India is ready to maintain their unbeaten streak as they clash with England in the 29th match of the ODI World Cup 2023 on Sunday, October 29, at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
The Indian team has been in formidable form, registering five straight victories. With ten points in their kitty, a win against England will propel them to the pinnacle of the points table. Meanwhile, England finds themselves in a precarious position, having lost four out of their five matches. They currently languish at the bottom of the table with a mere two points and a net run rate of -1.634.
Intriguingly, India's most recent triumph over England in ODI World Cups dates back two decades. The Men in Blue clinched an 82-run victory against England at Kingsmead, Durban, during the 2003 ODI World Cup.
What happened in Durban when India last beat England in an ODI World Cup?
Both squads came into that game with victories from their preceding matches, each eyeing a spot in the Super Sixes.
Opening the innings, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag (23) gave India a promising start, stitching together a 60-run partnership before Sehwag's departure in the 10th over. Tendulkar's form was impeccable, racing to a fifty off just 50 balls. His memorable hook shot against Andy Caddick that sailed for a six was a highlight, though he was dismissed in the 16th over.
Post-Tendulkar, England's bowlers managed to restrict the Indian batsmen. Innings from Sourav Ganguly (19 off 38) and Dinesh Mongia (32 off 66) were not particularly impactful. Yuvraj Singh then stepped up, scoring a brisk 42 off 38 balls. Alongside Rahul Dravid, who contributed a solid 62, the duo added 63 runs for the fifth wicket. India set a target of 251, finishing at 250/9.
England's chase began disastrously with opener Nick Knight being run out early. Zaheer Khan further dented their hopes by dismissing the formidable Marcus Trescothick for just 8. England's captain Nasser Hussain (15) and Michael Vaughan (20) attempted to stabilize the innings, but their partnership was soon broken.
Ashish Nehra, previously wicketless in the tournament, dismantled the partnership and continued his onslaught, reducing England to 62/5. Despite a brief resistance from Paul Collingwood (18) and Andrew Flintoff (64), Nehra's spell proved too potent. He achieved his first ODI five-wicket haul and eventually claimed six wickets.
England's innings concluded at 168, allowing India to advance to the Super Sixes with flair. Nehra's exceptional 6/23 earned him the Man of the Match award, marking his best ODI performance.
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