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| March 23, 2006 | Thursday | Safar 22, 1427 |
Flintoff-inspired England square Test series
MUMBAI, March 22: England ended a 21-year victory drought in India on Wednesday when Andrew Flintoff’s men thrashed the hosts by 212 runs in the third and final Test to enable the tourists to draw the series 1-1. Off-spinner Shaun Udal led the attack with four wickets to help England triumph on Indian soil for the first time since the 1984-85 tour.
The 37-year-old bowler dismissed Sachin Tendulkar (34), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (five), Harbhajan Singh (six) and Munaf Patel (one) after lunch on the fifth day as India crumbled to a lowly 100 all out in their second innings.
“It is fantastic. The lads have been a great bunch,” stand-in captain Flintoff told reporters.
“The lads have come in, made their debuts, young lads,” he said of the replacements for the injury-depleted side.
“Taking the bull by the horns, taking the opportunities to come to India and draw 1-1, (against) such a formidable side. It is a great effort for our lads.”
The hosts lost their last seven wickets for just 25 runs on Wednesday while crashing to defeat 75 minutes after lunch.
Fast bowlers Flintoff, James Anderson and Matthew Hoggard combined for the remaining six wickets as India, chasing 313 for victory, struggled after having resumed at 18-1.
Flintoff took the wickets of opener Wasim Jaffer (10), Rahul Dravid (nine) and Yuvraj Singh (12).
Anderson, who took four wickets in the first innings to help his side establish a 121-run lead, added the wicket of Virender Sehwag (nought) to that of makeshift opener Irfan Pathan (six) he took on the fourth evening.
Hoggard provided the breakthrough in the morning when he sent back night-watchman Anil Kumble for eight.
It was, however, Udal’s crucial strikes post lunch that rocked the hosts.
He claimed the prized wicket of Tendulkar, under intense pressure to perform after having fared poorly in the last 10 innings since scoring a world record 35th century against Sri Lanka late last year.
Tendulkar was caught at short-leg by Ian Bell while trying to play to the leg-side.
Sehwag walked in at number seven with a runner, after having not taken the field for most part of Tuesday due to a back spasm, but lasted just 16 deliveries before falling lbw to Anderson.
The last recognised pair of left-hander Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni was India’s remaining hope to save the Test and the series, but the latter, top-scorer with 64 in the first innings, lived dangerously and was caught by Monty Panesar at long-off.
Yuvraj was ninth man out, edging Flintoff to Paul Collingwood in second slip.
India had won the second Test in Mohali, while the first in Nagpur ended in a draw.
“It was a bit of a bonus, the chance to bat first here,” said Man-of-the-Match and Man-of-the-Series Flintoff, referring to Dravid’s decision to field first allowing England to post 400.
Dravid, meanwhile, was disappointed by the collapse.
“We batted really poorly after lunch. England played well right through the Test, they kept the pressure on. I congratulate them. They played some very good cricket,” he said.
The seven-match one-day series begins on March 28.
Scoreboard
ENGLAND (1st Innings) 400 (A.J. Strauss 128, O.A. Shah 88, A. Flintoff 50; S. Sreesanth 4-70)
INDIA (1st Innings) 279 (M.S. Dhoni 64, R. Dravid 52; J.M. Anderson 4-40).
ENGLAND (2nd Innings) 191 (A. Flintoff 50; A. Kumble 4-49).
INDIA (2nd Innings, overnight 18-1):
Wasim Jaffer lbw b Flintoff 10
Irfan Pathan b Anderson 6
A. Kumble lbw b Hoggard 8
R. Dravid c Jones b Flintoff 9
S.R. Tendulkar c Bell b Udal 34
Yuvraj Singh c C’wood b Flintoff 12
V. Sehwag lbw b Anderson 0
M.S. Dhoni c Panesar b Udal 5
Harbhajan Singh c Hoggard b Udal 6
S. Sreesanth not out 0
Munaf Patel c Hoggard b Udal 1
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, W-1, NB-3) 9
TOTAL (all out, 48.2 overs) 100
FALL OF WKTS: 1-6, 2-21, 3-33, 4-75, 5-76, 6-77, 7-92, 8-99, 9-99.
BOWLING: Hoggard 12-6-13–1; Anderson 12-2-39-2; Panesar 4-1-15–0; Flintoff 11-4-14-3 (3nb, 1w); Udal 9.2-3-14-4.
UMPIRES: D.B. Hair/S.J.A. Taufel (both Australia).
TV UMPIRE: K. Hariharan (India).
MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Andrew Flintoff.
MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Andrew Flintoff.
—Reuters
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