17.17: Dhoni: "If every time in the tournament you have to score 350 then things will be difficult. We have to improve in the field. We have got quite a few slow fielders but the bowling we have the talent to improve."
17.15: 
17.08: Cricket. Bloody hell. So, after losing, then equalising, then winning, then losing, then equalising again, England have tied this match. They remain unbeaten, and will not know whether to laugh, cry or hop around like rabbits after the most bafflingly brilliant game of cricket you could wish to watch on a rainy Sunday in February. Or any day, for that matter. The bookies will be delighted - not much money goes on the tie - but don't let that depress you. Strauss was smiling just then. That's good. Maybe he's just delirious though.
50 overs: It's a tie! Just the single, scores tied. England 338-8.
49.5 Back for two! Two to win. One to tie. Consultation time. Points shared if it's a tie. Sod that. Go for gold, Swanny... it's gone very quiet. Patel looks petrified.
49.4 Bye. Four from two needed.
49.3 SIX! SIX! SIXTY SIX. 1966!!!! FIVE OFF THREE NEEDED.
49.2. Just the single. Eng need 11 off four. Shazhad on strike. Can bat. Has NEVER batted in anything like this.
49.1 Patel to bowl final over. Hero time Swansong...Full toss , Swann gets two. And back on strike. Eng need 12 off five. Let's have a wide.
OVER 49: ENG 325/8 Six! England on the ropes but still swinging. Great slap from Swann over cow. Six more! Bresnan you beauty! Cow again , but super strike has gone 12 rows back. But he's gone! What an over. Missed a straight one, but it's still on... Eng need 14 off 6
OVER 48: ENG 310/7 Bresnan 6 Swann 2 Dhoni's short of an over now with Bhajji and Zak bowled out. Chawla will have to come back for the next one. Might not matter - another one gone.
OVER 47: ENG 305/6 Yardy 11* Bresnan 4* Norrish here. Sorry, got into the office five overs ago and have completely jinxed it. My average was bad enough already, too. Filthy now. So instead of the glory leg I get to adminster the last rites. Gutted. Strauss has that "seriously boys, could you not park the thing from here?" look on his face. Indian fans were LEAVING half an hour ago. That's the 300 up though, good thwack from Bresnan. Two more from Yardy, pushed square on the off-side. Worse, somehow, than getting skittled for 140, isn't it? Munaf is back. England need 34 off 18.
OVER 46: ENG 297/6 Yardy 8* Bresnan 1*
End of another breathless over. Yardy ekes four precious runs to third man boundary before two singles to finish. Priceless.
Prior goes the same way as Bell. A complete miscue from the Sussex man and it takes an age to reach Raina who gladly snares it. England have lost four wickets for eight runs and staring at defeat.
OVER 45: ENG 287/5 Prior 2* Yardy 1*
I would have Khan any day at the death. I used to say that about Munaf, too. Michael Yardy digs out another yorker last up and the asking rate creeps over 10. What a last 30 minutes we've had.
Zaheer is bowling with 40,000 fans behind him and Collingwoods stumps are everywhere. Khan's figures are 2 for 3 and India are in ecstasy. Absolute mayhem and a situation made for the home bowlers.
OVER 44: ENG 283/4 Collingwood 1* Prior 0*
Chawla in and unconvincing batting from Collingwood, who can't pick the googly. The stage is also set for Prior - isn't this what he's in the side for now KP's opening? Three runs off the Powerplay in two overs and India find themselves back in the match.
OVER 43: ENG 281/4 Collingwood 0* Prior 0*
England surely still favourites but there are two new batsmen on nought. Zaheer has just woken up a nation.
A rare yorker, not seen since Tim Bresnan, from India. But a fine one from Zaheer. A stinging delivery hits Strauss on the backfoot and he's on his way. Incredible. And we're now in a classic England-lose-clatter-of-wickets-moment during a crucial run-chase. Zaheer on a hat-trick.
The pressure tells and so does the powerplay. A measured innings comes to an end as Bell tries to send the ball out of Bangalore. Instead he miscues straight to mid-off.
OVER 42: ENG 280/2 Strauss 157* Bell 69*
Nevertheless, England are offering small chances. Kohli drops a difficult one at slip before a loose shot from Bell as he whacks the ball on his foot. A much-needed break in play ensues as Bell is seen to by a trio of medical staff. Dhoni musters his troops.
OVER 41: ENG 278/2 Strauss 154* Bell 68*
Harbhajan into his ninth over and England eke out six runs. That will do, England are edging closer to a quite fabulous victory. World Twenty20s, Ashes and run-chases on the sub-continent in a year...
"Got to say Strauss has been a wonderful opener throughout the whole tour, starting with the ashes. He has rarely failed, has always got his runs at a good rate and is a wonderfully unselfish opener who takes the pressure off the later batsmen. But today's knock, even by the skip's very high standards has been something really special.
OVER 40: ENG 272/2 Strauss 151* Bell 67*
Chawla continues, the singles more frequent than the average Bollywood film being churned out. Strauss then punishes a short one for four to bring up his 150. Not so much as a raised bat from the Middlesex man. Focus or just knackered? Whatever, amazing that the England selectors once thought Strauss as a five-day man only.
OVER 39: ENG 263/2 Strauss 144* Bell 65*
Slightly tentative there from Bell. A dodgy two from Bell as he fails to spot a slower ball from Munaf. Bell's hand comes off the bat as he sometimes tends to do but the ball lands safely at fine leg.
OVER 38: ENG 255/2 Strauss 140* Bell 61*
How India could do with some frenetic appealing and crazed celebrating from Harbhajan. It's not happening right now. He offers some decent flight but the English duo both fend off any danger. It's fair to say that Strauss has put Tendulkar in the shade here with his lavishly-constructed ton.
OVER 37: ENG 250/2 Strauss 138* Bell 58*
Good over from India, four from it as Patel keeps to line and length. But England reach 250...
OVER 36: ENG 246/2 Strauss 137* Bell 55*
Singh now back into the attack. And when the luck's with you... Strauss has been late-cutting with vigour today and he nearly offers his wicket, instead splitting gully and slip for yet another four. Keep it steady England,
OVER 35: ENG 237/2 Strauss 130* Bell 53*
Desperate is Dhoni. Patel back but Strauss continues his rich form with a pulled four, splitting the men in the deep. "Munaf, Munaf" plead 40,000. England's remaining batsmen won't be quaking with fear. 102 off the last 15 overs needed.
OVER 34: ENG 225/2 Strauss 124* Bell 51*
Chawla comes back, Dhoni needs a wicket. Fear not! Ian Bell carts Chawla over deep long-on for SIX to bring up a priceless half-century, off 46 balls. Strauss then ends the over with a now customary four.
OVER 33: ENG 216/2 Strauss 119* Bell 43*
SIX! Two skips down the track and Strauss shows no respite to Yuvraj's flight, lofting his second ball into the stands. That will do this over plus the three singles, taking the stand between these two to 105.
OVER 32: ENG 207/2 Strauss 112* Bell 41*
After a period of safety, Bell opens his arms and drills a cover drive for four off Zaheer. Am thoroughly enjoying this, despite the tense nature of where we stand. A downpour now and it's England's win.
OVER 31: ENG 200/2 Strauss 111* Bell 35*
Bell brings up the 200 with a lofted drive to long-on. No pressure and a reflection of the ease in which England are scoring.
OVER 30: ENG 196/2 Strauss 109* Bell 33*
The equation? 143 off 20 now as Bell finds four more with Zaheer back into the attack. It really is going swimmingly well but England are, after all, chasing and this game is still very much in the balance.
OVER 29: ENG 190/2 Strauss 108* Bell 28*
The Bangalore crowd is eerily quiet. Yuvraj and Pathan are doing a job but England have still mustered over 50 from their combined eight overs. The England pair are closing in on the 200 I predicted a while back.
OVER 28: ENG 182/2 Strauss 100* Bell 28*
Hundred for Strauss off 99 balls. Imperious stuff from England's skip and 13 boundaries to boot. Hasn't Strauss scored his ton quicker than India's prince of batting? Bell then finishes the over with four more, 10 off the over and England right on top. 157 off 132 balls needed.
OVER 27: ENG 172/2 Strauss 95* Bell 23*
Anyway, Yuvraj still on (4-0-25-0), England are ahead on D/L method and these two are going very nicely as Bell keeps paddling and Strauss, nearing a well-deserved ton, driving serenely.
OVER 26: ENG 167/2 Strauss 93* Bell 20*
Still mulling over exactly why Bell started walking. Never, Ian, until the finger goes up!
OVER 25: ENG 163/2 Strauss 93* Bell 17*
Bell shimmies and waits before cutting majestically for four off the backfoot. But what's this? Yuvraj raps Bell on the pads and Billy Bowden gives it not out. But this is Yuvraj and he calls for a review. Amazingly, amazingly, Bell starts walking off as the Indians shreak in delight to a ball that looks prety straight. The replay shows that but Bell does at least get his leg down the wicket and Bowden refers to his original decision. Bell comes back to the wicket and boos ring in Bangalore. This could come back to be a big talking point if England can finish this one off.
OVER 24: ENG 156/2 Strauss 90* Bell 12*
Liew comes whisking across the editorial floor and miss Pathan's over. Usual affair by all accounts as Strauss sweeps for four more!
OVER 23: ENG 149/2 Strauss 84* Bell 11*
Bell uses the pace of Singh to paddle sweep before Strauss pearces the leg-side gap for yet another four. Lovely, crisp timing from Sir Lancelot of Reinvention himself.
OVER 22: ENG 1422 Strauss 78* Bell 10*
England are scoring nicely here. Whereas against Holland they were failing to find the boundaries, they are doing so in Bangalore.
OVER 21: ENG 138/2 Strauss 76* Bell 8*
After an early spell of trying to slap the pacemen over mid-wicket, Strauss now turns his attention to a series of late cuts against the spinners and, either, nearly being bowled or offering a caught behind to Dhoni. He survives after his latest play and miss from Yuvraj's first over.
OVER 20: ENG 132/2 Strauss 71* Bell 7*
So where are we at? England are nine runs ahead on the asking rate which ain't too shabby. Harbhajan continues to serve up some flight, Strauss sweeps is rapped on the pads. Heart in mouth there, but going down leg.
OVER 19: ENG 128/2 Strauss 70* Bell 5*
India are ripping through the overs here, far more than England's lackadaisical approach in their 50 overs. Perhaps a sign of England's limited bowling attack? For India have options beyond these two spinners. Anyway Chawla is into his fifth and, last up, Strauss finds his ninth boundary from a poor, leg side ball.
OVER 18: ENG 118/2 Strauss 64* Bell 1*
Harbhajan continues and Strauss semi-dances and lofts his fourth delivery over long-on for four. Seven from the over and you feel that these two now have to stay in the middle way beyond the 200-mark.
OVER 17: ENG 111/2 Strauss 57* Bell 0*
Following Trott, Chawla sends in a whipping top-spinner first up to Bell and a loud appeal goes up from the buoyant Indians. Just missing leg, but it ends a fine over.
A quicker delivery from the impressive Chawla as Trott tries to angle one to the legside. His head is bowed and Trott doesn't even look for the finger after being hit in between the pads.
OVER 16: ENG 110/1 Strauss 57* Trott 16*
Ever steady stuff from Harbhajan with just three off his latest over. Workmanlike show continues from Strauss and Trott who are content to knock three singles before drinks.
OVER 15: ENG 107/1 Strauss 55* Trott 15*
When's the gin, gan, googly coming? It appears at Chawla's fourth ball as Strauss is beaten and nearly bowled. Cracking delivery but not before the skip musters another boundary, his seventh, thanks to a rare misfield from India's demi-God, Sachin Tendulkar.
OVER 14: ENG 101/1 Strauss 50* Trott 15*
Semi-muted response for Strauss' half-century, off the same number of balls, as England reach 100. On this track, Strauss and Trott could make some serious inroads to India's daunting total.
OVER 13: ENG 93/1 Strauss 48* Trott 8*
Patel's jammy dismissal apart, India's seamers didn't look likely to take wickets. Chawla and Singh are creating openings. In his second over, Chawla nearly has Strauss stumped as the England captain edges for four past slip. The googly did for him there.
OVER 12: ENG 86/1 Strauss 42* Trott 7*
Well, well. A sweep off Harbhajan - two spinners on now, up the typing rate Rod - and that's 4,000 runs for Strauss in ODI cricket. The fourth fastest English batsman to achieve the mark, too. Stats mean nothing, World Cup wins against big Asian nations do.
OVER 11: ENG 83/1 Strauss 40* Trott 6*
Chawla Piyush is on and bowling powerplay has been taken. Six singles off it as Trott gets some running into his legs.
OVER 10: ENG 77/1 Strauss 37* Trott 3*
Eventful over and we'll have to wait for Yuvraj/KP in the knock-out stages. Fourteen from it, starting and ending with two fours: leg byes off Strauss's thighs and then a pulled one past leg gully. Sandwiched in between that, Trott is off the mark with a serene cover drive for three.
Jammy so and so! Pietersen middles one back down the wicket, Patel parries it up in the air - presumably just trying to shield his face - and then nonchalantly catches it while siting cross-legged on the floor. Incredible dismissal, huge wicket for India.
OVER 9: ENG 63/0 Strauss 30* Pietersen 31*
Time for a change? Munaf's too short, KP opens the face, walks down the wicket and that's four to the fine leg boundary. Two balls later and KP finds two steps this time and clips to the long leg for another four! India could easily have a wicket but has Dhoni missed a trick early doors? Yuvraj v KP would have been great viewing. Here's the moment in Mohali from 2008.
OVER 8: ENG 51/0 Strauss 29* Pietersen 20*
Opportunity knocks. England still ekeing out the singles but I count that three run-out chances as KP just makes his ground. Yuvraj then produces sliding save on the ring, bringing up huge cheer from his adoring fans. Sound over from Patel but the 50 is up.
OVER 7: ENG 49/0 Strauss 28* Pietersen 19*
Lovely, crisp drive back past Zaheer from Pietersen brings up his second four of the innings. Of course little appreciation from the Bangalore crowd. And then a second straight-drive four. Even better! The ultimate insult to a new ball bowler that and KP finds his stride. England doing well to put India off their stride.
OVER 6: ENG 36/0 Strauss 27* Pietersen 8*
Strauss's tendency to skip down the track and find space over mid-wicket continues. He finds a boundary but his scooped flick oh so nearly picks out Harbhajan Singh at mid-on, but the Turbanator can't get to ground in time. Decent running ensues and England fathom eight from the over.
OVER 5: ENG 28/0 Strauss 20* Pietersen 7*
Pressure back on England as only nine garnered off the last three overs. Zaheer bowls a rhythmic over against KP, who miscues, mistimes and then, on Zaheer's final delivery, fails to find bat on ball.
Stat attack: In the sub-continent: India lead 22-13. In the World Cup: Tied at 3-3.
OVER 4: ENG 25/0 Strauss 18* Pietersen 6*
A steadyish over from Strauss again, but he replicates the last over against Zaheer and tries to slog Munaf over mid-wicket fourth up. No need for that Mr Strauss - simply not your style. England need one batsman to score a ton and a back-up 50+ would also help. This total is reachable. But Liew shook his head a moment ago when I broached the subject of England possibly chasing this one down.
OVER 3: ENG 23/0 Strauss 17* Pietersen 5*
Plenty of action in the first three overs - and no sign of Yuvraj Singh v KP quite yet. Strauss faces six from Zaheer and clips and middles for consecutive twos before opening himself for a lavish drive and roundly missies.
Thanks Jon. Great stuff. Now ---- off down to fine leg and don't drop anything under those lights. Fine innings though.
OVER 2: ENG 19/0 Strauss 13* Pietersen 5* Munaf to share the new ball, and India think they've got Pietersen first up! Have they? No! It nipped away from Pietersen, who nibbled at it, and there was a distinct noise, but it might have been bat onto pad. Pietersen sniffs and turns the next ball past short fine leg for four. Pietersen's batting about a yard outside his crease to Munaf, who responds well by beating him past the inside edge. Pietersen then drives straight back at Munaf, who sticks a hand out and deflects it out of the reach of mid-off. The batsmen trot through for a single, and then width for Strauss, who cuts it again in front of square for four! A single down to third man rounds out the over, which produced 11 runs. Who do these two think they are, Sehwag and David Warner? "If India have a weakness, it's the bowling," Ravi Shastri observes. "And the fielding." And the commentary.
OVER 1: ENG 8/0 Strauss 8* Pietersen 0* Strauss clips Zaheer's first ball through mid-wicket for four! That's the way, Straussy! The key, though, will be knocking the singles around and keeping the score moving. Strauss plays out three dot balls before Zaheer beats him with a stonking delivery outside off-stump. Zaheer then offers Strauss a bit of width, though, and Strauss punches a square cut through the covers for four. Ea-sy, ea-sy.
13.15 All right, I lied. It's Jonathan here again. Rod's just - well, he's probably chasing down some Olympic exclusive or some such. The England openers are out, and Strauss will take strike to Zaheer Khan.
13.00 What's that? You've bowled a long spell, Jonathan, now ---- off down to fine leg and have a blow? Well, if you don't mind, I think I will. It'll be Rod Gilmour in about 15 minutes to take you through the formative stages of England's run chase, but that's all from me.
12.56 Munaf Patel ends up 0 off 0 balls. Thanks for coming, Munaf. But he's got some bowling to do now, as England chase down 339 to win. I mean, they knocked off 294 against Holland, and they've got Michael Yardy now, and this pitch is a beauty, and Holland were really tough, you know? Really tough... (tails off, protestations of optimism echoing in the distance).
OVER 49: IND 329/8 Zaheer 1* Chawla 1* Piyush Chawla, who can also smack one, knocks one into the off-side to get off the mark. A dot ball to end a wacky old over, and Bresnan finishes with the outstanding figures of 10-1-48-5. He's only the second England bowler to take a hat-trick in a World Cup match. For 50 blanks, who was the other? Answer at the end of the innings.
OVER 48: IND 327/5 Pathan 14* Kohli 8* Anderson has two overs left, and it looks like he's going to bowl them both. A slower ball bouncer is bunted down to long-on by Pathan. Anderson then spears a yorker into the block hole - yorkers, remember those? - and again it's only a single to Kohli. The next one's in the block hole, though, and it disappears over Anderson's head for six! Sensational! "That's the shot of a powerful man," Ian Botham observes. Yep, cheers. A misfield by Graeme Swann at short fine-leg gifts Kohli another four. The wheels are coming off the England tuk-tuk. James Anderson moves into the 80s (9-0-82-1).
OVER 47: IND 314/5 Pathan 6* Kohli 3* Pathan and Kohli both off the mark with singles, before Pathan hooks to deep square leg again. Luke Wright doesn't pick the ball up straight away, and as he tries to catch the ball, it bounces just short of him and squirms away for four! Kohli goes big this time, and it drops just short of Bell at deep mid-wicket! They haven't quite had the rub of the green today, England. Not that they've necessarily deserved it. Three overs to go, and both teams, you feel, will be fairly satisfied with a total of 340.
OVER 45: IND 292/3 Yuvraj 53* Dhoni 22* Yuvraj heaves Shahzad over mid-wicket for four! Shahzad goes fuller, but it's still on leg stump, and Yuvraj turns it past the man inside the circle for four! That's his fifty, his 46th in one-day internationals. Shahzad's been really poor today. Yuvraj tries to heave the next ball into the next world, and misses. Still, eleven off the over.
OVER 44: IND 281/3 Yuvraj 44* Dhoni 21* Yardy's overs - and this is his ninth - have fallen into a distinct pattern. He fires them in at pace, without spin, on a good length on around middle and leg stump, and the batsman just stands in his crease and tries to smack it off the back foot. Sometimes they connect, sometimes they don't, but Yardy scores more victories than defeats in that over, conceding just four singles. Six overs left; a run a ball nets India 317; eight an over, 329; ten an over, 341.
OVER 43: IND 277/3 Yuvraj 42* Dhoni 19* Goodness, that's wild from Shahzad, pinging it about three feet down the leg side. Mid-off and mid-on are both in the circle, so Yuvraj doesn't need two guesses to work out where Shahzad's going to bowl to him. Yuvraj rocks back and sends the ball flying over square leg for four, and then Dhoni does the same! This isn't working, isn't it? And now four more as Dhoni crashes it through cover! After a decent Powerplay, this is going very wrong very quickly for England. Dhoni pushes the last to mid-off, and Yuvraj turns down an easy single! Dhoni's furious! That's how irrelevant England have been rendered here. The two batsmen are now fighting each other for the strike. Fifteen off the over.
OVER 42: IND 262/3 Yuvraj 37* Dhoni 10* Yardy begins with a wide. Yuvraj adds a single into the leg side, but we're not seeing any power hitting at the moment. It's not easy trying to swipe Yardy into the stands, not when he's arrowing them down at 65mph and upwards. Yuvraj takes a swift two through mid-wicket, and then late cuts past short-third man for four with the help of a misfield by Graeme Swann! Eleven off the over, and they hardly had to play a shot in anger. Eight overs to go, and already England are aware that they're going to be chasing a very big number.
OVER 41: IND 251/3 Yuvraj 29* Dhoni 8* Bresnan to bowl the last over of the Powerplay, and it's going to be more short stuff. Dhoni pulls one for a single, Yuvraj then ducks under a slower bouncer and ends up looking a bit silly. More singles, and England end the Powerplay strongly. Just 32 runs and the wicket of Tendulkar came off those five overs.
OVER 40: IND 247/3 Yuvraj 27* Dhoni 6* Yardy to continue, and Dhoni cuts it for four! It was quicker by Yardy, but dragged down short. He does it again, but Dhoni finds a fielder this time. After three dot balls, Dhoni swats a single down to long-on. Another quicker ball keeps Yuvraj at that end, and there were just five off that over.
OVER 39: IND 242/3 Yuvraj 27* Dhoni 1* And Yuvraj almost makes it two in two with another leading edge! It loops up just short of a diving Anderson in his follow through! Dhoni pulls his first ball down to deep square for one, before Yuvraj gets hold of another short one, and sends it flying through fine leg for four! Oh, that was a good shot. My word.
Oh, Anderson's pulled it off! A leading edge to cover, and the end of a seriously good knock from Tendulkar! Every man, woman and child in the stadium is on their feet to applaud that innings. It was a masterpiece. The ball before he got out, Tendulkar played a shot of genuine, breathtaking genius, turning a half-volley outside off-stump past backward square leg for four. It's things like that. If Newton was a genius, if Shakespeare was a genius, if Rutherford was a genius, then so is Tendulkar. Dhoni the new batsman.
OVER 38: IND 232/2 Tendulkar 116* Yuvraj 22* Deploying Michael Yardy in this situation is a bit like trying to fend off an artillery bombardment with an iPad. That's pretty smart from Yardy, though, firing one down at 71mph that Yuvraj can only defend. Two off the first four deliveries. Tendulkar tries the paddle sweep off the fifth and gets the leg bye. Yuvraj then plays and misses at the last, which is another 71mph spear. Just three from that Powerplay over, and if you'd offered Strauss that at the start of it he'd have smothered you in essential oils and tried to nuzzle you.
OVER 37: IND 229/2 Tendulkar 115* Yuvraj 21* Short from Bresnan, and Yuvraj hooks it for four! This should be fairly entertaining, with two men out on the fence. Short again from Bresnan, and the crowd jeer as Marais Erasmus fails to signal wide. A slower ball hits Yuvraj in the thigh and they saunter through for a leg bye. Now, how's Tendulkar going to play this? Is it going to slog? Nope, when you've got placement like that you don't need to. He swivel-pulls Bresnan round the corner for four, and Strauss has real problems here.
OVER 36: IND 219/2 Tendulkar 110* Yuvraj 17* Swann to continue, and Yuvraj biffs him over mid-wicket for four! This is where it could get nasty. A single, and then Tendulkar dances down the pitch and swipes it over mid-wicket for six! More singles, and India have effortlessly squeezed the accelerator again. Thirteen off the over. Oh, and more good news for England fans - India have decided to take the batting Powerplay.
OVER 35: IND 206/2 Tendulkar 103* Yuvraj 11* Four! Four down to fine leg! A century for Sachin! Listen to that noise! The helmet comes off, and Tendulkar raises his bat to every corner of the ground! It's a fairly muted celebration - when you've scored a double ton at this level, a single hundred merely draws a disinterested 'meh'. It's come off 103 balls, and we might see a real picnic now. It's his 98th international hundred, and his fifth in the World Cup, and Other Things That Clearly Mark Him Out As Awesome. Bresnan fancies that the short ball might be the way to go to Yuvraj, but the Slightly Podgy Master deals with it OK that over. Six off it, and India will surely struggle to get 350 now. If you want an insight into the psyche of an England fan, "India will surely struggle to get 350 now" just about sums it up.
OVER 34: IND 200/2 Tendulkar 98* Yuvraj 10* Now, can Sachin reach his hundred? You'll be able to hear the cheers in your front room if he does. He wants two behind square on the leg side, but can only get one; Yuvraj gives him the strike back with a nudge off his legs. Tendulkar can't get a run down to short third man, and he then miscues back down the pitch to Strauss, but he keeps the strike again with a flick to leg. Just three from the over, but we've got a newish ball now, and a rather soothing sense of predestination about this whole Tendulkar-hundred business. Bresnan returns to the attack.
OVER 33: IND 197/2 Tendulkar 96* Yuvraj 9* Yardy returns after four overs for 22, and Tendulkar nudges him very very fine for four! There's no man at short fine leg, and Tendulkar's got a sort of sixth sense for where the gaps are. He moves to 96 with a single off the last ball of the over.
OVER 32: IND 190/2 Tendulkar 90* Yuvraj 8* That brief savaging by Tendulkar aside, Swann's actually done OK. He has half a shout for LBW off Yuvraj, who can't get it away, and it's only the second maiden of the innings. You feel that if England can keep India below 300, they have a chance. A poppadom-thin chance, but a chance nonetheless. Still a ball change and a batting powerplay to come, remember.
OVER 31: IND 190/2 Tendulkar 90* Yuvraj 8* Anderson continues, and after four singles he throws in a full toss that Yuvraj simply clips in between mid-wicket and mid-on for four. About as easy a nine-run over as you'll see, and Strauss has a real problem now. Anderson's gone for 59 off his seven overs. If he doesn't bowl Anderson out, who picks up the slack? Collingwood? Trott? Pietersen? You wouldn't really stick any of those bowlers in your ODI dream team, would you?
OVER 30: IND 181/2 Tendulkar 88* Yuvraj 1*
Yuvraj knocks one down to long-off for a single. But big turn there for Swann, who now has the slightly sweeter-looking figures of 6-0-43-1.
Great Ganesh, England needed that! Swann gets one to rip away, and the ball clips the top of Gambhir's off stump as he backs off. England make the breakthrough after a partnership of 134 in 21 overs. Yes, it only brings in Yuvraj Singh, but let's look on the bright side, shall we?
OVER 29: IND 179/1 Tendulkar 87* Gambhir 51* It is Jimmy, and Tendulkar greets him with a sumptuous cover drive for four. That's as great a shot in 2011 as it would have been in 1911, or 1811. And another! Off the back foot this time, square of the wicket, and four more! I've seen some decent knocks in the World Cup by Tendulkar, but if he makes it to three figures, this is going to have to be one of them. And now Gambhir gets an inside edge past his stumps for four! That brings up his fifty! It's all going a little Rodney Ontong out there for England. Fourteen from the over. Yes, it was my idea to bring Jimmy back into the attack. No, I don't have a better one. No, that's probably just as well. If India get their game on, we could be looking at 350, 360, 380. I wouldn't necessarily rule out 400 at this stage. But I wouldn't necessarily rule out an England fightback either. A couple of wickets is all they need.
OVER 28: IND 165/1 Tendulkar 78* Gambhir 46* Sachin's got his dancing shoes on! Shahzad bowls him two dot balls, but as soon as he offers a bit of width, Tendulkar flays him over backward point for four. Two more scampered through mid-wicket, but the other four are dot balls. Where are England going to get a wicket from? Might it be time to take a gamble on James Anderson?
OVER 27: IND 159/1 Tendulkar 72* Gambhir 46* Oh, goodness gracious me. That's just brutal from Tendulkar. Six over mid-wicket as Swann returns to the attack! That went a humongous 95 metres. A ferocious statement of intent. And now six more in the same area! Surely not. Surely Tendulkar's not going to break one of the four remaining one-day international records he doesn't already hold (most sixes in an over, fattest bowler to take a hat-trick, most profane response to a Glenn McGrath sledge, and most consecutive misfields). He doesn't. Swann switches round the wicket, and Tendulkar takes an easy single off his pads.
OVER 26: IND 144/1 Tendulkar 59* Gambhir 44* Shahzad continues, and he's done fairly well since his return to the attack. An optimistic LBW shout against Gambhir ends in a leg bye, and there are just three more singles from that over. Tendulkar looks as though he's just trying to shake himself into the mood. The temptation to take a single off every ball between now and the end of the innings and leave the hitting to the others must be overwhelming.
OVER 25: IND 140/1 Tendulkar 57* Gambhir 43* That's genius quiche by Tendulkar, stepping across his stumps to Yardy and paddling a good-length ball around the corner for two runs. The other five balls produce easy singles, and perhaps these two have decided that the six or seven on offer each over are an easier prospect than trying to clear the inner ring. We're at the halfway stage of the innings, and I have to inform you that that unshakeable chime of dread in the pit of your stomach is, once again, correct. If England don't get wickets here, we really could be looking at any kind of a score. A run a ball gets India up to 290; seven an over, 315; eight an over, 340.
OVER 24: IND 133/1 Tendulkar 53* Gambhir 40* That's enough of Collingwood's shizzle. It's time for some Shahzad shizzle. He begins with a marginal wide down the leg-side - although these days you could brush the leg-stump and still count on being sent back to bowl another. But then Gambhir gets a thin inside edge that falls short of Prior! After four dot balls, Gambhir eventually gets off strike. "Great place, Bangalore," Nasser Hussain enthuses. "Transformed by the IT revolution." Don't quote me on this, but I think that was how The Matrix started. Just two off that over.
OVER 23: IND 131/1 Tendulkar 53* Gambhir 39* Turn there for Yardy as Gambhir backs away and drives for two, and if Yardy can get the ball to spin on this surface, then I imagine Harbhajan's going to be turning it square. A middle-aged Indian man in sunglasses appears on the big screen. The crowd roar. I imagine it's one of those people who's only famous in India. You'd probably get the same reaction if Roy Walker popped up on the screen at Lords. Although I like to imagine if Roy Walker were to appear on the screen at Lords, they would reveal him square by square.
OVER 22: IND 126/1 Tendulkar 52* Gambhir 35* Sir Sachin looks like he's tagged Collingwood here. He waltzes down the pitch and lifts him down to long-on for one, but two balls later he really collars one, belting it over mid-wicket for six! Astonishing! More singles, and it's 10 off the over. Will Strauss persist with the Collingwood experiment or bring Swann back to try and buy a wicket? That six, by the way, brought up Tendulkar's fifty, off 66 balls. I can guarantee that if he gets another fifty, it'll be a lot quicker than that.
OVER 21: IND 116/1 Tendulkar 44* Gambhir 33* Yardy again, and Gambhir's looking for the big hit but hasn't quite identified the delivery yet. He flicks to deep mid-wicket for one, Tendulkar tries the same and gets a leading edge that goes straight back to Yardy ("Like that, Mickey, like that," Prior chirps), before nudging through point for two runs. No - just a single after Tendulkar and Gambhir cock up their calling. Gambhir gets two off the next, a wide off the sixth ball, and a dot off the last. Gambhir growls in frustration. Five off the over.
OVER 20: IND 111/1 Tendulkar 43* Gambhir 30* Collingwood continues, mixing up his pace well. Three dot balls, a single to Tendulkar, and then a slow, shin-high full toss that startles Gambhir can only pat down the pitch. Just two from that over.
OVER 18: IND 104/1 Tendulkar 39* Gambhir 27* Here comes Paul Collingwood with his crafty little cutters. And there goes Tendulkar! Six over mid-off! It was a decent start by Collingwood, but Tendulkar just swung through the line, and it disappeared into the crowd. Yikes. Is this native son of Yorkshire finally getting a taste for the fight? It's definitely been the slow burn rather than the lightning flash for him today, but that might mark the turning point. He tries to carve the next down behind square, but almost gives a catch to short third man. This could be just about to get very interesting indeed.
OVER 17: IND 96/1 Tendulkar 32* Gambhir 26* Prior's mastered the art of appealing for a catch as he takes the ball down the leg side. But Marais Erasmus sees straight throught that one, and calls Swann for a wide. Now, here comes Sachin! Wallop! He steps down towards Swann and biffs him back over his head for four! That's one heck of a shot by the Greatest Since Gavaskar/Bradman/Vishnu/Wasim Jaffer (delete as appropriate). All right now, England, let's have a wicket.
OVER 16: IND 90/1 Tendulkar 28* Gambhir 25* The field goes back as the bowling Powerplay ends, and Tendulkar and Gambhir milk four singles off Bresnan. Oh look, there's Giles Clarke and Haroon Lorgat, both dressed in very sharp suits, Clarke in a pair of those reflective shades that were last in fashion in about 1998, and before that in about 1979. Bresnan pings down a bouncer fifth ball, Tendulkar thinks about upper-cutting it and then leaves it, possibly judging that it's going above head-height. Given that for Tendulkar, head-height is around six inches above the level of stump-height, it's a fairly safe choice, but there's nothing given for that. Tendulkar does upper-cut the last ball, down to third man for two runs, where Anderson does a good job on the rope. Six off the over.
OVER 15: IND 84/1 Tendulkar 24* Gambhir 23* There goes Gambhir! Again stepping inside the line and lifting it over extra cover for four! He's set off like a train, Gambhir. A couple more singles, and then a filthy, flat leg-side wide from Swann that, in all honesty, Prior does well to prevent from going for five. Seven off the over.
OVER 14: IND 77/1 Tendulkar 23* Gambhir 18* Good tight stuff from Bresnan, bowling four consecutive dot balls to Tendulkar, two of which are drives straight out of the middle that go straight to England fielders. A frustrated Tendulkar berates himself, but he can't get either of the last two balls away either. It's a maiden over! The first maiden over India have played out since 1983, when Dilip Vengsarkar blocked an entire over of Martin Snedden long-hops out of sheer pity.
OVER 13: IND 77/1 Tendulkar 23* Gambhir 18* Swann continues, and these two are quite happy to take singles. For three balls, that is, at which point Gambhir decides to cash his chips in, and steps down the pitch to loft Swann over mid-on for four. That's all Strauss needs to see to send mid-on back onto the fence, which, if you ask me, epitomises his major fault as captain. It's not like Gambhir can't hit him over mid-off as well. Sometimes you just need to back your initial hunch. And Gambhir does try and hit him over mid-off! And Prior misses the stumping! Gambhir got inside the ball and tried to hit it over the off-side, missed it completely, and as the ball went in between Gambhir and the stumps it also flew past a startled Prior! It might be a touch harsh on Prior, as Gambhir might just have got a faint inside nick on that. Still, those are the half-chances you need to take, game of this magnitude, at this level, etc etc.
OVER 12: IND 66/1 Tendulkar 21* Gambhir 8* File under 'Shots That Would Have Got You Banned From The Game in the 1950s'. Gambhir takes two steps down the pitch to Bresnan and carves him over the covers for a one-bounce four. Tendulkar, meanwhile - and sorry about this, Indians - I don't think is going to make 200 today. He's just looked about 10 per cent off his best, which obviously is still about 10 per cent better than anyone else. He gets a single off the last ball of the over to keep the strike.
OVER 11: IND 60/1 Tendulkar 20* Gambhir 3* And it's going to be Graeme Swann, whose contribution today may well be pivotal. Will India simply try and milk him and look to Yardy and the seamers for their big hits? Or will they correctly recognise that Swann's natural loop actually makes him the more attractive hitting prospect? A single to each batsman, but a good line from Swann, and he gets a couple of inches of turn off the last that has Prior simultaneously howling for LBW and Ian Bell at cover trying to take the looping bat-pad catch. The two actions more or less cancel each other out, but it's still a very good over by Swann.
OVER 10: IND 58/1 Tendulkar 19* Gambhir 3* Bresnan continues, and Gambhir plays and misses again! He's another batsman that England might look to target with the short ball. He can play the hook, but he tends to play it up rather than down. Eventually Gambhir gets off the mark with a glance to leg for one, and then Tendulkar fences the ball towards backward point for another. Gambhir then turns behind square again, and Shahzad misfields as he swoops on the ball, allowing the batsmen an extra run. It's still a satisfactory over, though, just four runs from it. That's the end of the mandatory Powerplay, which means it will now be another five overs of bowling Powerplay, with the batting Powerplay, fielding Powerplay, sledging Powerplay, feigning injury Powerplay, sitting-on-Allen-Stanford's-lap Powerplay and Powerplay dhansak to follow.
OVER 9: IND 54/1 Tendulkar 18* Gambhir 0* That's the perfect example of what I call the Tendulkar shot - that bottom-handed flick to leg that ends with the bat pointing upwards. He gets four for it, bisecting the men at short fine leg and deep backward square. And four more with the same shot, this one going fine! There's nothing that gets an Indian crowd going like two boundaries in a row. Except, perhaps, for that infernal bugle-hooter thing. Eight from the over.
OVER 8: IND 46/1 Tendulkar 10* Gambhir 0* Brilliant first over by Bresnan, who in these conditions cuts an extra in It Ain't Half Hot, Mum but by George, can he put the ball on a length.
SEHWAG'S GONE! Prior with a one-handed catch, diving to his right, and this Bangalore crowd is stunned into silence! Bresnan's first two balls since coming into the attack had been absolutely bang on the rupees, and as the third also hit the mark, Sehwag just got a little itchy and tried to run it down very fine past Prior. Instead, it caught his outside edge, and without a slip in place, it was all on Prior! Crucial wicket for England! They'll consider that a major victory. Gambhir the new man... and he plays and misses first ball!
OVER 7: IND 44/0 Sehwag 33* Tendulkar 10* And just as we laud England's highly improved ground fielding, Shahzad dives over one at deep square leg and lets it trickle over the boundary. Dup. The next one goes out into the same area, and one of the things Indian grounds really lack is that ironic cheer you get when a fielder doesn't screw up. That, and beer snakes. And another life for Sehwag! A slower ball bouncer by Anderson, and Sehwag miscues his pull shot just over the head of mid-on! Strauss looks like he's just sat down to breakfast to find his butler has laid a pristine, unfolded copy of the Daily Star on Sunday out in front of him. Eleven off the over.
OVER 6: IND 33/0 Sehwag 23* Tendulkar 9* That ball really is flying around. England should be able to make some runs on this surface, and their ground fielding's been pretty good so far. Tendulkar flicks to deep square leg, where Pietersen saves two runs with a fine diving stop, and then Bresnan at third man does a similarly tidy job. It's been a good start by India, but not an altogether bad one by England.
OVER 5: IND 28/0 Sehwag 22* Tendulkar 5* Anderson continues, and Sehwag upper cuts his first ball on the bounce to third man. The next one's full and straight, and only an inside edge saves Tendulkar from being plumb in front of all three! This is excellent stuff by Jimmy, and he follows it up by beating Tendulkar outside off stump! Full and straight again, and Tendulkar clips it inches short of Bresnan at mid-wicket! This is unbelievable. I scoffed when I saw Andrew Strauss's claim yesterday that all the pressure was on India. Not because it wasn't true, but because it's such a truism it's barely worth saying. If you play cricket for India, the pressure is on from about the age of 17, and doesn't come off until you take up your seat in the ESPN-Star commentary box about three decades later. People rifle through Sachin Tendulkar's bins at night in an attempt to sniff his used Wet Wipes. That's pressure. But perhaps India's batsmen are feeling pressure of a slightly different king here. Or perhaps not, as Sehwag late cuts deliciously for four. That wasn't even wide of off stump! SMH.
OVER 4: IND 21/0 Sehwag 16* Tendulkar 4* Look at this field for Sehwag! No third man, no slips, a short extra cover, a short square leg and two men out on the hook. It's like a kind of puzzle. And Sehwag chips the first ball to where an orthodox mid-wicket would have been! That's his fourth life of the innings. Generally you don't want to be giving one of the world's greatest ever one-day batsmen more than about 12-15 lives before getting him out. It's a similar field for Tendulkar, who ducks one bouncer before rising above another short delivery and turning it off his hip for two runs. Does anybody else out there feel deeply privileged still to be able to watch Tendulkar bat? The man's a genius. A short, fossilised genius. Three runs off the over.
OVER 3: IND 18/0 Sehwag 15* Tendulkar 2* Tendulkar's away! It was just a solid shove through the covers for two, but the crowd acclaim him as if he'd just discovered a new element in between carbon and nitrogen. But Anderson, who's been pretty much bang on target so far, keeps Sachin there for the rest of the over. Pretty good start this for Anderson, whose moral figures currently stand at 2-0-3-3. (Actual figures: 2-0-10-0).
OVER 2: IND 16/0 Sehwag 15* Tendulkar 0* Bosh! Shahzad begins with a wide, full delivery that Sehwag simply cracks for four through the covers. The home fans cheer and whistle the first shot this innings that's come out of the middle of the bat. More width by Shahzad, and Sehwag simply steers it through point for four more. All placement, that. Shahzad tightens up, though, and keeps his first over down to only eight runs. "Only eight." Whatever would Hutton and Washbrook think of us, eh?
OVER 1: IND 8/0 Sehwag 7* Tendulkar 0* Sehwag is dropped first ball! Anderson finds some early outswing, Sehwag slashes and edges to second slip, and a diving Graeme Swann gets his right hand to the ball, but can't cling on! It flies away for four! And third ball, Sehwag gets a leading edge as he turns to leg that loops just over cover! Jimmy follows with a wide, and then fifth ball, another leading edge loops just over Anderson's head! What an incredible, agonising start for all England fans. Jimmy could have had three wickets already, and all of them a jittery Virender Sehwag. Yes, I'm aware you can only be out once, but Sehwag is testing that well-worn maxim to its limit here.
0858: That nagging feeling of unease in the pit of your stomach is, I'm afraid, correct. England are about to take on the world's mightiest cricketing power, in their own backyard, in front of 35,000 screaming fans (all right, about nine screaming fans and 34,900 BCCI cronies). And there can scarcely be two more imposing opening batsmen to see stride to the wicket than Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. Jimmy Anderson to open the bowling. Can't wait for this. Cannot wait. Even though we're going to get humped. Right, let's go!
0855: Here are the teams:
India: Sehwag, Tendulkar, Gambhir, Kohli, Singh, Dhoni (capt, wkt), Y Pathan, Harbhajan, Zaheer, Chawla, Patel.
England: Strauss (capt), Pietersen, Trott, Bell, Collingwood, Prior (wk), Yardy, Bresnan, Swann, Shahzad, Anderson.
Umpires: Billy Bowden (New Zealand) and Marais Erasmus (South Africa).
0830: News already from Bangalore and first blood to India. Dhoni flicks the coin, wins the toss and opts to bat first. Is that a good decision? England might not mind bowling first and chasing a D/L runchase.
Stuart Broad is also out of this one. He hasn't recovered from a stomach upset after missing nets yesterday and his big-match misery continues after, of course, having to watch from the sidelines as England regained the Ashes urn.
0815: Good morning, Suprabhaat and welcome to coverage of this crunch World Cup encounter in Bangalore. We've had baton-wielding police managing the rush for tickets, Virender Sehwag's rib injury and Stuart Broad's small dose of illness in the lead up to the game but all that will be dwarfed in a short while when 40,000 baying Bangalore fans will make this the most feverish atmosphere since Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side beat hosts Bangladesh in Dhaka on opening night of this tournament.
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