Diwali celebrations came a day early for India as they completed a 5-0 whitewash of England with a crushing 95-run victory in the fifth and final One-day international at Kolkata tonight. Chasing India's competitive 272, the visitors had a rollicking start courtesy skipper Alastair Cook (60 off 61 balls) and Craig Keiswetter (63 off 64 balls) who put on 129 runs, but the visitors lost the plot after their dismissals.Rookie pacer Varun Aaron provided the breakthrough with a tactical change in line before the Englishmen fell to the Indian spinners' guile to be bundled out for 176 in 37 overs. The visitors lost all the 10 wickets with addition ofjust 47 runs as their weakness against the spinners was exposed once again. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja was the wrecker-in-chief with a superb four for 33, while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed three for 21.Earlier, put to bat, India made 271 for the loss of 8 wickets in stipulated 50 overs. Skipper M.S. Dhoni scored highest 75 runs from 69 balls and remained not out while Rahane made 42 runs.It is definitely a redemption time for the world champion Indian side who were demolished in England in both the Test and one-day series.
News On AIR | October 25, 2011 10:19 PM
India clinch series 5-0 by beating England in fifth and final ODI at Kolkata