DURBAN, Feb 26: England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff claimed the key wickets of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar as India made 250 for nine in a roller-coaster World Cup innings on Wednesday.

Tendulkar looked set to take total control of the Group ‘A’ match with a run-a-ball half-century before Flintoff removed both openers in 15 deliveries for two runs.

Rahul Dravid (62 off 72 balls), however, wrenched back the initiative, reviving the innings with Yuvraj Singh (42 off 38 balls).

England, though, had the last laugh, with four wickets falling with the final four balls.

Andy Caddick removed Mohammad Kaif and Dravid, both caught slogging at long on, before Alec Stewart completed a ‘team hat trick’ by running out Zaheer Khan. Javagal Srinath was also caught in the deep off the last ball.

The Indian openers, who made a cautious start after winning the toss, had smashed opening bowlers Caddick and James Anderson out of the attack.

Sehwag, delaying his shot, had clipped a slower ball from Anderson through mid-wicket for his first boundary, then struck two fours in the same over.

Tendulkar had then imperiously pulled a short Caddick delivery over mid-wicket and out of the ground for six. Caddick’s first six overs cost 47, although his last over proved the ideal consolation, giving him three for 69 off 10 overs.

Tendulkar had reached his fourth fifty in five World Cup innings, playing the lead role as eight overs went for 64 before Flintoff’s intervention.

Throttling back and bowling just short of a length on a slowish pitch, he caught and bowled Sehwag for 23 with his fifth ball off a leading edge to make it 60 for one in the 10th over.

He then had Tendulkar caught at point for 50 by Paul Collingwood as the World Cup’s leading batsman forced off the back foot.

The all-rounder ended with two for 15 after bowling through his 10 overs.

Tendulkar’s dismissal made it 91 for two in the 16th over. For the next 10 overs, India could only score at two an over.

Skipper Saurav Ganguly and Dinesh Mongia never mastered a slowish pitch. Ganguly, on 19, drove at Craig White only to sky the ball over mid on where Marcus Trescothick ran back for the catch.

Mongia, coming in before Dravid, scratched around for 32 before pushing half-forward and falling lbw to Collingwood’s gentle medium pace.

England still looked in control after 40 overs with India on 175 for four, but the last 10 overs went for 75. Dravid and Yuvraj put on 62 for the fifth wicket.

Scoreboard

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