Dhoni-led India knock England out

India made a couple of changes to their playing eleven – Dinesh Karthik and Ajit Agarkar made way for the Sharmas, Rohit and Joginder, who were making their Twenty20 International debuts.

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, chose to bat.

India’s openers scored 50 off 6.4 overs (46 balls). England had conceded 11 extras at that point. While Gautam Gambhir was batting on 16, Virender Sehwag was batting on 26.

Sehwag’s half-century – which included a couple of boundaries and three sixes – came off 38 balls.

India’s openers scored 100 off 11.1 overs (74 balls). England had conceded a dozen extras at that point. While Gambhir was batting on 32, Virender Sehwag was batting on 58.

Gambhir’s half-century – which included half-a-dozen boundaries and a six – came off 36 balls.

Sehwag, whose 52-ball innings included four boundaries and three sixes, eventually scored 68. Eighty-eight balls into the match, Chris Tremlett, who was also making his Twenty20 International debut, broke the 136-run partnership.

Gambhir, whose 41-ball innings included seven boundaries and a six, eventually scored 58. Five balls later, he was caught by Stuart Broad. Darren Maddy broke the eight-run stand.

India scored 150 off 16.1 overs (106 balls). England had conceded 17 extras at that point.

Uthappa, whose four-ball (Rob)innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Seven balls later, Tremlett broke the 11-run stand.

Dhoni, who faced eight balls, was unbea‘ten’.

India scored 200 off 18.5 overs (123 balls). England had conceded 18 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Yuvraj Singh, the player of the match, scored 50 off a dozen balls, which included three boundaries and half-a-dozen sixes. All his maximums came off an over, bowled by Broad.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 14 balls. While Dhoni’s contribution to the partnership was a couple, Yuvraj’s contribution to it was 50. Extras didn’t contribute to the partnership.

Yuvraj, whose 16-ball innings included the aforementioned number of boundaries and seven boundaries, eventually scored 58. Nineteen balls later, he was caught by Paul Collingwood, England’s skipper. Andrew Flintoff broke the 61-run partnership.

Irfan Pathan, who didn’t face a ball, was unbeaten.

India scored 218 for the loss of four wickets off 50 overs.

Dimitri Mascarenhas and Collingwood bowled a wicketless over apiece. While the former conceded 15, the latter conceded 13. Broad and James Anderson bowled four wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 60, the latter conceded 25.

Maddy, who bowled a couple of overs, conceded 20. He picked up a wicket, as was Flintoff, who bowled four overs, conceding 33. Tremlett, who bowled four overs, conceded 45. He picked up a couple of scalps.

England’s openers scored 50 off 5.2 overs (32 balls). India had conceded a couple of extras at that point. While Maddy was batting on 27, Vikram Solanki was batting on 32.

Maddy, whose 20-ball innings included three boundaries and a six, eventually scored 29. Thirty-four balls into the chase, he was caught by Gambhir. Pathan broke the 53-run partnership.

Solanki, whose 31-ball innings included five boundaries and a six, eventually scored 43. Twenty-nine balls later, he was caught by Rohit. Pathan broke the 43-run stand.

England scored 100 off 11.1 overs (67 balls). India had conceded four extras at that point.

Pietersen, whose 23-ball (Kev)innings included three boundaries and a six, scored 29. Twenty-two balls later, he was caught by Harbhajan Singh, who broke the 30-run stand.

England scored 150 off 15.5 overs (97 balls). India had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point.

Owais Shah, whose 13-ball innings included three boundaries and a six, scored 21. Twenty balls after Pietersen’s dismissal, he was caught by Joginder. Rudra Pratap Singh broke the 44-run stand.

The fifth-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Collingwood, whose 20-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and a six, scored 28. A couple of balls later, he was dismissed by Rudra Pratap.

Flintoff, whose four-ball innings included a boundary, scored eight. He was unbeaten.

Luke Wright, whose nine-ball innings included a boundary and a six, scored 16. Twelve balls later, he was caught by Harbhajan. Pathan broke the 26-run stand.

Mascarenhas, who didn’t face a ball, was unbeaten.

India eventually conceded 16 extras. England, who scored 200 off 20 overs (125 balls), lost by 18 runs.

Each of the five bowlers bowled four overs each. Joginder and Sreesanth were wicketless. While the former conceded 57, the latter conceded 38. Harbhajan, who conceded 35, picked up a wicket. Rudra Pratap, who conceded 28, picked up two scalps. Pathan, who conceded 37, picked up three scalps.