Sizzling Strauss stops English whitewash

Jamshedpur, Apr 12 (UNI) The Keenan jinx returned to haunt the Indians, as stand-in skipper Andrew Strauss hit a classy 74 to avoid a whitewash as England registered a face-saving five-wicket win with 7.2 overs to spare here today.

India had already clinched the seven-match series 4-0 before this match with the match at Guwahati abandoned due to inclement weather. The last tie will be played in Indore on Saturday.

Propelled by a breezy opening partnership between Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell, England raced to 60 for no loss in 10 overs, chasing a moderate Indian total of 223. India's trio of medium pacers bowled with a lot of fire under a scorching sun, but the England openers put them away without too much fuss.

Strauss, celebrating his maiden captaincy at an international level, set the pattern of things with a few gorgeous boundaries, even as Bell joined the party latching on to the momentum effortlessly. R P Singh, trying to extract some swing early in the innings faced the English stick, while Munaf Patel cranked it up to more than 85 mph but a flurry of boundaries through the off side threw him off rhythm. The Poms were on a roll at Keenan that has always been kind to the visitors.

If not for over-stepping his mark, VRV Singh could have had his first international wicket in his opening over, when Bell saw RP Singh complete a superb catch at fine leg. He was belted for 13 in that over.

Strauss has a fantastic temperament and a very simple technique, and has proven himself both at home and away to be comfortable on the world stage. Today, he displayed his arsenal in its widest panorama. Racing to 50 off just 48 balls with 10 fours, he reorganised himself against the guile of Harbhajan Singh and Ramesh Powar, before launching into offensive again.

The introduction of Bhajji and Powar did put some teeth into the Indian attack, but the deadpan wicket and low even bounce was too much an opponent for the duo to put a leash on the English.

Bell was caught by Dhoni off Bhajji, as he tried to force the pace of the offensive, his 46 studded with six brutal fours.

Vikram Solanki, promoted up the order, was flummoxed by a genuine off-spinner that went through the batsman's gates to dislodge his middle stumps, when he had scored just seven.

From then on, Strauss and Kevin Pietersen took over. But, the heat was telling on Strauss. On 72, he took a runner and on 74 he retired hurt with cramps on his right leg. Pietersen played another tempered innings of 33 and showed class, maturity and style in his game till he was done by a Bhajji doosra caught by the same bowler. But by then, the mission was almost accomplished with England on a healthy 98 for three.

In sharp contrast was Collingwood -- breezy, strokeful and fluent -- as he played a perfect foil to Pietersen. Harbhajan and Powar, though, continued to torment removing Matt Prior and Liam Plunkett respectively to generate some twist towards the end of the otherwise one-sided tie.

However, Collingwood and Blackwell's unbeaten knocks of 23 and 14 respectively ensured no further hiccups on road to victory.

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