4th ODI Ind v Eng

England 257/7 (50 ov)

India 258/5 (47.3 ov)

India won by 5 wickets and lead the 5 match series 3-1 

25 over report: It was a cold, wintry morning in Mohali, about 6C at start of play with the fog lifting, just the sort of day for batsmen to abandon lofty ambitions of unfettered strokeplay and dig in. India's pace attack was insistent and Alastair Cook's workmanlike unbeaten half-century was an essential response.

Cook, comfortable with the need to play methodically, brought up his half-century 74 balls. Kevin Pietersen was more fretful, anxious for the first sign of glory, but glory did not come easily for England, not while Bhuvneshwar Kumar was conceding only 30 runs in a probing 10-over allocation or Ishant Sharma was revelling in encouraging fast-bowling conditions.

There are rumours that the final ODI in this quintet might still be moved from Dharamsala, still further north, where snow recently cheered the tourist industry, if the weather does not pick up, but an extra match in Mohali, if that was the outcome, would not be cause for the sun cream.

A further chill ran through England's bones with the recognition that defeat here would mean a fourth successive ODI series loss in India. They had been outplayed comprehensively in Kochi and and Ranchi after winning the opening clash in Rajkot and another lost toss for Alastair Cook, and an invitation to bat first, did not auger well.

India's quick bowlers excelled in responsive conditions, with Ishant particularly uplifted. Far from being disconsolate at their progress, England would have been grateful not to have lost top-order wickets as they had in the last two games.

England's innings progressed in staccato fashion, with five boundaries in eight balls bringing relief after only 12 came in the first five overs. Cook took three in an over off Shami Ahmed, the most authoritative a pull over midwicket. Bell flicked and square-drove Bhuvneshwar without ever matching the ease of his captain.

Bell's dismissal had a sense of anxiety about it. An attempt to charge Ishant and hit him down the ground produced only a thick edge to third man, a neat catch by Bhuvneshwar and a wicket for Ishant in his second over.

Pietersen had an uncomfortable start. He was struck on the elbow as Ishant cut one back and narrowly escaped an lbw decision in the same over when he just got outside the line, his disorientation evident when he got back into his crease with his hand. He needed 13 balls to get off the mark when he edgily got Bhuvneshwar through square leg; 33 to find the boundary, an authoritative straight drive against R Ashwin. Not too often in the past year have England regarded the introduction of spin as a blessed relief but it was certainly the case today.

The potential threat of two new balls, even in a northern outpost like Mohali where the quick bowlers can find assistance, does not weigh heavily on India. They dropped Ajinkya Rahane, leaving uncertainty about who would open the innings with Gautam Gambhir. Whoever it was would not be used to it.

It was a particularly strange decision considering that the morning was cold, the fog departing slowly and that Dhoni was optimistic enough about bowling conditions to insert England after winning the toss. Rahane, who managed only one ODI in 2012 in spite of being around the squad for long periods, would feel his chance had been extremely limited.

50 over report: It was a cold, wintry morning in Mohali, about 6C at start of play with the fog lifting, just the sort of day for batsmen to abandon lofty ambitions of unfettered strokeplay and dig in. England did just that, and found the late surge to achieve a competitive total, but as the skies reluctantly turned milky blue, India will have sensed a chance to pull off a victory that would secure the series.

MS Dhoni inserted England after winning the toss, but the recognition that it was a fast bowlers' day did not weigh heavily on India's selection. India dropped Ajinkya Rahane, and prepared to cobble together an opening partner for Gautam Gambhir. It gave England hope that their quick bowlers might summon a response.

England rallied with 100 from the last 10 overs, some reward for the resilience shown by Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen at the top of the order. The visitors found energy from Joe Root's maiden ODI half-century, an enterprising 57 not out from 45 balls. Throughout the winter, in all three forms of the game, Root has belied his callow appearance with responses of great maturity.

"We got some towards the end which gives us a chance," he said in a hurried TV interview. A chance, but no better than that. Even that assessment was neatly judged.

India's pace attack was impressive. Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded only 30 runs in a probing 10-over allocation delivered without interruption and Ishant Sharma, revelling in encouraging fast-bowling conditions, was as dangerous as at any time in either Test or one-day series.

Cook's methodical half-century was in keeping with the conditions, but his demise, lbw to Ashwin after making 76 from 106 balls, will have left him in wall-kicking mood. Umpires drawn from outside the elite panel, plus the absence of DRS, equals a greater likelihood of error wherever a game is played. The delivery from Ashwin pitched well outside leg stump, but the finger was raised and Cook's expectations of lasting benefits for all his hard work disappeared in an instant.

There was 76, too, from Kevin Pietersen, 13 balls quicker, but it was a more fretful innings delivered by a batsman anxious for the first shaft of sunlight. He was lit up only briefly, muscling Ishant over midwicket for six, but he got an excellent yorker in response as Ishant ensured that for once his figures were not damaged by bowling at the most pressing times.

As if the morning fog was not enough, a further chill ran through England's bones with the recognition that defeat here would mean a fourth successive ODI series loss in India. They had been outplayed comprehensively in Kochi and and Ranchi after winning the opening clash in Rajkot and another lost toss for Cook, and an invitation to bat first, did not auger well.

Far from being disconsolate at their progress, England would have been grateful not to have lost top-order wickets as they had in the last two games. Five boundaries in eight balls were a godsend. But Ian Bell's dismissal had a sense of anxiety about it, an attempt to charge Ishant and hit him down the ground which produced only a thick edge to third man, a neat catch by Bhuvneshwar and a wicket for Ishant in his second over.

Pietersen had an uncomfortable start. He was struck on the elbow as Ishant cut one back and narrowly escaped an lbw decision in the same over when he just got outside the line, his disorientation evident when he got back into his crease with his hand. He needed 13 balls to get off the mark when he edgily got Bhuvneshwar through square leg; 33 to find the boundary, an authoritative straight drive against Ashwin. Not too often in the past year have England regarded the introduction of spin as a blessed relief but it was certainly the case.

Cook, for all his frustration at his dismissal, had provided a solid layer. England, at 132 for 2 in the 32nd over, still had realistic aspirations about 260, but their cause was not helped when they lost Eoin Morgan and Samit Patel in quick succession.

Morgan has had a poor series in a country in which, with IPL in mind, he was anxious to advance his reputation. He drove Ashwin weakly down the ground and only reached Yuvraj Singh at mid-on. Patel was promoted to No. 5, presumably with the approaching batting Powerplay in mind, but he made a single in 10 balls and then when the Powerplay arrived he chipped a return catch to Ravindra Jadeja.

Patel stalked off the ground cursing his misjudgement. England cursed the departure of another unrewarding Powerplay - 19 runs for the loss of Patel. It would have been worse had Virat Kohli held a low catch to his left at wide first slip when Root, yet to score, pushed tentatively at Ishant.

Root acquitted himself ably. From his slender frame came occasional moments of surprising power, such as when he slog-swept Ashwin over midwicket for six or cheekily reverse-swept Ishant through square leg. He has proved more adaptable this winter than perhaps even he had expected and his cricketing intelligence is one of his greatest assets. Root should have fallen to Jadeja, on 42, a slog-sweep bringing a comical drop by Suresh Raina at midwicket.

Jadeja's left-arm slows have disturbed England throughout the series. The dismissal of Jos Buttler and Tim Bresnan in his final over left him with 3 for 39, figures which will further encourage India that they have discovered a player who can balance their one-day side.

50 over report Ind: England fought hard to assemble a respectable total on a cold, wintry day in the Punjab, but when the fog cleared the view was a familiar one: another defeat in a one-day series in India. India's pursuit of 258 was far from trouble free, but a winning margin of five wickets with 15 balls to spare was emphatic enough and left them 3-1 up one to play.

Instead of a dead rubber in ODI in Dharamsala, in the foothills of the Himalayas, England would be forgiven for fancying a spot of skiing, but sadly for them the weather forecast is improving and only the cricket is going downhill. A record extended to 18 ODI defeats in their last 20 in India is proof of that.

It might have been different had England not fallen again to the curse of Steven Finn's knee. When Finn thought he had Suresh Raina caught by Alastair Cook at first slip, India still needed 80 from 89 balls with what would have been five wickets intact. But Finn's recalcitrant right knee had collided with the stumps again and umpire Steve Davis invoked Law 23, ruling that Raina had been distracted. Cook's protests that Finn was entitled to a warning went unheeded.

But the story of this series has been one of growing India dominance. MS Dhoni has looked as impregnable in one-day cricket as he seemed flawed in the Test series. After England's win in the opening game in Rajkot, fuelled by a late batting assault from Samit Patel, India's batsmen dominated in Kochi and Ranchi and when they got the benefit of an influentiual toss in Mohali, their quick bowlers accepted it with alacrity. They beat England in English-style conditions, although they did have the better of them. As for Ravindra Jadeja, India will be more convinced than ever that they have a player who can balance their one-day side.

India's run chase was a personal triumph for Rohit Sharma, whose selection ahead of Ajinkya Rahane as a replacement opener had not possessed obvious logic on a seam-friendly morning, but who took advantage of easing conditions to move on from a lean run of form which had brought eight single-figure scores in his last nine innings. Rohit burst ahead after reaching his fifty, addressing Tredwell's threat in the process, and had 83 from 93 balls when Finn won a fortunate lbw decision for a delivery slipping down the leg side.

On another day of fallible umpiring, Gautam Gambhir was adjudged caught at the wicket, carving at a wide one and left with a look of unfeigned surprise that the umpire thought he had hit it.

Virat Kohli was gently removed by Tredwell, not as much dismissed as quietly informed that he would take no further part in the game. In the calming manner of a hospital consultant, Tredwell's entire demeanour is designed to allay fears. "Good morning, Mr Kohli, do relax, there is nothing to worry about." But there was and by the end of his first over, Kohli had chipped a gentle return catch as if half-anaesthetised. There must have been some dip, or subtle change of pace, but you could study innumerable replays and struggle to discern it.

Tredwell claimed a second wicket when he defeated Yuvraj Singh's sweep, dismissing him for the fourth time in the series.

England could ill afford to allow let-offs in the field, but both Kohli and Rohit survived half chances. Rohit, on 12, drove Tim Bresnan high to mid-off where Kevin Pietersen leapt to palm the ball in the air with his right hand but failed to locate it as it fell. Kohli was 2 when he pulled at Finn and the ball fell between the wicketkeeper, Jos Buttler, and Bresnan at fine leg.

Buttler was running backwards for a catch which could not have fallen more inconveniently had Kohli marked the spot with a cross, but he was a stand-in wicketkeeper for Craig Kieswetter, and an inexperienced one at that, and it was natural to wonder whether a more experienced keeper would have been more assertive.

England, for whom only Finn and James Tredwell possessed any real threat, never rallied again after Finn's unwitting collision with the stumps. Jade Dernbach dismissed MS Dhoni with a short, wide one, but his bowling circus has not troubled India.

India's pace attack made impressive use of a good fast-bowling morning after Dhoni had won the toss. Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded only 30 runs in a probing 10-over allocation delivered without interruption and Ishant Sharma was as dangerous as at any time in either Test or one-day series.

Alastair Cook's methodical half-century was an appropriate response, but his demise, lbw to a ball from R Ashwin that pitched well outside leg stump was another rum decision. Umpires drawn from outside the elite panel, plus the absence of DRS, equals a greater likelihood of error wherever a game is played.

There was 76, too, from Pietersen, but it was a more fretful innings delivered by a batsman anxious for the first shaft of sunlight. He was struck on the elbow as Ishant cut one back and narrowly escaped an lbw decision in the same over when he just got outside the line. He needed 13 balls to get off the mark; 33 to find the boundary, an authoritative straight drive against R Ashwin.

He was illuminated only briefly, muscling Ishant over midwicket for six, but he got an excellent yorker in response as Ishant ensured that for once his bowling figures were not damaged by bowling at the most pressing times.

Cook, for all his frustration at his dismissal, had provided a solid layer, but England's cause was not helped when they lost Eoin Morgan and Patel in quick succession.

Morgan has had a poor series in a country in which, with IPL in mind, he was anxious to advance his reputation. He drove Ashwin weakly down the ground and only reached Yuvraj at mid-on. Patel was promoted to No. 5, presumably with the approaching batting Powerplay in mind, but he made a single in 10 balls when he chipped a return catch to Ravindra Jadeja. Patel stalked off; he has done more stalking off recently than is good for him.

England rallied with 100 from the last 10 overs, energised by Joe Root's maiden ODI half-century, 57 not out from 45 balls, after he had been dropped off Ishant by Kohli at slip. Throughout the winter, in all three forms of the game, Root has proved more adaptable than perhaps even he had expected. His cricketing intelligence is one of his greatest assets.

He should also have fallen on 42, a slog sweep against Jadeja bringing a comical drop by Raina at midwicket. Jadeja's left-arm slows have disturbed England throughout the series. The dismissal of Buttler and Bresnan in his final over left him with 3 for 39.