
“We were put under pressure today. But the guys really fought hard and I’m proud of them.”
Arthur unhappy with Pakistan fielding after crushing defeat
Australia 353-6 (50/50 ov)
Pakistan 267 (43.5/50 ov)
Man of the match David Warner (Australia)
SYDNEY // Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur criticised his players after their blunders helped Australia secure their one-day series at Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, taking a 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Set an imposing 354 to win, Pakistan were never really in the hunt.
After Australia made 353 for six on the back of a David Warner century that was aided by appalling fielding from the tourists, Pakistan replied with 267 from 43.5 overs.
A frustrated Arthur was left lamenting another sloppy fielding effort marked by a number of dropped catches.
“We can’t compete with a side like Australia if we give their top five that many chances,” he said. “It’s unacceptable, those standards we set as a cricket team those standards haven’t been met. Is it skill level, attitude, or is it fatigue?”
Opener Sharjeel Khan, who dropped two catches in the Australian innings, whacked out 74 from just 47 balls, but once he fell to recalled leg-spinner Adam Zampa Pakistan’s fate was all but sealed.
Warner backed his form with the bat by doing what the Pakistanis could not and hanging on to two excellent catches.
He was pleased to have the series wrapped up ahead of the final game in Adelaide on Thursday, saying the team “played fantastic”.
After Australian captain Steve Smith won the toss, the home side took advantage of a placid wicket and the hapless Pakistan fielding.
Warner top-scored with 130 but Pakistan did not help themselves, conceding a number of overthrows and dropped catches at crucial times.
He was dropped on 113 when Hasan Ali grassed a simple chance at mid-off from spinner Imad Wasim.
Smith scored 49 off 48 balls, but was let off at 10 when Sharjeel made a lazy one-handed attempt at gully from Junaid Khan’s bowling.
Sharjeel also dropped Travis Head when he was on 28, again to the chagrin of the luckless Junaid. Head went on to make 51.
And Hasan put down a difficult chance off Glenn Maxwell when he was on eight and the Australian ended on 78.
Despite his two dropped catches Hasan redeemed himself by taking five for 52, easily the best of the Pakistan bowlers.
Warner and Smith put on 120 for the second wicket to put Australia in a commanding position before Hasan removed both in the space of three balls to give the tourists a lift.
However, Head and Maxwell then cut loose to add 100 for the fourth wicket in 64 balls.
Pakistan recalled captain Azhar Ali after a hamstring injury at the expense of Asad Shafiq, while Australia recalled Mitchell Starc and spinner Zampa for James Faulkner and Billy Stanlake.
Zampa, controversially overlooked for the upcoming India tour, took his opportunity with three for 55 from his 10 overs.
* Agencies
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