India v England: fifth one-day international live

Some emails

. "This has been an embarassment," writes

John Sneesby

. "Effectively all out for 50! Inept and uninspired, poorly-led and unmotivated, this bunch should lose their fees for all five ODIs. Just imagine if you had performed like this in your day job for four weeks! Never mind having a pop at the England rugby team, what about this rabble?"

"I am ashamed to be English," writes John Marshall.

But Bhaskar Jha tempers both Indian optimism and English - well, whatever's stronger than pessimism. "Blue might be ruling the game in Manchester and in India. But Manchester United are going to come back roaring. And so will England."

Now, there's a cheering thought, isn't it? Tyers will be back for the T20 on Saturday, a format in which, I will remind you, England are number one in the world. For now. That begins at about 3pm our time, so do join him for that. See you soon.

WICKET! Finn c Dhoni b Ashwin 2 (4) ENG 176 all out

INDIA WIN BY 95 RUNS AND WIN THE SERIES BY AN AS-YET INDETERMINATE SCORELINE

Finn gets two by lofting Ashwin over mid-on. But then he goes for it again, Ashwin’s carom ball flicks off the edge and straight up into the air, and that’s that! Victory for India, and a series whitewash into the bargain! Ashwin takes his fourth wicket, and England have been spanked like schoolboys yet again.

WICKET! Meaker lbw b Ashwin 1 (6) ENG 174/9

Full and straight, Meaker tries to turn it to leg, and it hits him dead in front. Umpire Sudhir Asnani thinks about it, and finally gives it! Finn the last man, with England in grave danger of giving us all the evening off here.

OVER 36 (PP): ENG 174/8 Swann 10* Meaker 1* Meaker can't lay a bat on Jadeja here. Jadeja sitting on all-time best figures here, but he does eventually let Meaker turn a single into the leg-side to get off the mark. Swann finally manages to middle one, and clouts Jadeja back over his head for six. In so doing, he becomes only the fourth Englishman to get into double figures this innings. Abject. Unforgiveable. All right, not gates-of-heaven unforgiveable, but pretty darn careless all the same.

WICKET! Patel c Dhoni b Jadeja 18 (33) ENG 167/8

More brilliance from India! First ball of the Powerplay, and Jadeja manages to get one to rip and bounce off a length! Patel's a helpless observer there, and his bat so nearly was too. Instead, it just nicks the edge, Dhoni takes a superb catch, and England are clinging to the cliff-face with Indian boots stamping all over their fingers. Stuart Meaker the new batsman with England needing 105 to win off 89 balls.

OVER 35: ENG 167/7 Patel 18* Swann 4*

Patel's had enough of being mesmerised by Raina, and carts him over mid-wicket for four. Not right out of Patel's sizeable middle, but a boundary regardless. But again, Swann's completely bamboozled by the innocuous off-spin off Raina, and can't get off strike. To be fair, Raina varies his pace quite nicely in that over, but Swann's still looking like a horse trying to solve a Rubik's Cube. The mandatory batting Powerplay will follow. Hurrah. "Pathetic batting display again from England," writes

Chris Field

in Spain. "Do they realise they have feet, and that they're allowed to move them? And do they have anything between their ears? They only need five an over, so why do they feel that every shot has to go for six?"

OVER 34: ENG 162/7 Patel 13* Swann 4* Incredible. Tiwary is probably one of the very worst leg-spinners ever to play international cricket, and I'm including Mike Atherton in that. Yet time and again, England are either swishing and missing or slashing straight to fielders. Patel does that a few times before finally picking up a single, and then Swann sweeps hard, square of the wicket, and gets four. Huh.

OVER 33: ENG 157/7 Patel 12* Swann 0*

Patel cuts to deep cover for a single off the first ball, but Swann's still adjusting to... well, something, and can't get a run off the remaining five balls of the over. "All England had to do was bat sensibly, taking the singles," writes

Prasan Kumar

. "They have pushed themselves into a suicidal position. I don't know which one I like better, Manchester United getting thrashed or this." Decisions, decisions.

OVER 32: ENG 156/7 Patel 11* Swann 0* Swann tries to flap his first ball into the leg-side, the ball keeps a little low, and Swann misses it by about three feet. Was that a chuckle from Dhoni behind the stumps? Can't say I blame him. It would be bleakly apt, I suppose, if Tiwary were to claim his first-ever three-wicket haul in a one-day international at Eden Gardens. He's on 1/23 at the moment.

WICKET! Bresnan c Raina b Tiwary 0 (4) ENG 156/7

Now Bresnan goes too! This has been such a monumental collapse by England that Sky have run out of adverts to show between wickets! They've just played the same camera advert twice in a row. Somehow, Patel and Bresnan made Tiwary look like Shane Chandrasekhar there, prodding and poking and eventually, as Bresnan did, lofting a simple catch to extra cover. England's minds have gone. That plane home can't come soon enough.

OVER 31: ENG 155/6 Patel 10* Bresnan 0* The run-rate's slipped above a run a ball. This is turning into a monumental choke by England, on what is admittedly a helpful surface for the spinners. But there really can be no excuses for a display as gutless as this. Anyway, let's crack on! Tiwary to continue.

WICKET! Bopara b Raina 4 (16) ENG 155/6

Unspeakably ugly by Bopara, getting down on one knee, trying to paddle Raina fine, misjudging it completely, and losing the top of his leg stump. One of those deliveries that rather neatly combines comedy and tragedy into a profound, Bergman-esque whole. Bopara departs after one of those innings that not even he will remember tomorrow morning, and Bresnan is the new man.

OVER 30: ENG 154/5 Bopara 4* Patel 9* My my my, that's a horrific off-side wide to start Tiwary's over - so wide, in fact, that keeper and first slip were discussing between themselves who was going to field it. But the rest of the over is better. Patel doesn't look to have a clue, swishing and missing several times outside off-stump. Just two off that over.

OVER 29: ENG 152/5 Bopara 4* Patel 8*

Raina into the attack. That's the trouble with playing India in India, everyone's potentially a match-winning spinner. Just two runs off that over, one of which is a leg-side wide, and one of which produces a huge appeal for caught behind off Bopara. Bowden must have thought that clipped the pad, else he's have called that a wide too. England need 120 off 126 balls, which isn't a rate to scare anybody yet. Meanwhile, a couple of festive emails. "Watching England's suicidal batting, I wonder if this is the English way of saying happy Diwali?" asks

Rahul Nayyar

. "Has Hallowe'en come early?" asks

Andrew Holgate

. Oh, ye of little/too much faith. I promised Chris Pain an England win in over 19, and I still fully intend to deliver.

OVER 28: ENG 150/5 Bopara 4* Patel 7* A couple of singles off Tiwary, and then Patel slaps it hard through the covers for four! England's first boundary for seven overs, and that eases the pressure a little. I'm still not convinced that Tiwary is any better a bowler than I am, which is an unfortunate trait for an international bowler to possess. Patel dashes for a single off the last, doesn't realise Jadeja's left-handed, and the throw destroys the stumps! Has Bopara made his ground here? We're going upstairs, and India are celebrating like that's in the bag. Meanwhile, Bopara's ambling around without a care in the world, and as it turns out, he was home. Not by much, but he was home. Oh, but run your bat in next time, Ravi. Jeepers.

OVER 27: ENG 143/5 Bopara 3* Patel 1* Bopara pushes it into the leg-side, sets off for a quick single, and has to hurry! Frightening turn out there, the ball's ragging absolutely square. Patel nudges another single off the last ball of the over, and if Kohli's shy had hit the stumps, that would have been out by miles. Instead, the throw misses the stumps by miles. Now, is this hubris, genius, folly, or some arresting blend of the three? Dhoni's bringing Tiwary back into the attack, having disappeared for 13 in his first over.

OVER 26: ENG 141/5 Bopara 2* Patel 0* Patel in, and all these two need to two is play sensibly for a while. The run rate is still perfectly manageable, the spinners only have three overs left each and there's a batting Powerplay to come. Patel pushes his first to point for no runs.

WICKET! Bairstow c Rahane b Jadeja 2 (7) ENG 141/5

Well, that's really not very good at all, is it? All Bairstow had to do was drop anchor for a bit, but he's gone and lost his lovely red head trying to swipe Jadeja into Bangladesh. Thick edge, and an easy catch for Rahane at backward point. England, in the space of five mad overs, are heading for a whitewash.

OVER 25 (PP): ENG 140/4 Bopara 1* Bairstow 2* Bairstow down the track to Ashwin - gosh, that's intrepid - and drives down to long-on for one. Bopara tickles one off his pads, and Tiwary - who's been just sensational in the field so far - keeps them down to a run. We're at the halfway stage, and England are more than halfway to their target with more than half their wickets in hand. Honestly, I don't see what all the alarm is about.

OVER 24 (PP): ENG 138/4 Bopara 0* Bairstow 1*

And there we were thinking the only reason to have a slip in India is for sledging. Bairstow works his first ball off his pads for a single. Not entirely convincingly, but he's more than grateful to turn the strike over. Bopara drives his first ball confidently enough to mid-off for no runs. The last ball is down the leg-side, brushes Bopara's pad on its way through to Dhoni, and India appeal for absolutely everything. "Blimey, I bet Chris Pain is glad he went to bed now!"

Peter Rowntree

quips.

WICKET! Trott c Kohli b Jadeja 5 (10) ENG 137/4

Well, this isn't going well at all for England. Four wickets in 20 balls for England, and this time's it's Trott who throws his wicket away! Beautiful shape by Jadeja, tempting Trott into the drive, there's a thick edge and it's an easy catch for Kohli at slip! Bairstow marches into the trenches with two slips breathing hungrily down his neck.

OVER 23 (PP): WICKET! Bell c Dhoni b Ashwin 2 (6) ENG 137/3

Oh, that's brilliant from Ashwin! Just extraordinary! Bell looked in all kinds of trouble that over as Ashwin ripped balls square, and then along came a slider! Bell wasn't good enough to hit it, but he was good enough to edge it through to Dhoni. Bell looks thoroughly unimpressed with that. Bopara the new batsman with the balance of power quickly swinging towards the Indians again.

OVER 22 (PP): ENG 135/2 Trott 4* Bell 1* Bell off the mark with that trademark dainty paddle sweep. All of a sudden, there's a bit of a buzz about the ground. Aaron's been hauled out of the attack despite taking that wicket, with Ashwin returning.

WICKET! Kieswetter lbw b Jadeja 64 (64) ENG 134/2

That's got Eden Gardens going! Kieswetter trapped plumb in front on the front foot, pushing forward to a dead-straight delivery from Jadeja! Kieswetter's chucked away a certain century there, and really dumped Ian Bell in it. He's the new man.

OVER 21: ENG 131/1 Kieswetter 63* Trott 1* Aaron decides to bounce Trott first up. In fact, Trott barely needs to duck beneath that, it was so high. Dhoni does brilliantly to leap and parry the ball, but it's still a wide. Trott drives his first proper ball into the off-side, charges down the pitch looking for a run, and is sent back by Kieswetter after a mix-up! There was an easy run there. Trott gets off the mark with a cut in front of square for one, and that over costs India six, but England their captain. Might this be an opportune time for India to take the Powerplay? Oop, MSD is one step ahead of me. Billy Bowden's waggling his arm, and Jadeja's going to bowl under the fielding restrictions. England need 141 off 29 overs at 4.86 an over. If they keep their heads, that's a stroll.

WICKET! Cook b Aaron 60 (61) ENG 129/1

Keeps low! Cook's going to be absolutely nauseous after that. It did scuttle through a bit, but it wasn't all that short, and Cook should realy have been forward. Instead, the ball messed up his off-stump, and only a ball after he pulled imperiously for four. Aaron had a little chat with Dhoni after that ball and then switched to round the wicket. It was a move that paid immediate dividends. Here's Jonathan Trott, with the door ever so slightly ajar for India.

OVER 20: ENG 125/0 Kieswetter 63* Cook 56* "Catch it!" is the cry as Cook goes for the reverse sweep and the top edge flies straight into the air. Dhoni scrambles back, puts a desperate dive in, but just misses it! Dhoni gets a couple of minutes of treatment after landing quite awkwardly - on his wrist, is that? - but we're ready to continue. Jadeja's bowling nicely here, Cook drawn into the sweep, realises he's not going to get anywhere near it, doesn't get anywhere near it, and the ball scuttles under Dhoni for four byes. A single to finish the over.

OVER 19: ENG 120/0 Kieswetter 63* Cook 55*

The players re-emerge after drinks. Cook knocks the first ball into the off-side for a single, and gets to

fifty

! A fine knock, just 51 balls, and the Hawkeye graphic below shows how well Cook has milked runs into the leg-side. A single to Kieswetter, and then Cook late cuts for four! Aaron is furious with himself for that, because that really was a ponging delivery. Full and wide, and fodder for Cook. "Reading the commentary in Japan and was just getting interested enough in the idea of an England victory to contemplate staying up late and seeing it through," writes

Chris Pain

, who I assume is not a relative of T, rapper of '

I'm On a Boat

' fame. "However, seeing you write 'England are in the driving seat' has saved me the bother. If that's not the commentator's curse, nothing is. I'm off to bed!" WAKE UP, CHRIS! ENGLAND ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO WIN THIS CRICKET MATCH!

OVER 18: ENG 113/0 Kieswetter 62* Cook 49*

Jadeja switches ends, and Cook sweeps his first ball very fine for one. Kieswetter gets down on the sweep next ball, Jadeja spots him and flings it well outside the off-stump. That's devillishly clever, and Kieswetter has to pull out of the stroke. But that's four! A big expansive drive over extra cover, not fully in control of the shot, but four runs all the same. And four more as Kieswetter edges between keeper and slip! Nine off the over, and England are absolutely cruising at the moment. Honestly, it's like watching a different team. Or the same team, if you accept the theory that England have looked like a different team so far this series. Honestly, England have looked so different today that they've looked the same. Meanwhile, some more lucid thoughts from

Peter Rowntree

on Kieswetter: "Craig Kieswetter has not had a bad series with the bat, his problems are with his wicketkeeping which have not been up to this standard of cricket. So England in future ODIs to play him only as a batsman and look for another wicketkeeper? For now Matt Prior's place in the England Test team looks very secure." I don't know too much about the standard of Bairstow's keeping, but if England picked their keepers on how well they could keep, Chris Read would have 100 Test caps by now.

OVER 17: ENG 104/0 Kieswetter 54* Cook 48* Aaron into the attack, Kieswetter absolutely collars his first ball through point, and goes to fifty! Just 49 balls for that, and England are doing their utmost to win this game before Jonathan Trott can get in. He gets a similar shot away two balls later, but finds the man that time, and it's only a single. Aaron's hovering menacingly around the 90mph mark towards the end of that over, but England maintain their excellent start. 168 to win off 33 overs.

OVER 16: ENG 98/0 Kieswetter 49* Cook 47* No Powerplay yet from India, and Ashwin begins with three dot balls. Not only is there turn for Ashwin, but there’s plenty of variable bounce as well. Cook tries a sweep, and it almost hits him on the chest. But that’s a top shot! A little short from Ashwin, Cook steps back and cracks it off the back foot, well in front of square, for four!

OVER 15: ENG 92/0 Kieswetter 48* Cook 42* Ah, beautiful from Kieswetter, again dancing inside the line and cracking Jadeja all along the ground through cover for four. That was a real Indian shot, all swinging arms and ostentatious follow-through. Cook turns a couple more singles, and he's scored 29 off his 42 on the leg-side.

OVER 14: ENG 85/0 Kieswetter 43* Cook 40* Big turn and unerring accuracy from Ashwin, but whereas earlier in the series that would have been a maiden, here Kieswetter and Cook milk three singles from it. England in the driving seat here. 186 needed from 36 at only a shade over five an over.

OVER 13: ENG 82/0 Kieswetter 42* Cook 38*

Cook down on the sweep again, getting a single out into the deep. But it's a good over from Jadeja, offering absolutely nothing in terms of line, and all Kieswetter can do is block the last two balls back down the pitch. "I hope England's pathetic showing in India in the last two weeks isn't an omen of doom for other Englishmen competing in India this weekend," writes

Andrew Holgate

. This prompted a protracted discussion amongst a few of us in the office as to what event Andrew could possibly have been referring to. The 'Indian Grand Prix' was our best guess, along with 'Asian Games' (in which I'm sure there'll be a strong English contingent), 'another Blackburn Rovers tour', and 'some kind of polo'? The Telegraph: the best damn sports team on Fleet Street.

OVER 12: ENG 79/0 Kieswetter 41* Cook 36* This is now Kieswetter's highest score of the series, but he'll need to make it a good one if he's going to fight off the challenge of Bairstow, Buttler, Davies, Mustard et al. I suppose we must throw Prior in there as well, if only because England keep turning back to him in this form of the game, despite the fact that he's never really mastered it. Four singles, Cook ending the over with a firm sweep to deep square leg. Now, is Tiwary going to get a second bite of the dosa? He's not. It's Ravindra Jadeja.

OVER 11: ENG 75/0 Kieswetter 39* Cook 34* More tricks from Dhoni's velvet bag - it's going to be Manoj Tiwary to bowl his filthy leg-breaks. Despite bowling in the most spin-friendly conditions anywhere on the planet, Tiwary has never taken more than two wickets in an innings in either first-class or List A cricket. Stick him down for a four-fer here, then. Tiwary begins with a dirty leg-side wide. Down the leg-side again, and Cook turns this one off his pads for four! Perhaps Tiwary will have better luck against Kieswetter. No, that's horrible and wide and short and Kieswetter cuts that effortlessly, like slicing the top off a boiled egg with a samurai sword. Four more, and then Cook turns another couple through mid-wicket.

OVER 10: ENG 62/0 Kieswetter 34* Cook 27* After being fooled by Ashwin's doosra, Cook finally loses patience too, and sweeps hard. But up in the air, and Aaron's coming in from the square leg boundary! The ball drops just short of him, and then trickles through Aaron's legs for four! Kieswetter middles a sweep, but straight to square leg, which is a touch unlucky. Excellent Powerplay for England, and they need 210 off their remaining 40 overs at 5.25 an over. That's an afternoon in the garden picking flowers, isn't it?

OVER 9: ENG 57/0 Kieswetter 34* Cook 22* Praveen runs in for another over with Dhoni standing up to the stumps. Also in service, a slip, a short mid-wicket and a tight ring of five on the off-side. But Kieswetter's pierced it with a fine late cut! Four runs! A single into the leg-side, and then Cook feeds off more leg-side filth from Praveen, and finds the square-leg boundary! Another single, and then Kieswetter steps across, gets down on one knee, and ramps the ball over his left shoulder and away for four! Fourteen off the over!

OVER 8: ENG 43/0 Kieswetter 25* Cook 17* Now, here's Ashwin with some early Powerplay spin. You might almost call it a gamble from Dhoni, were it not so utterly certain to succeed. And were India not 4-0 up in the series. When you're 4-0 up, you can practically bowl an over of blindfolded lobs, and 'momentum' will still see you home. Cook turns the first off his pads for a single. Now, big appeal! Die-straight from Ashwin, Kieswetter loses patience after blocking a couple, goes for the big sweep, and it thuds into his pad! Not out, says Bowden, and it probably just struck him outside the line. Kieswetter escapes with a single to mid-wicket, and then Ashwin completely flummoxes Cook with a big off-spinner that pitches outside leg and beats him outside off.

OVER 7: ENG 41/0 Kieswetter 24* Cook 16* Again Kieswetter takes the single down to mid-on. Again Cook nudges another into the covers. Praveen then floats in a 69mph slower ball and Kieswetter reacts well, softening his hands and guiding it safely down to slip. He turns the next round the corner, spots the opportunity for a second and darts back very quickly indeed. Again, the last is turned in front of square, Kieswetter sees two immediately, and makes it back easily. Great over by England - six runs, and not a shot played in anger, or even mild irritation.

OVER 6: ENG 35/0 Kieswetter 19* Cook 15* We're nearing the stage when Kieswetter tries another expansive shot and gets out. It's the adrenalin running through him. Here he plays and misses outside off, and then inside-edges to square leg for a single. He's definitely getting impatient, though. Cook spots width, and drives Vinay Kumar nicely through cover for four. It was one of those where you think the fielder (Praveen at extra-cover) is going to get there, but then the ball lands just in front of him, skips on and eludes him. Nasser and Surrian reminisce about the 1987 World Cup final at Eden Gardens. Botham wasn't playing in that one, so I'm surprised he even watched it. Anyone know why Botham missed the 1987 World Cup, by the by?

OVER 5: ENG 30/0 Kieswetter 18* Cook 11* Cook with an easy single into the off-side, and then Praveen tosses in one of those ugly full-tosses on leg stump that he sometimes produces when striving for the yorker. Kieswetter simply has to help it round the corner for four. Cook drives straight and true - he's timing the ball well enough to have had 30 by now - but Praveen scoops it up in his right hand, and Cook has to scramble to make his ground at the striker's end! Play and a miss to finish the over. Decent start from England, who need 242 off 45 overs at 5.37 an over.

OVER 4: ENG 24/0 Kieswetter 13* Cook 10* Lots of meddling and tinkering with the field in these early overs. The second slip comes out for Kieswetter and goes to a short mid-wicket. In the last over, there was a short gully in for Cook. Kieswetter drops the first ball into the off-side and hurls himself at the other end. Good single. Vinay Kumar then strays onto Cook's pads again, and Cook milks another two runs. But that's four! Full and wide, and Cook creams it through the covers for four. Nice timing, nice placement. Cook rotates the strike with a chopped single down to third man. There's half an appeal for leg before as Kieswetter steps across and the ball brushes him on the pad, but Billy Bowden gave that not out with a look very closely approaching disdain. Last ball, and Kieswetter dances down the pitch, inside the line, and swings it gloriously over long-off for six! Encouraging intent from Kieswetter, and after a couple of sluggish overs, a couple of rich ones for England.

OVER 3: ENG 10/0 Kieswetter 6* Cook 3* Mid-on goes back for Kieswetter, and third man comes into the circle. Kieswetter gets off the mark with a super forcing shot through the off-side, just beating the man at cover and racing away for four. He takes the single down to mid-on next ball, and then Cook gets another single with a nudge off his pads. More in-swing for Praveen, and again Kieswetter takes the easy single down to mid-on. It's a clever plan, though, attempting to get Kieswetter shuffling across his stumps with the ball nipping around in the air. And then Tiwary again! Another perfectly-middled cut shot from Cook, and another fine save from Tiwary keeps them to none.

OVER 2: ENG 3/0 Kieswetter 0* Cook 2* Cook begins confidently enough, clipping a couple of runs off his pads as Vinay Kumar shares the new ball. But that's all there is from the over as Vinay Kumar smartens up his line. Cook absolutely murders a cut shot, but an outstanding piece of fielding by Manoj Tiwary at point prevents a run. That's one of those stops that's right up there with the most thrilling things you could hope to see in cricket. As a batsman, you feel like your insides have been kicked in when something like that happens to you.

OVER 1: ENG 1/0 Kieswetter 0* Cook 0* "Where's your money, Ian?" Nasser Hussain asks. "In an offshore bank account," Botham doesn't reply. It's Praveen Kumar to begin, and there's immediate swing for him, both ways. Kieswetter leaves a few balls, and then shuffles across his stumps and tries to flick to leg. He misses, and it's called wide, which I always feel is a bit harsh as it would have hit Kieswetter flush on the pad if he'd simply stood there. Kieswetter leaves the last. Quiet start. So, hello everyone. Thanks to Tyers for a formidable morning shift. Where's your money?

LUNCHY/BREAKY/TRIP TO THE SHOPS TYPE PERIOD India 271/8 (Dhoni 75*) England did really well for 40-odd overs of that innings, but Dhoni was always lurking, biding his time, waiting for the moment. And it came at the end as he muscled his team along with 60 off the last five overs - including 39 off the last two. That could well be the difference between the teams here; you would have quite fancied England to chase 240 or 250, but that assault at the end has posted a score that might be too much. They're now betting 2-1 ON India; it was about even money before the last few overs.

Samit Patel was very impressive with three wickets for 57 and could have had even nicer figures until Dhoni collared him in over 50. Steve Finn was England's other success story with the ball (2 for 47). England's fielding was a bit of a mixed bag (Swann and Kieswetter both dropped easy ones) and the team were once again a bit niggly with each other. I still don't really know why. Nothing niggly about team Telegraph though all friends here as my esteemed colleagues Mr Jonathan Liew and Mr Rod Gilmour arrive to bring you the rest of the action as England set off in chase of 272.

Seems to have been a long series this, considering it has only been 5 ODIs spread over less than two weeks. Started October 14th, the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings - come to think of it we lost that one by a good margin too!" writes

Peter Rowntree

.

OVER 50: IND 271/8 (Dhoni 75* Vinay Kumar 0*) A brutal asault by Dhoni in that last over! This guy is something very special in ODI cricket. A hard-run two, and then a bit of luck for MSD as he slices high into the offside and the ball lands safe. Could Bell or Bopara have got closer to that? Maybe. Dhoni rams the point home with another six down the ground and adds another two; all of which makes 18 off the over and that is the end of the innings.

WICKET! Praveen Kumar c Bairstow b Patel 16

A useful contribution from Praveen comes to an end. Off the first ball of the over, he lofts a

six

over long on, proper creeeekeeet shot, well played. He tries to repeat the dose off the next ball, but holes out to Bairstow, who takes a cool catch right back on the rope.

FOW 259/8

Vinay Kumar comes in for the last four balls, but the batsmen crossed so Patel has to bowl to Dhoni...

OVER 49: IND 253/7 (Dhoni 63* Praveen Kumar 10*) Meaker. Dhoni brings up his 50 with a brutal slap over the offside. He then drills the ball back at the bowler, whose half stop keeps things down to two. Yuk, then a poor delivery: a short, wide bouncer that is called a wide - and much worse than that, Kieswetter fumbles the take and that's five wides. Good work from Samit on the boundary as MS smears a couple to leg and then a bad over gets even worse for Meaker when he unwisely serves up a length ball. Six runs over long on. Oof. 21 runs off the over and that could be huge in the final reckoning of this game...

OVER 48: IND 232/7 (Dhoni 48* Praveen Kumar 9*) Heaving and swiping wildly, Praveen chips in with some singles. At the other end of the ODI quality-batting scale, inch-perfect placing allows Dhoni to take two into the legside, but there are no boundaries in that Samit over.

"Is it time to consider Panesar again? He may have done better in the subcontinent," writes

VJ

. Swann certainly hasn't had the best tour, has he? He's been outbowled by Samit Patel in this match.

OVER 47: IND 226/7 (Dhoni 45* Praveen Kumar 8*) Bresnan comes back on and Dhoni is happy to let his junior partner take his share of the strike. Four singles, and a four for Praveen as he thrashes Bres over cover.

OVER 46: IND 218/7 (Dhoni 43* Praveen Kumar 2*) My man Praveen comes in and thumps the ball out into the offside for a couple. He can play a few shots, and has an ODI fiddy to his name. Unless something crazy happens, England will at least be in with a fighting chance at half-time in this match. Seven off Samit's over, including the wicket.

WICKET! Ashwin c Bairstow b Samit Patel 7

That was on the cards! Ashwin lofted the ball for a couple to extra cover, then chipped into the leg side for two, but he tried the aerial route one time too many. He comes down the pitch and holes out at long off; the fielder didn't have to move.

FOW 215/7

OVER 45: IND 211/6 (Dhoni 42* Ashwin 3*) Six pretty good balls from Meaker, and England will be pleased that Ashin faced four of them. Onyl four off that over, too. England edging their way towards a little something-something in this game.

OVER 44: IND 207/6 (Dhoni 41* Ashwin 1*) Just four off the over, and the wicket brings Jadeja's spin-twin Ashwin to the crease. He's off the mark straight away. I've been impressed by Samit in the last couple of games, both with bat and ball.

WICKET! Jadeja c Bell b Samit 21

That's a great time to get a wicket for England. Jadeja, who has 21 at a run-a-ball, looks to give Samit the charge. Samit drops it shorter, wider, slower (coincidentally the tagline for Samit's new range of sportswear, I believe) and Jadeja smears it to Bell, who takes a good tumbling catch at midwicket.

FOW 206/6

OVER 43: IND 203/5 (Dhoni 38* Jadeja 21*) Ooof, that's woken everyone up! Dhoni was going to have a crack sooner or later, and Swann is the unfortunate victim. A massive straight six down the ground is followed by another big six over long on. The second was a bit more risky than the first, brutal power rather than the timing of the previous one. 16 from the over.

OVER 42: IND 187/5 (Dhoni 23* Jadeja 20*) Another good over for England as Samit restricts the batsmen to three singles. England have not got Dhoni out in this series yet. If that is still the case in 45 minutes time, India will have an above-par score. 257 is the average first innings on this ground.

OVER 41: IND 184/5 (Dhoni 22* Jadeja 18*) The powerplay is over, Swanny - you can come out now! England's senior bowler bowls the first over post-PP and there are four singles from it.

OVER 40: IND 180/5 (Dhoni 20* Jadeja 16*) Couple for young Jadeja and a slogged four, but still just six off the Meakerover and the powerplay comes to an end: 28 wickets for one run.

OVER 39: IND 174/5 (Dhoni 20* Jadeja 10*) Bres went close a couple of times that over as Dhoni played and missed, and then Jadeja drove on the up near cover for a couple that could have gone to hand on another day. MSD has taken two balls for each of those 20 runs and, far be it from me to question the great man, but if he's going to go, he's going to have to go pretty soon...

OVER 38: IND 170/5 (Dhoni 19* Jadeja 7*) Cor, that is not a bad way to get off the mark. Jadeja drives square of the wicket for four. Ones and twos take the over tally to seven and that is the end of Steve Finn's work for the day: 10 overs, two maiden, two for 47. Very good effort, and he should have had another one, were it not for Swann dropping a dolly at slip. Finn has had an impressive series with the ball: eight wickets for 253 runs in 48 overs, the pick of England's bowlers. Big talent, and he seems a hell of a nice lad as well, so we'll forgive him one or two little tantrums. Well bowled.

OVER 37: IND 162/5 (Dhoni 18* Jadeja 0*) Crikey, that over took an age! I have been here, honest. Just one off it, the Raina wicket (see below) and the entry of Jadeja to the fray.

WICKET! Raina run out 38

Bresnan comes on, and the batsmen take a single off the first ball. It's tight, and Raina dives. The third umpire eventually decides that he got back. Now there's a long delay while the same player changes the grip on his bat; and then pulls away with Bresnan in his run up. The Yorkshireman glowers.Bresnan then beats Raina with a couple of excellent balls and, perhaps rattled by that, Raina pushes one to square leg and sets off. Ravi Bopara gathers, steadies himself and hurls at the non-striker's end. Direct hit! This is going to be seriously close... he dived and the bat is past the crease... but it is up in the air! Suresh Raina has to go!

FOW 162/5

OVER 36: IND 161/4 (Raina 38* Dhoni 17*) Lucky boy Suresh! Huge, rather vulgar off-drive, he doesn't connect and the ball cannons off the bottom edge just past his stumps. First five balls go nicely for England, just four off them. But ball six is a wide, and off the additional ball, Raina gets and edge that runs away for four. Raina don't fancy Finn much. Nine off the first powerplay over. More grumbling and moaning from Finn, who kicks a clump of earth out of the pitch in his fury.

OVER 35: IND 152/4 (Raina 31* Dhoni 16*) Good over from Swann that goes for only a single. His six overs have gone for 25. We'll have the powerplay after this over, whether India like it or not. Funny, these new rules - you have to take your batting PP between overs 16 and 40. It seems that everyone just waits until the last chance. Looks like Finn will be the man to bowl the first of it.

OVER 34: IND 151/4 (Raina 30* Dhoni 16*) Only four an over in the half dozen overs since that Tiwary wicket, but if this pair do really get going, then England might rue going on the defensive with two new batsmen to bowl at. Ach, I dunno. Maybe I am being too critical. England are keeping the scoring down and that's no mean feat against this pair. Samit Patel comes on and there are just three runs off it.

OVER 33: IND 148/4 (Raina 28* Dhoni 15*) Two off the Swann over. England better hope this is not the calm before the storm. Drinks.

OVER 32: IND 146/4 (Raina 27* Dhoni 14*) As if to really check that Dhoni is playing himself in without risk, Cook brings Bopara back. Raina clips a legside ball for four.

OVER 31: IND 140/4 (Raina 22* Dhoni 13*) Five off the Swann over. He's having a go at his team-mates again. Bell explains that there was no way that they could have cut off that single to the offside. I agree, it seems like Swanny wants 11 Jonty Rhodeseses. In fact, about 16 of them. Sadly, batsmen do sometimes get runs when they hit it into gaps. Chill out, Mr Graeme.

OVER 30: IND 135/4 (Raina 20* Dhoni 10*) Dhoni goes hard at short ball and cuts that away for four. Those are the only runs off the Meaker over, which is fine. But should England be attacking Dhoni more rather than letting him settle? It's not easy bowling to this guy, I know, but England do seem to be a bit passive.

OVER 29: IND 131/4 (Raina 20* Dhoni 6*) Swann bowls, he has four men in the circle but nobody in an attacking or threatening position. It is odd. One of the reasons that India have been so good in this series is that their spinners are used as wicekt-taking options. It feels as if Cook is just hoping to get through Swann's overs without serious damage; which seems a poverty of ambition for the number one ranked bowler in the ODI world. Who is to blame - coach, captain or bowler? Four singles, but no pressure.

OVER 28: IND 127/4 (Raina 18* Dhoni 4*) That wicket reunites the Dhoni-Raina partnership. MS is underway with a flicked four through the onside, but those are the only runs off the Meaker over. He's been impressive, bar one rather dodgy over.

WICKET! Tiwary c Kieswetter b Meaker 24

Nicely done. Tiwary pushes forward to a decent ball and gets a very fine edge; CK hangs on. There is a tiny bit of a pause as Billy Bowden has a think before raising the finger. Tiwary doesn't exactly hurry off, he doesn't look too happy.

FOW 123/4

OVER 27: IND 123/3 (Tiwary 24* Raina 18*) Here's Swann again, looking to improve on series figures of two for 150-odd. He gives the ball some air, and plenty of width, but is on the receiving end of a superb shot from Tiwary. He cuts a length ball off the back foot very fine for four - you don't see many English blokes do that. Three singles go with that to make seven in the over and Swann is chuntering again. I actually typed "chintering" there first time. Chintering it is.

OVER 26: IND 119/3 (Tiwary 18* Raina 17*) That's a much better over from Meaker, and the first without a boundary since that over with the Swann drop in it. It's been very interesting watching how this England side respond to adversity on this tour.

OVER 25: IND 113/3 (Tiwary 16* Raina 16*) Bopara beats Raina (or, arguably, Raina beats himself) with a wide, floaty ball outside off. Couple of singles and a four for Raina through cover and India are counterattacking nicely after those three wickets.

"Is it getting tetchy with English players there? Finn's displeasure with Swann and Bresnan was clear to see. With Swann it is a case of 'how many people did you mess about with in your rapid climb up the ranks'? wonders Hejmadi.

OVER 24: IND 107/3 (Tiwary 15* Raina 11*) Finn comes back onto the field, but it is Meaker who will bowl. A poor over cedes the advantage that those three wickets had brought. Leg stump half volley = easy four for Tiwary. Then a wide, long ball outside off and Tiwary leans into that for another gimme four. Add in a wide, and that was pretty pants. The crowd is getting bigger, and they're getting noisier, too.

OVER 23: IND 98/3 (Tiwary 7* Raina 11*) Two overs of sixth bowler Ravi in a row was probably getting a bit greedy from Cook, and there are seven from this one as Raina flicks him through midwicket. Three singles to go with that four.

OVER 22: IND 91/3 (Tiwary 5* Raina 6*) Argh, but it's one step forward, two steps back for England as Graeme Swann drops a sitter at second slip. Loose shot from Raina, easy chance and that's awful. To add insult to injury, it runs away for four. Raina celebrates his reprieve with a fierce slash through point that flies wide of Bell. He nearly got to it but it would have been a wonder catch. I like Raina for rubbing England's nose in it there. Tiwary then gets a four with a square drive which Bres can't cut off, Finn is fuming and there are 10 off the over. Captaincy test for Cook to lift his team after that deflating missed chance. Finn goes off the pitch. Why? That is total BS. Why should he be allowed to go off the pitch just because he's cross? You cannnot tell me that he has an injury. Rubbish; I hate this about modern cricket. Rolling subs nonsense.

OVER 21: IND 81/3 (Tiwary 0* Raina 1*) Alastair Cook gambles on fiddling an over out of Ravi Bopara, as it were, and it pays off with a maiden. Nicely done.

OVER 20: IND 81/3 (Tiwary 0* Raina 1*) Another superb over from Finn at his close personal friend Suresh Raina. A maiden with nothing to hit, and a wifty waft nearly sees Raina get an edge. That's the end of the powerplay and it went for just ten runs - and three wickets. This series is right back in the bal--. Oh wait. But England might still win a game!

OVER 19: IND 81/3 (Tiwary 0* Raina 1*) Just a single to go with the wicket in a fine over from Bresnan. England now have two fresh batsmen to bowl at, after taking three wickets in ten balls for no run.

WICKET! Rahane c Kieswetter b Bresnan 42

And here come England! Three good dot balls from Bresnan and then a very full one that shapes away to take the edge of Rahane's slightly loose drive, and Kieswetter pulls off a superb diving catch.

FOW 80/3

OVER 18: IND 80/2 (Rahane 42*) Double wicket maiden from Finn. Wickets on balls one and six. Top class bowling to Kohli once he came in: a couple that drew him into shots outside off, one play and miss at a ball that left him. That obviously rattled Kohli and he vowed to leave the next one. But that was the nip-backer, and Finn has given England hope in this game.

WICKET! Kohli b Finn 0

An absolutely superb over from Steve Finn is crowned by the sixth ball, a quick delivery that Kohli leaves. It seams back in and clips his off-stump. Brilliant bowling.

FOW 80/2

WICKET! Gambhir b Finn 38

A very welcome breakthrough for England as Gambhir tries to cut a ball that is too close to his off stump. The ball nips back a tiny bit and GG crashes the ball onto his own stumps. Poor shot selection on this occasion, but he is a master of those backfoot offside shots and those who live by the sword... Virat Kohli comes in.

FOW 80/1

OVER 17: IND 80/0 (Rahane 42* Gambhir 38*) England bring back Bresnan and are rewarded with a three-run over.

OVER 16: IND 77/0 (Rahane 41* Gambhir 36*) England's main spinner now comes into the attack as England take their bowling powerplay. Swann's over goes for six as he drops short to Rahane and serves up a four. Couple of singles. England look a bit flat.

OVER 15: IND 71/0 (Rahane 35* Gambhir 35*) Samit Patel is not afraid to give the ball a bit of air, which is admirable, but he over-eggs the pudding (mmmm.... pudding... Samit! PUDDING!) with a full toss that Rahane thumps down the ground for a four.

OVER 14: IND 65/0 (Rahane 31* Gambhir 34*) Cook's off the field, briefly, and in the meantime the batsmen work Meaker around for a couple of twos without any difficulty.

OVER 13: IND 60/0 (Rahane 27* Gambhir 33*) Decent over from Samit. He does GG in the flight but the batsman adjusts as he comes down the pitch. And then Rahane nearly offers a return catch as the ball pops a bit, but it falls short of the bowler. Three off it, but a couple of moral victories.

OVER 12: IND 57/0 (Rahane 27* Gambhir 30*) Meaker on for Finn. Craig Kieswetter, well on his way to becoming my least-favourite current England player, drops an easy chance. Mate, if you are going to slag off your team-mates, then don't be failing to cling onto your catches. Gambhir plays another one of those little fine dabs that he specialises in, but he misjudges this one and the ball flies just to CK's left. But the bungling keeper dives too far and that is a bad one. Unlucky for Meaker.

OVER 11: IND 50/0 (Rahane 25* Gambhir 25*) Samit Patel is on for a bowl and that has kickstarted the Indian innings. Gambhir dinks a short ball wide of slip for four. He and his partner manage a single of every other ball and that makes nine, as well as the 50 partnership.

OVER 10: IND 41/0 (Rahane 23* Gambhir 18*) A rare bad ball from Finn as he searches for the full delivery but drifts onto the legs of Rahane. Punished with a clipped four through leg. A big lbw shout from Finn as Rahane is hit on the pad trying to work it leg; the ball was going down leg. On the TV, they are saying that a ticket is between 1500 and 2000 rupees. That's 20 quid. Sounds like a hell of a lot to me given that 40% of the country lives on 1.25 USD a day or less.

"When India was performing badly the entire nation came out to blast them - overpaid, overconfident, lazy, fat, unmotivated bunch who played too much cricket and was totally underprepared for England. On the verge of a whitewash, nobody seem to be interested! Even the gloating is muted!! Poor MSD I must say!," writes

NJ

.

OVER 9: IND 37/0 (Rahane 19* Gambhir 18*) I expect this is terribly unprofessional OBO-ing, but this match is not much in the excitement stakes so far. Perhaps the empty ground and the echoing crowd noise has something to do with it. Stuart Meaker replaces Tim Bresnan, whose four overs went for a respectable 19. Nothing really doing in the Meaker over, his pace increases throughout the six balls and he doesn't give the batsmen anything. Two off it.

OVER 8: IND 35/0 (Rahane 18* Gambhir 17*) Another solid but unspectacular over from Finn; just three off it for India.

OVER 7: IND 32/0 (Rahane 17* Gambhir 15*) First hints of argy-bargy. Craig Kieswetter has a pop at Samit Patel when India take a single, but Jonty Rhodes couldn't have saved one there. Bresnan and Rahane brush each other in the run and Bresnan bowls an angry bouncer at Gambhir next ball. Three off the over.

OVER 6: IND 29/0 (Rahane 16* Gambhir 13*) The warning signs are all in place here for a big India total. There is no lateral movement off the pitch or in the air, England's fielding looks a bit iffy, these Indian batsmen are able to score a boundary without too much alarm, and their running between the wickets is mustard. Cook is too slow to overhaul a crisp Rahane push through the offside and that is four.

OVER 5: IND 23/0 (Rahane 10* Gambhir 13*) What is up with England's fielding on this tour? Gone to pieces. Gambhir cuts the ball and that should be an easy stop for Stuart Meaker the sweeper, but he bungles it, village cricket style and gives away four runs. Andy Flower glares. Finn, to be fair, then pulls off a good tumbling stop at deep square leg.

OVER 4: IND 17/0 (Rahane 10* Gambhir 7*) Not a lot in this pitch, but a good tight over from Finn and just one off it.

OVER 3: IND 16/0 (Rahane 10* Gambhir 6*) Solid over from Bresnan. Firm push down the ground from Rahane and that is four.

OVER 2: IND 12/0 (Rahane 6* Gambhir 6*) Steve Finn, who lost the rag a bit in the last match, shares the new ball. Early frustration for him when Gambhir runs the ball very fine down for a four to third man. Deliberate shot, but it in fact went between the slips. England look a bit sour. Finn then beats Rahane with a beaut - but again, he appears tetchy and hard done-by rather than encouraged.

OVER 1: IND 6/0 (Rahane 5* Gambhir 1*) No swing to speak of for Bresnan, Rahane hits it to extra cover and they take one to Alastair Cook. No Donkey comments, please. Gambhir cuts one down to third man, a favourite scoring area for him. Bresnan nips one back into Rahane and there is a quarter-hearted lbw shout - and then Rahane unfurls a delightful cover drive for the first boundary of the day.

09.55 Very poor turnout at the ground; acres and acres of empty seats. Various theories abound: no Sachin, too much cricket, the tickets are too expensive; it is Diwali tomorrow. 90,000 capacity; I read earlier that they had only sold 5,000 tickets. As expected, Gambhir opens with Ajinkya Rahane. Tim Bresnan has the ball in his paw.

09.45 "Not a lot of grass, the ball should do a bit. The ball will skid on once the dew comes in and it should be easier to bat on later," says Sir Ian Botham on Sky TV. It is very muggy there and there might be some swing early on.

09.40 Steve Harmison describes Graeme Swann's omission in the last match as having been "a slap on the wrist". Odd decision to bring Borthwick in for just one game and then ditch him (especially as it meant leaving out Swann on a Mumbai turner) so perhaps that dropping of Swann was for what you might call man-management reasons.

09.35 England win the toss yet again and will bowl. Well, batting first hasn't been working. There is said to be dew about later, the pitch is slow and low. Ooh, Kevin has apparently broken that thumb. Well, if there was ever a good time to do that, I guess this is it. The other piece of England news is that Swann is back in for Borthwick. India, meanwhile, leave out Parthiv Patel, who has probably been India's only negative in the previous four games with his 67 in four innings, and that gives Manoj Tiwary a go. I imagine Gautam Gambhir will open the innings.

England: AN Cook*, C Kieswetter†, IJL Trott, RS Bopara, IR Bell, JM Bairstow, SR Patel, TT Bresnan, G Swann, SC Meaker, ST Finn

India: AM Rahane, G Gambhir, MK Tiwary, V Kohli, SK Raina, MS Dhoni*†, RA Jadeja, R Ashwin, R Vinay Kumar, P Kumar, VR Aaron

09.30 Good morning all and welcome to the latest instalment of England’s glorious tour of India. Having lured their unsuspecting hosts into a false sense of security by, er, being hopeless for four games, Alastair Cook’s battlers are now ready to apply the coup de grace: a dead-cat-bounce fightback in the fifth. A 4-1 scoreline would lend some respectability, perhaps undeserved. But whatever happens today in Eden Gardens, it has been made abundantly clear that England are still miles off the pace in sub-continental 50-over cricket.

India have been excellent in every discipline of the game so far. Their spinners have been a constant wicket-taking threat (Ashwin and Jadeja have take seven wickets each, at economy rates of under five). The fielding has been in a different league to the knackered old geezers who turned up here in the summer. The middle order looks like a veritable murderers’ row: Gambhir, Kohli, Raina, Dhoni each capable of scoring a hundred in good pace, or going along at eight an over if the situation demands. The seam bowling has been niggardly – and in Aaron and Yadav, India have even unearthed a couple of exciting, genuinely quick bowlers. They look like the complete package: England look like complete no-hopers.

One piece of early news is that Kevin Pietersen has hurt his thumb and will not play; presumably Ian Bell will get a chance.