NEW DELHI, Jan 31: Left-arm spinner Ashley Giles took a career-best five for 57 to help England to a thrilling two-run win over India in the fifth One-day International Thursday that kept them afloat in the six-game series.

The 28-year-old Warwickshire bowler led a superb fightback by triggering an Indian batting slump as England restricted the hosts to 269 for eight in their allotted 50 overs.

Chasing 272 for a 4-1, series-clinching victory, all-rounder Ajit Agarkar hit 36 not out from only 24 deliveries to set up a tight finish and India went into the last over needing nine runs to win.

But England’s leading paceman Darren Gough kept his cool to concede only six and the tourists will now attempt to square the series in Sunday’s final game in Mumbai.

Giles took his five wickets in a six-over spell during which he conceded 25 runs, having gone for 32 runs in his first four.

The Man-of-the-Match’s Warwickshire team mate Nick Knight was England’s batting hero.

He scored a well-paced 105 for his fourth one-day century to lift England to 271 for five after they were asked to bat by rival skipper Saurav Ganguly on a good batting track.

The left-hander shared in a 117-run second wicket partnership with skipper Nasser Hussain (49) and then in a rollicking 80-ball effort with all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who lashed 52 from only 39 balls in a late cameo.

But England still looked likely to end up losing as Ganguly re-discovered his best batting form to top-score with a strokeful 74 from 95 deliveries in an entertaining 111-run third wicket partnership with young batsman Mohammad Kaif (46).

Ganguly, struggling for big runs and choosing to come in at number three, gradually came into his own after needing 12 balls to get off the mark which briefly slowed the scoring tempo after openers Sachin Tendulkar (18) and Virender Sehwag (42) fell.

He hoisted Giles for three huge sixes over midwicket and also hit five fours to help India reach 211 for three after 40 overs as their victory looked imminent.

But Giles took his revenge in the 41st over by having Ganguly caught in the deep and four balls later sent back Kaif to breathe life into the England ranks.

He then struck three more times in quick succession to remove Hemang Badani (2), Ajay Ratra (10) and Anil Kumble (2) as India slumped to 239 for eight in the 46th over.

Agarkar revived Indian hopes with his late burst, taking 10 runs off Gough in the 48th over.

But England’s most successful one-day bowler, playing his 100th game, showed excellent composure in the final over.

Knight cut out all risky shots as he anchored England’s solid total.

He raised a cautious 51-run opening partnership with Marcus Trescothick (36) and then joined forces with Hussain to leave England in a position to go for quick runs in the later stages of the innings.

Knight, who reverse-swept his way to a racy 74 during England’s eight-wicket defeat in the previous game, played mostly along the ground for most of his seven fours during his 131-ball knock.

Hussain fell one run short of a deserved fifty, edging Tendulkar to wicket-keeper Ajay Ratra trying to steer, but Flintoff dominated the attack in a 10.1 over partnership with Knight.

The partnership eventually ended when Knight was run out scrambling back to the non-striker’s end after Flintoff refused a single.

The well-built all-rounder, enjoying his first real batting success on the Indian tour, holed out paceman Javagal Srinath to the deep soon after.