Rain thwarts India after Tendulkar cuts loose

India 285-4 England 53-1 Match abandoned

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Gough pays for profligacy

Like the inevitable crash of the housing market, it was bound to happen. The only surprise is that it has taken Sachin Tendulkar three attempts during this NatWest series to show the cricket-loving public of England what a genius he is.

But yesterday, at the Riverside ground in front of a near capacity crowd of 16,000, he did just that. In an awesome display of batting, the little master gave an exhibition of how to build an innings. He produced 105 not out to leave those fortunate enough to attend breathless.

Sadly for the gathered throng, however, the unwelcome guest of heavy drizzle cut short their entertainment just as England were making a spirited reply to the daunting total of 285 set by the Indians. Nasser Hussain's side were moving along nicely at 53 for 1 in the 12.3 overs they faced when the umpires took the teams off, much to the frustration of the Indian captain Sourav Ganguly and the crowd.

Huusain, who would have been the happier of the two captains to see play curtailed, said: "I think the two umpires played it pretty well. They tried to get us back on twice, but in the end the rain just set in."

Reaching the 286 they required would have taken something special from England, and the two points they take from this game means that Sri Lanka now have to win their remaining three games in order to push either of these two sides out of the final a week on Saturday.

For those in attendance, and in particular the large Indian contingent who helped create an intoxicating atmosphere, Tendulkar's awesome innings, the 32nd hundred of his one-day career and his first in and against England in this form of the game, would have at least meant they left the sodden ground in the knowledge they had witnessed a class act.

The Indian innings, however, was far from a one-man show. Rahul Dravid scored an equally impressive, and almost as valuable, 82. And it was his partnership of 169 runs in 206 balls with Tendulkar that firstly steadied India's innings, when it was wobbling at 52 for 3, and then took England apart.

It was Dravid who looked the most comfortable to begin with. In India's first two games of this tournament Tendulkar has not looked his usual imperious self, scratching around and struggling to time the ball. He has, however, spent plenty of time at the crease, and by the end yesterday looked back to his best. His first 50 runs took 72 balls but once he got going there was no stopping him. The next 50 runs came off 34 balls.

He was particularly severe on Ashley Giles and Paul Collingwood. Giving himself a little bit of room he toyed with the left-arm spinner as a cat does a mouse. Three drilled fours over cover stood out as he took 48 runs off Giles' five overs. Collingwood was not quite as expensive going for 41 runs but England's fifth bowler went for 89 runs, which is far too many.

Hussain, in an attempt to break the partnership, put all his eggs in one basket when he bowled out Andrew Flintoff and Ronnie Irani, his two best and most miserly bowlers, before the 40th over. During a final onslaught as ferocious as any in this action-packed series to date, firstly Tendulkar and Dravid tucked in before the sublime talent of Yuvraj Singh came to the crease and took the hitting up to an even higher level. Singh scored 40 not out in 19 balls, as he and Tendulkar smashed Darren Gough and James Kirtley for 58 runs in the last five overs.

Earlier, after losing his first toss of the series, Hussain led his side out to field at this impressive new ground with the stately Lumley Castle as a backdrop. Gough struck early by trapping the Indian captain Ganguly lbw for nought with the first ball of the day.

On this slow, low, pitch, Hussain felt his bowlers were unlikely to find the edge of the bat and set a defensive field. The tactic worked when, with the score on 48, India's other flamboyant opener, Virender Sehwag, tried to hit the ball back over Kirtley's head only to drag it to Marcus Trescothick at mid on.

Four runs later England were in control when the left-handed Dinesh Mongia meekly chipped Gough to short mid-wicket but then Dravid arrived at the crease to join Tendulkar and the rest as they say is history. History England's bowlers would rather forget.

Riverside scoreboard

India won toss

INDIA

*S C Ganguly lbw b Gough 0

1 min, 1 ball

V Sehwag c Trescothick b Kirtley 16

35 min, 19 balls, 2 fours

D Mongia c Flintoff b Gough 27

45 min, 38 balls, 3 fours

S R Tendulkar not out 105

168 min, 108 balls, 8 fours, 1 six

ÝR S Dravid c Flintoff b Collingwood 82

130 min, 117 balls, 7 fours

Yuvraj Singh not out 40

25 min, 19 balls, 4 fours, 1 six

Extras (lb8, w5, nb2) 15

Total (for 4, 204 min, 50 overs) 285

Fall: 1-0 (Ganguly), 2-48 (Sehwag), 3-52 (Mongia), 4-221 (Dravid).

Did not bat: M Kaif, A B Agarkar, A Kumble, Zaheer Khan, A Nehra.

Bowling: Gough 10-0-52-2 (w2) (6-0-20-2, 2-0-9-0, 2-0-23-0); Kirtley 10-0-77-1 (nb1, w2) (4-0-29-1, 2-0-14-0, 3-0-22-0, 1-0-12-0); Flintoff 10-0-36-0 (nb1) (4-0-16-0, 6-0-20-0); Irani 10-1-23-0 (one spell), Collingwood 5-0-48-1 (1-0-6-0, 2-0-17-0, 2-0-25-1); Giles 5-0-41-0 (w1) (3-0-18-0, 2-0-23-0).

Progress: 50: 42 min, 56 balls. 15 overs score: 68 for 3. 100: 91 min, 129 balls. 150: 134 min, 207 balls. 200: 168 min, 254 balls. 250: 191 min, 284 balls.

Tendulkar: 50: 113 min, 72 balls, 2 fours, 1 six. 100: 162 min, 106 balls, 7 fours, 1 six. Dravid: 50: 87 min, 86 balls, 4 fours.

ENGLAND

M E Trescothick lbw b Zaheer Zhan 23

26 min, 26 balls, 3 fours

N V Knight not out 17

59 min, 28 balls, 3 fours

*N Hussain not out 9

32 min, 21 balls

Extras (lb1, w3) 4

Total (1 wkt, 59 mins, 12.3 overs) 53

Fall: 1-30 (Trescothick).

Did not bat: M P Vaughan, ÝA J Stewart, R C Irani, A Flintoff, P D Collingwood, A F Giles, R J Kirtley, D Gough.

Bowling: Nehra 6-0-21-0 (w2), Zaheer Khan 6-0-31-1 (w1), Agarkar 0.3-0-0-0 (one spell each).

Progress: 50: 56 min, 71 balls. Rain stopped play 7.35-7.48pm 53 for 1 (Knight 17, Hussain 9) 12 overs. RSP 7.50pm.

NO RESULT

Umpires: D L Orchard (SA) and D R Shepherd.

TV replay umpire: J W Lloyds.