England v India 2007
Wisden's review of England's 5th ODI against India, 2007
Richard Hobson
15-Apr-2008
At Leeds, September 2. India won by 38 runs (D/L method). Toss: England.
Heavy rain stayed away long enough for India to reduce the deficit to 3-2 in a game they
controlled from the off. For the two heroes of Old Trafford, this was a sharp reversal: Broad,
deprived of the new ball, went for 84 runs, while Bopara suffered a worse fate, breaking his right
thumb as he dropped a return chance from Gambhir. But arguably the worst news had come when
Flintoff was ruled out because of fresh pain in his left ankle. After needing three overs to get off
the mark, India took charge. Tendulkar, teasing with his deft flicks and imperious timing, dominated
an opening stand with Ganguly, and Yuvraj Singh passed 5,000 one-day runs as he kept things
ticking with the less fluent Gambhir. Not for the first time, England's seamers found Headingley's
bark worse than its bite, whereas the Indian attack proved more adept at finding edges, and Dhoni
equalled the one-day international record of six dismissals. There was a hint of do-or-die about
Collingwood's unbeaten 91 from 71 balls, with an adjusted target of 311 from 45 overs - revised
again to 281 when rain stopped play after 39 - barely visible in the distance.
Man of the Match: S. C. Ganguly.