England win second ODI against India by 16 runs

Cuttack, India, January 22: England overcame early fielding lapses to post an exciting 16-run victory over India in the second one-day international here on Tuesday.

The tourists fielded brilliantly after two dropped catches to defend 250-7 on a batting wicket, effecting three crucial run-outs to stop India at 234 and square the six-match series 1-1.

Tail-enders Ajit Agarkar (33) and Anil Kumble (16) threatened England with a 39-run stand for the ninth wicket, but the target proved beyond their reach as the asking-rate kept climbing.

Fast bowler Darren Gough ended India's rally with the last two wickets to finish with 3-46.

England's total owed much of its substance to impressive half-centuries from man-of-the-match Paul Collingwood (71 not out) and Michael Vaughan (63) after they had been put in to bat.

The tourists tightened their fielding just when Sachin Tendulkar (45) and Dinesh Mongia (49) looked set to put India in a strong position with a 79-run stand for the second wicket.

Both Tendulkar and Mongia were let off by Marcus Trecothick in the slips early in their innings, but England did not allow these lapses to affect their performance.

A lucky breakthrough paved the way for England's win.

Tendulkar was run out backing up when bowler Ben Hollioake tried to stop a Mongia drive and the ball deflected on to the stumps.

India wobbled after Tendulkar's exit, losing wickets at regular intervals to a combination of poor running between wickets and the tourists' tight bowling and fielding.

Venkatsai Laxman was the second run-out victim, failing to beat a Collingwood throw from gully while going for a risky single.

Virender Sehwag played one shot too many early in his innings, driving Gough to mid-wicket where Nick Knight took a superb catch.

India's woes continued as Mongia was also caught short of the crease while coming back for the second run. He hit four boundaries in his 60-ball knock, but provided valuable support to Tendulkar.

Earlier, Vaughan made his maiden half-century and Collingwood his third to help England reach a fighting total.

Vaughan was involved in a 69-run stand for the third wicket with skipper Nasser Hussain (46).

Collingwood then held the innings together after three wickets, including that of Vaughan, had fallen for 17 runs in the closing overs.

He played some attractive shots in the end, swinging Tendulkar over square-leg and then Agarkar for two sixes. He put on 51 valuable runs for the seventh wicket with Jeremy Snape (22).

Vaughan and Hussain steadied the innings with their sensible batting after the dismissals of openers Trescothick and Knight.

England suffered a big blow in the sixth over when Trescothick (13) was caught pulling by Mongia at square-leg off Agarkar.

Knight (14) also failed to control his pull-shot as he was caught by Harbhajan Singh at deep square-leg off Srinath, playing his 200th one-dayer.

Vaughan and Hussain propped up the innings as they rotated the strike intelligently to keep the pressure on the Indian fielders.

India retained the team that won the first one-dayer by 22 runs and England made one change, including all-rounder Hollioake in place of left-arm spinner Ahsley Giles.