![\"Kedar](\"https:\/\/indiansportsnews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Kedar-Jadhav-3rd-Odi.jpg\")
Kolkata: Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya’s heroic batting efforts went in vein as England produced a disciplined performance riding on an all-round show by Ben Stokes to defeat India by five runs in a nerve-wracking third One Day International cricket match at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday.<\/p>\n
However, with India having already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead after the first two games, it was only a consolation win for the visitors before a full house at the iconic Eden Gardens, where the track’s bounce and movement afforded good assistance to the English seamers.<\/p>\n
Put in to bat by Indian skipper Virat Kohli, England consolidated a sound start with rollicking slog-hitting to post an imposing 321\/8. In reply, India managed 316\/9.<\/p>\n
Chasing 322 for victory, India began poorly, and despite some repairwork by Kohli (55; 63b 8×4) and veteran Yuvraj Singh, saw half of their batsmen back in the hut with only 175 on the board.<\/p>\n
However, there followed an awesome 83-ball 104-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Kedar Jadhav (90; 75b, 12×4, 1×6) and Hardik Pandya (56; 43b, 4×4, 2×6), which raised the hopes of yet another superlative Indian victory from a difficult position.<\/p>\n
But the script did not go as the way it has been going in recent times, though the match went to the wire.<\/p>\n
After Stokes saw the back of Pandya in the 46th over, and then dismissed Ravichandran Ashwin in the 48th, India needed 16 off the final over.<\/p>\n
Jadhav, India’s latest find adjudged man of the series, hit pacer Chris Woakes for a six and four in the first two deliveries, to bring the requirement down to 6 off 4 balls.<\/p>\n
But Woakes fought back with two dot balls, and then got Jadhav back into the pavilion as the latter went for a slog that was gleefully accepted by Sam Billings at deep point.<\/p>\n
Now India needed six from one ball. But Bhuvneshwar Kumar missed, and celebrations broke out in the England camp.<\/p>\n
For Stokes, who got the Man of the Match award for a cracking unbeaten half-century and bowling figures of 3\/63, it was a classic reversal of fortune. It was on this same ground where he was clobbered for four back-to-back sixes by West Indies’ Carlos Brathwaite in the last over of the World T20 finals last year to fashion a Caribbean triumph.<\/p>\n
The Indian reply began on the wrong note. Ajinkya Rahane (1) departed as early as the second over, failing to negotiate a late swing from David Willey, and drove down the wrong line to see his off stump dislodged.<\/p>\n
Skipper Virat Kohli, played some exquisite strokes, disdainfully dispatching Chris Woakes to the fence through long leg and Mid wicket of consecutive balls, and a over later cover drove him majestically for another four.<\/p>\n
But India got another jolt a little later, as Lokesh Rahul (10) went out to a poor shot.<\/p>\n
Coming together, Kohli and Yuvraj Singh authored a 65-run third wicket stand.<\/p>\n
But Yuvraj – on 3 – got a painful taste of the nature of the wicket, when pacer Jake Ball surprised the left-hander with one that kicked off the wicket and hit the batsman on the chest.<\/p>\n
At the other end, Kohli was lucky to be the beneficiary of a dropped catch at long leg. The unlucky bowler was Liam Plunkett.<\/p>\n
Kohli reached his 39th half-century in 179 ODIs, needing 54 balls to get to the landmark, before the 100 of the innings came in 19 overs.<\/p>\n
But soon after India lost the big wicket of Kohli (55; 63b 8×4), Stokes pitched the ball up, almost inviting Kohli to go for a shot, and the intended cover drive finished as an edge to Buttler.<\/p>\n
Dhoni (25; 36b 1×4 1×6) joined Yuvraj and the experienced pair took the score to 132\/3 at the halfway stage.<\/p>\n
Yuvraj, however, was dismissed in the next over, needlessly lofting Plunkett into the hands of the deep mid wicket fielder.<\/p>\n
Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav were then involved in a 42-run stand that ended with the former top edging Ball to Buttler.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Stokes remained unconquered with a scintillating 57 runs as England set India an asking rate of 6.44.<\/p>\n
After some initial discomfort in the opening overs when the Indian pacers got help from the wicket, openers Jason Roy (65; 56 balls, 10×4, 1×6) and Sam Billings (35; 58 balls, 5×4) put on 98 runs to set a perfect launch pad for England.<\/p>\n
Jonny Bairstow (56; 64 balls, 5×4, 1×6) and Eoin Morgan (43; 44 balls, 2×4, 3×6) negotiated the middle overs well with a 84-run stand, before Stokes (39 balls, 4×4, 2×6) blasted the cherry in the later stages, plundering 73 runs during a 40-ball partnership for the seventh wicket with Chris Woakes (34; 19 balls, 4×4, 1×6).<\/p>\n
Brief scores:
England 321-8 in 50 overs (Jason Roy 65, Ben Stokes 57 not out, Jonny Bairstow 56; Hardik Pandya 3-49, Ravindra Jadeja 2-62).<\/p>\n
India 316-9 in 50 overs (Kedar Jdhav 90, Hardik Pandya 56, Virat Kohli 55; Ben Stokes 3\/63).<\/p>\n