1st Test Day 5 WI 484/7d & 13/0 bt BAN 182 & 314 by 10 wkts

West Indies took less than two hours to end Bangladesh's promise of a prolonged fifth day by bowling them out for 314 before their openers knocked off the required 13 runs in 2.4 overs. There was enough time for Mushfiqur Rahim to reach his third Test century but support was non-existent at the other end, as Bangladesh lost five wickets for the addition of 58 runs.

Kemar Roach was the morning's most effective bowler, picking up two wickets to finish with a four-wicket haul. Shannon Gabriel was rewarded for his strong work on the fourth day with two cheap wickets while Sulieman Benn, who didn't have to bowl an over on the fifth morning, finished the match on seven wickets.

Mushfiqur reached his century with a straight six off Roach with his side seven wickets down. He was dropped twice during the 90 minutes of play - on 71 by Chris Gayle at slip and by Jerome Taylor on 115. 

Gayle had dropped Mushfiqur on 10 yesterday, as had Darren Bravo when he was 25. But of the four drops, Taylor's was the simplest chance, the ball looping straight to him at mid-on.

The day began well for the visitors. Taylor's juicy full-toss was put away by Nasir Hossain and the batsman found the boundary again three overs later with a controlled pull off Roach. It looked as if he too was finding some form, just as the out-of-form Mahmudullah had with his 66.

In Roach's next over, however, Nasir stopped short of pulling the ball and his half-hearted shot popped a simple chance to Gabriel, who ran in from mid-on to complete the catch near the non-striker's end. It ended the 42-run sixth-wicket stand between Mushfiqur and Nasir, which had taken Bangladesh through a difficult period late on the fourth day. But when it ended, so did Bangladesh's hope for a fight.

Mushfiqur continued to bat positively, hitting Taylor for three boundaries in an over. He cut one past point, drove one on the up through the covers and then played a leg-glance to enter the nineties.

But the other end wasn't giving him any support. Shuvagata Hom was late on a Roach in-dipper and given out lbw. He reviewed the decision but it was always going to hit the stumps. Taijul Islam and Rubel Hossain were swiftly removed with decent pace aimed at the stumps, and the spate of wickets threatened to inflict an innings defeat on Bangladesh, before Taylor's drop averted that result. 

1st Test Day 4 WI 484/7d v BAN 182 & 256/5 (f/o 46 behind)

Mushfiqur Rahim and the embattled Mahmudullah dragged Bangladesh out of wretchedness, putting together their best day on tour so far. The visitors ended the fourth day 46 runs short of West Indies after being asked to follow on.

From the precipice of 107 for 4, when Bangladesh were staring down a trail of collapse similar to the first innings, the fifth-wicket pair added 130 runs. More important than the runs, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah batted out time, 50.5 overs to be precise. It didn't promise complete security but it brought Bangladesh back into the contest.

They didn't lose a wicket in the middle session and even after Mahmdullah's dismissal, Mushfiqur, unbeaten on 70, and Nasir Hossain ensured they went to the final day with five wickets in hand.

The home side had themselves to blame, at least with their catching. Mushfiqur was dropped on 10 and 25 by Chris Gayle at first slip and Darren Bravo at gully. Kirk Edwards dropped a sitter at cover when Mahmudullah skied Gayle in the 80th over of the innings. At that moment, most of the West Indies players in the close-in cordon reacted strongly.

The fielding denied the good work of the fast bowlers who tested the Bangladesh batsmen quite regularly. Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor, who suffered one drop each, used swing and the angles very well. Shannon Gabriel wasn't just brawn as he pushed up the pace and used his height. But the trio ended the day without a wicket among them.

Left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn threatened with two early wickets but Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah dealt with him positively, not overattacking but keeping him at bay. They nullified the danger of the part-timer Jermaine Blackwood by attacking him, ensuring there were no more embarrassing moments.

After the tea interval, Mahmudullah reached his first Test fifty in 21 months. He battled hard for most of his 151-ball stay, waiting for opportunities to tuck the ball into the leg-side, where he scored 41 out of his 66 runs.

He reached fifty with his best shot of the innings, a back-foot punch through the covers, but his celebration was muted. The shot also brought up the hundred partnership.

In the next over, Mushfiqur reached his fifty too, carrying on his assurance from the first innings, when he had been left stranded on 48 as the rest crumbled. Mushfiqur was lucky with dropped catches on two occasions but he battled hard, with Gabriel getting one to lift and hit him on the elbow and Taylor hammering one into the middle finger of his bottom hand.

Ramdin dived to his left to take an excellent catch after Mahmudullah inside-edged an attempted drive off Roach with more than ten overs remaining. Mushfiqur soldiered on and ensured that the dangerous period, with Nasir new at the crease, was negotiated safely.

Bangladesh's progress till the lunch break was quite similar to how the first innings panned out. Their first wicket fell off the second ball of the third over, as it did in the first innings. 

There was a partnership thereafter but the next wicket fell in the eighties, as did the third wicket on the third day. They had been 105 for 4 at tea yesterday; today they were 110 for 4 at lunch.

Shamsur Rahman was the first wicket to fall in the morning session. Stuck at the crease, he edged Kemar Roach's full delivery to Ramdin, who held it tidily, moving to his right.

Imrul Kayes, under pressure after falling cheaply on the third day, struck three boundaries off Roach soon after arriving at the crease. But Roach soon went around the wicket, forcing Tamim Iqbal and Imrul play and miss on several occasions, swinging the ball into the left-handers and straightening a few.

Tamim batted calmly, finding boundaries fairly easily. The pair added a half-century partnership, which used to be a fairly regular occurrence when they used to open together. This though was their first 50-plus stand for the second wicket.

But Imrul had stalled by then, and struck one more boundary before he gave the cover fielder an easy catch off a Chris Gayle floater in the 26th over. Just prior to the delivery, Gayle had asked the batsman why he had defended the two previous balls, half-volleys both.

Tamim, having reached an enterprising half-century in 83 balls, fell when Benn got the ball to turn back at him and crash into his stumps as he looked to punch through cover. Tamim struck four fours and three sixes, and looked fluent for most of his innings, which lasted two hours and 23 minutes.

Mominul wasn't as organised as during the first innings half-century. He had one close shave when a forward defensive against Benn trickled onto his pads and bounced away near the stumps.

He was dismissed soon after, when the same bowler got one to dip between his bat and pad. Mominul played away from his body, and Ramdin immediately appealed, convinced there was an inside edge. Umpire Marais Erasmus agreed, and Mominul reviewed. 

Once again, due to a lack of evidence, the umpire's decision stood - just as it had when Mominul had been given out caught behind down the leg side in the first innings. 

1st Test Day 3 WI 484/7d v BAN 182 (BAN trail by 302)

Stumps report: BAN 182: Bangladesh's middle-order collapse on the third afternoon might have been what Mushfiqur Rahim tried to avoid when he chose to field on the first day.

His hopes of trying to protect a brittle batting line-up, a particularly twisted logic considering he had only three specialist bowlers on what had turned out to be a decent pitch, backfired as a giant first-innings score enabled Sulieman Benn to dismiss the visitors for 182 with his fifth five-wicket haul.

After declaring their first innings on 484 for 7, West Indies claimed a lead of 302 runs but their decision regarding the follow-on would be announced on the fourth morning.

Mominul Haque had been Bangladesh's best hope. But since he was judged caught behind down the leg side on the stroke of tea for a gritty 51, the contest was snuffed out. 

Denesh Ramdin played around with his bowling reserves, conjuring two wickets with the part-time spin of Jermaine Blackwood to further Bangladesh's slide. Mushfiqur was left stranded on 48, while his side lost nine wickets for 77 runs. 

Benn generated difficult angles for the batsmen with his high-arm action and did not allow Bangladesh any breathing room, the result of which was eight wickets on the final session.

Blackwood had been deployed as a close-in fielder for much of the innings and began his spell with shin pads on. 

It was clear that West Indies were trying to get something out of nothing and they did when Mahmudullah was trapped lbw in the second over after tea. This was the batsman's eighth consecutive Test innings when he had not crossed 30.

The West Indies fielders erupted, and as has happened in the last nine months, Bangladesh wilted. Benn created more chances from his end, bowling three more maidens. 

Nasir Hossain played out two of those, which forced him to run down at Blackwood and slice a catch to mid-on. It was a strange choice of shot, given that Bangladesh were over 300 runs in arrears with only the tail left, but not quite a surprise.

Shuvagata Hom made 16 off 25 balls, before driving a full-toss back to Benn the bowler in the 55th over. He had added 29 runs for the seventh wicket - the second highest of the innings - with Mushfiqur.

Things had looked far less chaotic during the 62-run third wicket stand between Mominul and Shamsur Rahman. The pair had joined together at 18 for 2 and ushered Bangladesh out of a tough spot with the kind of patience that the lower order lacked.

Mominul got to his fourth Test fifty, though he too was lax outside the off stump early on. He tightened up after lunch, finding the boundary when West Indies erred too short or too full. 

Shamsur too batted better after edging through third slip's hands and getting hit on his helmet in the morning. He was out for 35 off 95 balls with five fours while trying to push with hard hands at Benn. 

Darren Bravo pouched the edge at second slip - his third of five catches.

Bangladesh's collapse would have pleased Kraigg Brathwaite as well. His innings had set West Indies up for a massive total, but he could add only 7 runs to his overnight 205 before his attempted slog off Taijul was caught at short fine-leg by Mominul Haque. 

The West Indies opener spend nine hours and 14 minutes at the crease to amass the slowest double-hundred, in terms of strike-rate, in the last five years.

Ramdin had suggested that West Indies could have exploited Bangladesh's attack better on the second day, prompting Shivnarine Chanderpaul to show a keenness for singles while the rest of the order attempted to hit out. 

They made 77 runs in 17 overs, but the risks they took also afforded left-arm spinner Taijul Islam a five-wicket haul on debut. Chanderpaul, however, remained not on on 85 off off 226 balls with six boundaries. 

This was the 34th time he has not been dismissed in 93 Test innings where he has scored more than 50. He was aided by Mushfiqur Rahim when the Bangladesh captain missed a stumping in the 155th over bowled by Taijul. 

Tea Report: BAN 105/4: Bangladesh's resolve not to falter in their first innings was dealt a major blow when Mominul Haque was dismissed off the last ball before tea.

He had reached his fourth Test fifty, a phlegmatic innings that offered the visitors two and a half hours of calm.

His patience had translated to comfort at the crease when he appeared to tickle Shannon Gabriel down the leg side. Umpire Marais Erasmus judged it out, however Mominul challenged it immediately. Inconclusive replays, however, meant the on-field call was upheld leaving Bangladesh at 105 for four in reply to West Indies' 484 for 7 declared.

Bangladesh's third wicket resisted for 62 runs with Shamsur Rahman also working quite hard to keep the hosts at bay. He wavered against the run of play when a well-flighted delivery from left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn lured the edge to second slip.

Mominul himself had had a lucky escape when he was rushed by Shannon Gabriel in the 16th over, but his pad had interfered with the ball's trajectory onto the stumps. Both batsmen played within themselves, having come together at 18 for 2. 

Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes paid for being loose outside the off stump, giving Denesh Ramdin exactly what he wanted when he declared with an hour left for lunch. 

Tamim chased after Kemar Roach in the fourth over to present a low catch at second slip for Darren Bravo. Imrul's dismissal was a carbon copy, although the bowler was Jerome Taylor.

 

Bangladesh needed discipline at this stage but signs weren't promising. Mominul chased the first delivery he faced, which seemed to prompt him to adopt greater caution. 

Shamsur had a closer call when he nicked to third slip but Kirk Edwards couldn't hold on. The Bangladesh opener was also peppered with short balls and was hit on the elbow and head.

Every Bangladesh that fell would have been pleasing for Kraigg Brathwaite as well. 

His innings had set West Indies up for a massive total, but he could add only 7 runs to his overnight 205 before his attempted slog off Taijul was caught at short fine-leg by Mominul Haque. The West Indies opener spend nine hours and 14 minutes at the crease to amass the slowest double-hundred, in terms of strike-rate, in the last five years.

Ramdin had suggested that West Indies could have exploited Bangladesh's attack better on the second day, prompting Shivnarine Chanderpaul to show a keenness for singles while the rest of the order attempted to hit out. 

They made 77 runs in 17 overs, but the risks they took also afforded left-arm spinner Taijul Islam a five-wicket haul on debut. Chanderpaul, however, remained not on on 85 off off 226 balls with six boundaries. 

This was the 34th time he has not been dismissed in 93 Test innings where he has scored more than 50. He was aided by Mushfiqur Rahim when the Bangladesh captain missed a stumping in the 155th over bowled by Taijul. 

Lunch report: BAN 41/2: Bangladesh lost Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes in pursuit of West Indies' 484 for 7 declared at lunch on the third day.

Shamsur Rahman and Mominul Haque ensured it remained on two wickets when lunch was taken after an extended morning session, though Bangladesh's tendency to fish outside the off stump contributed to a few hairy moments.

Kemar Roach took Tamim's wicket in the fourth over before his new-ball partner Jerome Taylor dismissed Imrul Kayes in the seventh. 

Darren Bravo, at second slip, was just as much party to those wickets by snaring two very good catches diving forward and Bangladesh slipped to 18 for 2. Solidity was an elusive quantity with Mominul flashing at the first ball he faced and Shamsur survived a nick through the cordon as the ball burst through Kirk Edwards.

West Indies' extravagant shots in the morning, though, had merit considering they were pushing towards a declaration. They added 77 runs in 17 overs, but their pursuit for swift runs also gave Taijul Islam, the left-arm spinner, a five-wicket haul on debut.

Kraigg Brathwaite could add only 7 runs to his overnight 205 before his attempted slog off Taijul was caught at short fine-leg by Mominul Haque. The West Indies opener spend nine hours and 14 minutes at the crease to amass the slowest double-hundred, in terms of strike-rate, in the last five years.

His was the innings that set up West Indies' massive total but the pacing could have been better, especially on the truncated second day. He and Shivnarine Chanderpaul had maintained a run rate of 2.55 when neither the pitch nor Bangladesh's bowling threatened. That tactic drew veiled criticism from his captain Denesh Ramdin, who was among three batsmen who got out trying to force the pace.

Jermaine Blackwood, in his second Test match, was leg-before to Rubel Hossain. The batsman had strode off towards square leg when Marais Erasmus had raised his finger. 

After a consultation with Chanderpaul, he opted for a review but the decision stood as umpire's call. Ramdin and Jerome Taylor's attempts to up the ante backfired as well to hand high catches to midwicket and long-on respectively.

Chanderpaul remained unbeaten on 85 off 226 balls with six boundaries. This was the 34th time he has not been dismissed in 93 Test innings where he has scored more than 50. He was aided by Mushfiqur Rahim when the Bangladesh captain missed a stumping in the 155th over bowled by Taijul.

The last action of the West Indies innings was Mahmudullah dropping a low catch at long-on hit by Kemar Roach, and minutes later Ramdin called back the batsmen.

Only T20i ENG 180/7 beat IND 177/5 by 3 runs

England 180-7 (20 overs) - won toss

Fall of wickets: 26-1 (Roy 8), 27-2 (Moeen 0), 75-3 (Hales 40), 85-4 (Root 26), 130-5 (Buttler 10), 166-6 (Morgan 71), 180-7 (Woakes 0)

India 177-5 (20 overs) - England win by three runs

Fall of wickets: 10-1 (Rahane 8), 89-2 (Dhawan 33), 131-3 (Kohli 66), 145-4 (Raina 25), 153-5 (Jadeja 7)

England rounded off their international summer with a thrilling three-run victory over India in their one-off Twenty20 international at Edgbaston.

The match went to the final ball but India captain Mahendra Dhoni failed to hit the six that would have won it.

A blistering 71 off 31 balls from captain Eoin Morgan had lifted the hosts to an imposing total of 180-7.

Virat Kohli put India on course with 66 but fine death bowling by Harry Gurney and Chris Woakes sealed England's win.

With 26 runs required from the last two overs and expert finisher Dhoni at the crease, India appeared favourites. But Gurney, playing only his second T20 international, bowled a tight penultimate over to restrict the tourists to nine.

Dhoni smashed the first ball of Woakes's final over for six only to turn down two singles and leave five needed from the final ball for victory or four to force a Super Over.

When the skipper picked out Moeen Ali at deep square leg and could only complete a single, England were able to celebrate a nail-biting victory.

The riveting contest marked the end of a tour in which England fought back from 1-0 down to win the Test series 3-1 but were then heavily beaten by the same scoreline in the one-day series.

England were indebted to Morgan, whose return to form after a disappointing one-day series will have delighted coach Peter Moores as he plans towards the Sri Lanka one-day tour in November and December, and next year's World Cup.

The Dublin-born left-hander smashed seven sixes and three fours as England pummelled 81 runs from their final five overs.

Morgan's knock reinvigorated an England innings that was in danger of stalling when Joe Root was out for 26 to leave the hosts on 85-4 in the 12th over.

Surrey opener Jason Roy nonchalantly reverse swept his second ball in international cricket for four but could only manage another four runs before pushing Mohammed Shami to cover.

Moeen Ali fell for a duck, Alex Hales was brilliantly caught by Ajinkya Rahane for 40 and Root lashed debutant spinner Karn Sharm to deep midwicket for 29.

Jos Buttler lacked his characteristic fluency as he laboured to 10 off 15 balls, but Ravi Bopara (21 not out) teamed up with Morgan to fire England to an imposing score.

India overcame the early loss of Ajinkya Rahane - bowled round his legs by Moeen - with a partnership of 79 between Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan (33).

Kohli struck nine fours and a six in his first half-century of a difficult summer, but after Dhawan had been bowled by Woakes, he holed out to boost England's chances.

Suresh Raina was bowled by a Gurney yorker for 25 and Ravindra Jadeja ran himself out for seven.

That left Dhoni as India's best hope - but for once even he could not drive his team over the line.

1st Test Day 2 WI 407/3 v BAN

Stumps WI 407/3: Kraigg Brathwaite raised his maiden double-century - the third youngest West Indian to the mark at 21 years and 279 days - but his watchfulness contributed to a slow second day at Arnos Vale.

Their run rate dipped below three, allowing Bangladesh some breathing space despite them not picking up any wickets.

Persistent overnight rain ate three hours and 45 minutes away from the day, but West Indies managed 407 for three after the 56 overs that were possible. Brathwaite and his hero Shivnarine Chanderpaul added 146 runs at a run-rate of 2.49 per over.

The morning session was lost to a wet outfield, however the hosts were in no rush to make up for lost time. They took 80 runs from 28 overs after lunch and were happy with scoring at a measly 2.25 runs in the final session's play.

The pitch wasn't doing much and Bangladesh's bowling was steady at best. There were moments when caution was needed, but not in the final session when the spinners looped the ball into the slot with the field up. Towards stumps, the Bangladesh fielders were joking about keeping this partnership going into the third day.

Every team, barring Zimbabwe, have struck at more than three runs an over against Bangladesh over the past five years. Had West Indies followed their average of 3.31 runs per over, they would have reached 450.

Initially though, things were tough. Rubel Hossain used the new ball to nip past Chanderpaul's outside edge and into the keeper's gloves. 

The appeal was instantaneous, but the umpire disagreed. Mushfiqur Rahim, misled by the noise of bat hitting ground, opted for a review and lost it. There were a few more deliveries that beat the bat, and there was enough reason for the two batsmen to stick to their naturally circumspect style of play.

Brathwaite added to his reputation of being stubborn with Chanderpaul, one of the bests exponents of that trait, to guide him. He favoured pace on the ball, hitting a couple of fours off Rubel in the 96th over with cuts and pulls.

Taijul Islam posed greater threat, beating Brathwaite a number of times. However, the batsman corrected his tendency to hang hang back in the crease against the spinners and began working Shuvagata Hom and Taijul quite well through the on-side to ease past his 150.

Chanderpaul barely put a wrong foot after the initial half an hour, waiting for the poor delivery to get runs. He eventually reached his fifty off 171 balls, in the same over that Brathwaite secured his double ton and West Indies moved past 400.

Brathwaite had been bogged down in the 190s. He spent 39 deliveries nudging around before reaching his double hundred with slog off Mahmudullah, the same bowler he had hit the boundary to reach his century on the first day. He claimed all his previous landmarks - 50, 100 and 150 - with fours as well. He hit 14 in all, but played out 314 dots from 437 balls faced. 

Tea WI 344/3: Persistent overnight rain ate three hours and 45 minutes away from the second day and when play resumed Kraigg Brathwaite and Shivnarine Chanderpaul took West Indies to 344 for three at tea, with Bangladesh managing only a few close shaves.

Brathwaite was unbeaten on 166, adding 83 for the fourth wicket with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was not out on 27 off 96 balls. 

They were cautious, excessively so at times, which helped Al-Amin Hossain and Rubel Hossain pose a threat with the new ball. However, both batsmen weathered the tricky period and reinforced West Indies' authority on the Test.

A wet outfield put paid to the the morning session. Rubel sensed a chance in the second over of the day when he had Chanderpaul pushing outside the off-stump. Mushfiqur Rahim had heard a noise before snapping up a simple chance but umpire Marais Erasmus was unmoved by his appeal. Bangladesh opted for a review, but replays confirmed that Chanderpaul's bat hit the ground and he had missed the ball.

An hour later, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam beat Brathwaite outside the off-stump. Soon though, Brathwaite corrected his tendency to hang hang back in the crease against the spinners and began working Shuvagata Hom and Taijul quite well through the on-side en route to making the best score by an opener in 2014.

Brathwaite favoured pace on the ball, hitting a couple of fours off Rubel in the 96th over with cuts and pulls. He finally reached his 150 in the 100th over by sweeping Shuvagata, adding to the tradition of West Indies batsmen getting big hundreds against Bangladesh. He reached 150 off 305 balls, with 11 fours.

Chanderpaul's presence added to West Indies' solidity but they also scored at a lesser rate than the first day. They ended the session adding 80 runs at 2.86 per over, which is also the result of a better, fuller length by Bangladesh's bowlers.

No play before Lunch rain

Triangular Series Final SA beat AUS

South Africa 221 for 4 (du Plessis 96, de Villiers 57*) beat Australia 217 for 9 (Faulkner 40, Steyn 4-35) by six wickets

South Africa won a first-ever tri-series title against Australia after a Dale Steyn bowling masterclass handed them the advantage and an anchoring innings from Faf du Plessis - which ended just four short of what would have been a fourth century in the series - guided a composed chase. 

Steyn's four wickets, which included two in two balls, led a surge through the Australian middle-order in which South Africa plucked five wickets for 29 runs. South Africa paced the reply perfectly using du Plessis' purple patch as the pivot and winning with 9.1 overs remaining.

On a pitch that had not been used in the tournament so far, run-scoring remained slow and South Africa chose to use both specialist spinners in their squad. 

Aaron Phangiso and Imran Tahir squeezed Australia and gave away just 76 runs in their 20 overs but the wickets came from the pace spearhead. Steyn found movement early on and reverse-swing by the half-way stage. Australia could not muster anything similar, nor could they find a way to dislodge du Plessis who eventually fell searching for his milestone.

Movement was on offer from the outset but it did not account for the initial breakthrough because Phillip Hughes' overeagerness to show aggression did. 

He hit the first ball of Steyn's third over hard but AB de Villiers had moved himself out of slip and to short cover, where he collected a stinger. Similarly, after Wayne Parnell's opening over cost nine runs, Steve Smith tried to take the left-armer on and top-edged a pull that ballooned straight up for David Miller to take the catch running in from mid-on.

South Africa introduced spin as soon as the Powerplay was complete and they enforced a stranglehold. The next ten overs brought only 34 runs as Phangiso found bounce and Tahir used the googly to good effect. Ultimately, it was Tahir's variation that accounted for George Bailey who chopped one on as he failed to pick the wrong 'un.

Australia needed a batsman to partner Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh looked the candidate to do the job when he got on top of a Morne Morkel short ball but he also found the going tough. The strike was seldom rotated, although it was to give Finch his third fifty of the tournament and Australia were stuck when Steyn's second spell launched in full swing, literally.

Finch's growing unease was exposed when Steyn ripped through the bat-pad gap and wrenched the stumps from the ground. With his next ball, Steyn trapped Glenn Maxwell on the back foot to open Australia up. After a six off Tahir, Marsh's threat was also blunted when he inside-edged a Parnell delivery onto his stumps in the over before the Powerplay, leaving the lower-middle-order with a big job.

They could not complete it after Steyn trapped Haddin and Morkel had Mitchell Johnson was caught on the boundary. Australia were 144 for 8 with 12 overs remaining and in danger of totalling less than their lowest score of the series - 209 for 9 when they lost Zimbabwe - but James Faulkner had other ideas.

His first task was to bat out overs and he employed an industrious approach with Mitchell Starc for seven in which they added only 23 runs. Once the last five overs dawned, the pair pushed. Starc cleared long-on off Phangiso, Steyn's final over cost 13 runs with Faulkner hitting him to cow corner and extra cove and Australia inched over 200. Fifty runs came off the last five overs to give Australia's bowlers something to work with but they needed to dig holes in South Africa's line-up early and often.

Johnson fired it in fast but Amla was prepared and negotiated him with care. It was at the other end that Australia had success. Glenn Maxwell shared the new ball and when Quinton de Kock tried to launch him over the leg-side, he got a leading edge to cover. That brought du Plessis in early again and gave him the time he needed to craft his innings.

Du Plessis' touch was Midas-like as he drove through the covers, swatted short balls to mid-wicket and skipped down the track to Faulkner to hit him for six and bring up a fifty with Amla, who was almost invisible. Amla was the silent partner but equally effective in rotating strike.

Du Plessis gave Australia an opportunity when he was on 34 as he skied one over long-off but Finch could not judge his position well enough to take the catch. After the let-off du Plessis punished Lyon to reach his fifty off 45 balls, before Amla got to his, off 72 deliveries in the next over. Amla only added another run and then hit a Smith long hop straight to cover.

Wayne Parnell was promoted to No.4 in an experiment that did not work because it slowed South Africa down. His partnership with du Plessis lasted for 30 balls and yielded 14 runs to allow Australia to regain some control. Parnell chopped Faulkner onto his stumps but even at 126 for 3, South Africa's position was far from precarious.

Normal service resumed when de Villiers joined du Plessis and they ate into the remainder of the target, patiently at first and then with more intent as Australia's bowlers grew 

frustrated. 

De Villiers became impatient as the 40th over began and decided to end things quickly. South Africa needed 23 runs and du Plessis nine to become the first batsman to record four centuries in an ODI series. De Villiers took two sixes and a four off Faulkner to reduce the target. South Africa team required six to win at the end over. Du Plessis needed eight.

He smashed four off the first ball of Johnson's final over, refused a single off the next ball and then saw the third called a no-ball. In his attempt to reach the boundary to get his century, du Plessis holed out to mid-on to leave de Villiers to hit the winning runs and secure a trophy for South Africa in the lead-up to the World Cup. 

1st Test Day 1 WI 264/3 v BAN

WI 264/3 (87 overs)

FOW: 1/116 Gayle 64, 2/133 Edwards 10, 3/261 Bravo 62

Lunch Report: West Indies only had a couple of moments of concern during the first two hours of play at Arnos Vale, while moving to 103 for no loss at lunch. Chris Gayle, who was involved in both chances, moved to 61 and looks menacing for Bangladesh.

In the 18th over, Al-Amin Hossain misfielded at mid-off, but Gayle was too slow to come back for the second. His reach saved him in the end as replays showed he had inched to safety when Rubel Hossain removed the bails. A couple of overs later, Gayle offered Rubel a return catch but the bowler was hit by the ball before he could cup his hands together. Gayle had just reached his fifty.

The visitors picked three specialist bowlers, but that didn't stop Mushfiqur Rahim from choosing to bowl. His reasoning was that early morning moisture might assist the quicks, but on the field he resorted to offspinner Mahmudullah in the fifth over, after Rubel Hossain gave 13 runs in two overs.

There was barely any threat, either from the bowling or from the pitch. Gayle and Kraigg Brathwaite sussed the situation quickly. They did not need to take extravagant chances. Apart from some control from Al-Amin and the odd delivery that moved back at Gayle, Bangladesh didn't have much to offer.

Gayle found boundaries through the offside almost at will, and he chose his shots well. He played mostly in front of the wicket, with his usual minimal footwork and reached his 37th Test fifty with a six over midwicket off the debutant left-arm spinner Taijul Islam.

Brathwaite was steadfast and let Gayle do most of the scoring. He struck his first three boundaries on the off side, a straight drill off Mahmudullah the most attractive of them. He took the opening partnership past hundred, their first since July 2012, when he drove Taijul through extra-cover.

Taijul and the other debutant Shuvagata Hom were both given early look-ins, but were not too effective. Taijul flighted the ball and was encouraged by a bit of turn but Shuvagoto found it hard to find a consistent area. Al-Amin bowled a good first spell, and gave away his first runs after five maidens.

Rubel came back after being taken off after two overs and bowled better but Bangladesh's main concern, apparent from the first morning of the Test series, has to be the lack of threat from any of the bowlers. 

Tea Report: West Indies lost their way slightly in the second session before rebuilding to preserve their sound position at Arnos Vale. They were 182 for two at tea with opener Kraigg Brathwaite keeping his shape with an unbeaten 89.

He was helped by Darren Bravo to thwart the Bangladesh bowlers, who bowled much better in the second session. They slowed down West Indies considerably. 

Till lunch, Chris Gayle and Brathwaite had scored at 3.55 per over but debutants Taijul Islam and Shuvagata Hom bowled tightly in tandem after the interval and picked up a wicket each to have the hosts 133 for 2 at one stage.

Both attacked Gayle, with the left-armer Taijul turning it into his off stump and the offspinner Shuvagata getting the ball to leave him slightly, enough to put some doubt in his mind.

Gayle soon became the first wicket to fall. He had added just three runs off 22 balls to his lunch score of 61, finding Taijul's over-the-wicket angle stifling. He was eventually trapped leg-before by Shuvagata, who needed the aid of the DRS after umpire Marais Erasmus rejected his appeal.

But replays confirmed that the ball had pitched in line, struck Gayle's front leg in front of middle as he looked to sweep, and was going to hit the middle and leg stump halfway up. Three overs later, Taijul got in on the act.

He had been tossing the ball up and was encouraged regularly by captain Mushfiqur Rahim from behind the wicket. The plan was to try and get Brathwaite to play a shot or two but while he resisted the temptation, they had a willing respondent in Kirk Edwards, who struck a four and a six in his first 13 balls.

Taijul then got one to spin on him, pitching on middle and leg. Edwards tried to turn the ball towards the legside, against the turn, and the leading edge gave Mominul Haque a straightforward catch at silly mid-off. It was Edwards' third consecutive low score during this tour.

Bravo proved the right balance for Brathwaite's stodginess, as he found the runs that needed picking up as there was the odd bad ball from the Bangladesh bowlers almost every over. Brathwaite moved to his fifty early in the session, off 126 balls, and played another 70 balls solidly.

Gayle provided the early impetus for West Indies, hammering 10 boundaries and a six to reach his 37th fifty. He waited for the boundaries but made sure every half-volley or half-tracker was dealt with. Bangladesh bowled without any threat in the first session, going wicketless till lunch.

Gayle and Brathwaite added West Indies' first 100-plus opening stand in more than two years after Mushfiqur decided to field after winning the toss on what turned out to look like a decent batting pitch.

Al-Amin Hossain and Rubel Hossain bowled well in spurts, but it wasn't going to bring Bangladesh wickets as they weren't really bowling at full tilt in trying to find accuracy.

Taijul grew in confidence the longer his spell went, finding more reason to flight the ball. Shuvagata, predominantly a batsman, also found his groove coming around the wicket, ensuring Bravo didn't get away too much. 

Stumps Report: Kraigg Brathwaite's quintessential Test innings, an unbeaten 123, directed West Indies towards early control of the first Test against Bangladesh at Arnos Vale. A third rain break at exactly 5.00pm ended the first day's play with West Indies 264 for three.

It was Brathwaite's second century, coming in the space of three Tests having scored his last one against New Zealand at Port-of-Spain in June. He hasn't played much cricket since that series, so he must have retained rigorous focus.

West Indies lost a late wicket when Bravo got out for 62 off 126 balls, getting a bit too impish for his own good. He struck Taijul Islam for two consecutive fours over mid-off towards the fag end of the day but he tried to repeat the shot even after the bowler changed angle and went around the wicket and hit him straight to the fielder, Mahmudullah.

But that was one of precious few bright moments for Bangladesh on a day when they picked only three specialist bowlers and put West Indies in to bat in what looked like and later proved to be excellent batting conditions. It was enough encouragement for Brathwaite, who hardly dithered from his known and trusted method.

Brathwaite let Chris Gayle to do all the scoring at first, before reaching his fifty at the start of the second session. 

West Indies lost two wickets quickly but he remained unfazed, again letting his partner get the boundaries as he went after only the deliveries that were too wide or two full or both. Hardly anything troubled Brathwaite, except for a few missed flashes and the odd ball from Rubel Hossain that jumped on him.

When the opener hung back on his backfoot, the bowlers didn't bowl full enough, and Al-Amin didn't make him play enough, bowling a one-day line wide outside off stump.

Brathwaite reached his century off 219 balls, having struck eight boundaries at that point. 

To reach the three-figure mark, Mahmudullah offered him a full-toss which he slapped past cover for a boundary. This was reward for his patience. He was further rewarded on 113 when Mushfiqur him off Shuvagata Hom when he got one to go with the around-the-wicket angle and kiss his outside edge.

But some credit is due to the Bangladesh bowlers, especially the two newcomers. Taijul, the left-arm spinner, and Shuvagata, the offspinning allrounder, became the 72nd and 73rd Test players for the country, and they had an eventful first day.

The pair bowled the majority of the overs, picking up all three wickets. They looked lost at first, but soon they discovered the rewards of bowling proactively. They stuck to trusted lines, and slowly began to bowl like they would in domestic cricket.

Gayle's wicket was Bangladesh's first success of the match. Having made 61 before lunch, he added just three runs off 21 balls after the break, with the two newcomers muffling his strokeplay. Both attacked his off stump, either spinning in or leaving him slightly. 

Eventually he missed a sweep off Shuvagata, but umpire Marais Erasmus denied the loud appeal.

Mushfiqur took an extra second to call for the review, but it looked straight and the replays confirmed it had pitched in line, struck Gayle's front pad in front of the stumps and was going on to hit middle stump.

Gayle had played very well in the first session, reaching his fifty off 62 balls. He threaded the off-side field quite well, taking every chance to pick up runs as his opening partner remained circumspect. 

He struck most of his boundaries in front of the wicket, and got to his 37th fifty with a six over wide mid-on off Taijul. He survived two chances in the first session: a run-out appeal that had him just reach the bowlers' end to complete a second run. Just after reaching 50, Gayle was dropped by Rubel Hossain off his own bowling.

After Shuvagata dismissed Gayle, it was Taijul's turn to take his first Test wicket. 

Kirk Edwards, batting at No 3 and under a bit of pressure after two low scores in the ODI series, attacked from the onset. He quickly got to 10 with a four and a straight six, but Taijul continued to toss the ball up, and took his leading edge in the 43rd over as he looked to work the ball against the turn. Mominul Haque took a sharp catch at silly mid-off, making it 133 for 2.

Brathwaite and Bravo added 128 for the third wicket, with very few deliveries threatening them. There was one from Rubel that reared at Brathwaite but he looked unbeatable outside the off stump. With the inexperienced attack fading in the final session, he got plenty of bad balls to get to his second Test century. Taijul started bowling short and Shuvagata gave away three full-tosses in his 19th over.

Mushfiqur would have wanted Rubel to bowl better too, with his preferred older ball. 

But apart from dropping Gayle and the odd good spell, his efforts never looked like they would get him a wicket. Bangladesh would have also liked Mahmudullah to bowl a lot better, but he went at over six an over and Mushfiqur could only get five overs out of his senior offspinner. 

5th ODI ENG V IND

ENG 294/7

Fall of wickets: 23-1 (Hales 4), 39-2 (Moeen 9), 91-3 (Cook 46), 117-4 (Morgan 14), 225-5 (Buttler 49), 249-6 (Root 113), 265-7 (Woakes 9)

Cook	c Dhoni	b Raina	46
Hales	c Rahane	b Yadav	4
Moeen	c Yadav	b B Kumar	9
Root	c Ashwin	b Shami	113
Morgan	st Dhoni	b Ashwin	14
Buttler	run out Dhoni		49
Stokes	not out		29
Woakes		b Shami	9
Tredwell	not out		8
Extras		5w 1b 3lb	9

An innings of 113 from Joe Root has helped England to 294-7 in the final one-day international against India at Headingley.

After losing the toss, England saw Alex Hales fall for four before Moeen Ali was dismissed for nine to leave the hosts on 39-2.

Alastair Cook, who was desperately in need of an improved performance, hit six fours on the way to registering 46 off 63 balls before he mistimed a sweep while attempting to nudge closer to his half-century.

England were reduced to 117-4 when Eoin Morgan went cheaply for 14 but Root and Jos Buttler steadied the ship before taking their side past the 200-mark.

Buttler was agonisingly run out for 49 but Root kicked on to reach three figures before getting out for his highest one-day international score when flicking the ball straight to Ravichandran Ashwin.

However, Ben Stokes ended his side's innings with 33 off 23 balls to give England a chance of avoiding a 4-0 series defeat.

IND 253

Fall of wickets: 0-1 (Rahane 0), 25-2 (Kohli 13), 49-3 (Dhawan 31), 91-4 (Raina 18), 132-5 (Rayudu 53), 173-6 (Dhoni 29), 203-7 (Ashwin 16), 208-8 (Kumar 1), 209-9 (Shami 0), 253-10 (Jadeja 87)

Rahane	c Morgan	b Anderson	0
Dhawan		b Moeen	31
Kohli	c Cook	b Anderson	13
Rayudu	c Cook	b Stokes	53
Raina	c Buttler	b Moeen	18
Dhoni	c Stokes	b Finn	29
Jadeja		b Finn	87
Ashwin	c Finn	b Stokes	16
B Kumar	run out Finn		1
Shami	c Hales	b Stokes	0
Yadav	not out		0
Extras		5w	5

Joe Root scored his second one-day international century to help England beat India by 41 runs in the final match of the series at Headingley on Friday.

The middle-order batsman made 113 on his home ground as the hosts posted their first competitive total of a series which they end up losing 3-1.

India, who had won the three previous matches by emphatic margins, inserted England hoping to restrict them to a low score once again, and had them 39-2 when Alex Hales and Moeen Ali went for single figures.

Root came together with Alastair Cook to put on 52 for the third wicket before England's captain was caught behind off Suresh Raina for 45, and MS Dhoni claimed another victim when he stumped Eoin Morgan for 14.

It was Root's stand with Jos Buttler which defined the game, as the two youngsters added 108 in a partnership which initially stabilised the England innings and then gave it some much-needed impetus.

Buttler hit seven boundaries, including two sixes, in a 40-ball knock of 49 before he was run out by Dhoni, trying to steal a single behind the wicket, and Root accelerated at the other end to bring up his hundred.

The Yorkshireman eventually went for a crucial 113, which came at better than a run a ball, and Ben Stokespicked up where they left off to bludgeon a quickfire 33 which took England to 294-7.

India's reply began poorly when Ajinkya Rahane, a centurion at Edgbaston earlier this week, softly chipped up to Morgan at point off the third ball to become James Anderson's first wicket of the series.

The seamer soon had Virat Kohli caught behind in a familiar scene from this summer's Tests, and Moeen again contributed an important wicket when he bowled Shikhar Dhawan for 31 to leave India on 49-3.

Steven Finn had new batsmen Ambati Rayudu and Raina both dropped early on, but the latter would not be given a second life when he feathered a Moeen delivery into the gloves of Buttler for 18.

Rayudu chanced his arm for 53, but the Indians continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and a fledgling partnership between Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja was thrown away when the visiting skipper slashed a Finn long hop to Stokes at cover.

he tourists needed over ten an over with Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin at the crease, and Stokes soon made their task even more mountainous when he took two wickets on his way to figures of 3-47.

Jadeja swung from the hip with his side nine down and scored all 48 runs that were added by India's final pair, but played on to Finn for 87 while seeking three figures as India were bowled out for 253.

Triangular Series Game 6 SA V ZIM

South Africa 271 for 6 (du Plessis 121, Duminy 51) beat Zimbabwe 208 (Taylor 79, Duminy 3-35) by 63 runs

South Africa secured their place in the triangular series final against Australia thanks to a third century in the competition from Faf du Plessis, which formed the spine of a target too tall for Zimbabwe to chase. 

Du Plessis shared a 103-run stand with JP Duminy for the fifth wicket and led the final assault which helped South Africa take 61 runs off the last five overs to put a place in the final beyond Zimbabwe's reach.

The hosts had to reach the score in 25.2 overs to earn a bonus point and improve their run-rate enough to leapfrog South Africa but at a required run-rate of 10.83 to the over that was always going to be a tough ask. 

Zimbabwe have only managed over 200 once in the five ODIs they played before this one and, although they crossed the mark again this time, their batting let them down again. 

Aside from a welcome return to form for Brendan Taylor, who scored his first-half century in six innings, no one else managed to stay at the crease for longer than 41 minutes or score more than 29 runs.

This was the last of five ODIs played between South Africa and Zimbabwe over the past three weeks and it was a microcosm of all of them. Zimbabwe were disciplined in the field, after Elton Chigumbura asked South Africa to bat first. 

Their spinners enforced a stranglehold which kept South Africa quiet for most of the first 45 overs of their innings but, because they lacked the incisiveness to keep taking wickets, one batsman anchored and set up for a final assault. Du Plessis was that that man.

As soon as the score moved beyond 220, Zimbabwe's chances of winning, not in the overs they needed to get to the final, but overall, were dimmed. Their opening partnership remains brittle, their middle-order soft and their tail brave but inadequate even against a South African attack that was a man short.

After a collapse against Australia in their previous match, South Africa chose to bulk up the batting by adding Rilee Rossouw to the XI and had to bench a bowler. Imran Tahir missed out to leave South Africa with just one specialist spinner in Aaron Phangiso. 

Had Zimbabwe found a partnership as stubborn as the du Plessis-Duminy one, South Africa may have been found wanting but poor shot selection and wavering temperament continue to stunt their progress.

They can look to South Africa's approach as inspiration. When the openers were dismissed in the first eight overs, there was no panic despite the inexperienced player at No.4. 

Rossouw had two first-ball ducks to his name before this and Zimbabwe could have got through him and into the middle order but he showed more composure this time, particularly against spin.

Rossouw used his feet fairly well, brought out the sweep and reverse sweep and left du Plessis to be the aggressor. For all Rossouw's caution, he could do nothing about the Sean Williams delivery that turned into him as he went back to cut and bowled him but he had acquitted himself well enough to show his promise.

De Villiers was run-out cheaply at the non-strikers' end to give Zimbabwe another chance to take control but Duminy denied them that. He played a Test-match style innings with du Plessis which focused on finding gaps and rotating strike rather than muscling through. 

They did not breach the boundary for nine overs, including during the Powerplay but importantly, did not lose a wicket in that period either to ensue the foundation was laid.

Du Plessis eventually broke the drought in the 43rd over when he creamed Malcolm Waller through the offside and then slammed Nyumbu for six over long-on. As his century approached, fatigue shrouded du Plessis but he knew he needed to provide impetus at the end. Duminy was equally aware of the task.

In one eventful Madziva over, Duminy swatted one to the square leg boundary and then recorded his first half-century of the series, then top-edged and was dismissed, du Plessis inside-edged a ball for four to register a hundred in 135 balls and hammered the bowler for six over long-off. South Africa had the freedom to hit out at the end and ended up with a comfortable score on a sluggish surface.

Zimbabwe had prepared for a speedy start by inserting Vusi Sibanda in at the top but in his haste he was run out. Sikandar Raza threatened for the umpteenth time and then thew it away while Hamilton Masakadza also got a start he should have turned into something more significant.

Taylor was the only one to demonstrate an understanding of the approach required on this pitch with a patient start and careful application of when to attack. Taylor was composed but with Phangiso and Duminy turning the ball and the fear factor of Dale Steyn, Zimbabwe's middle-order crumbled and with it, their chance to cause another upset. 

Triangular Series Game 5 AUS beat SA

Australia 282 for 7 (Marsh 86*, Hughes 85) beat South Africa 220 (Du Plessis 126, Marsh 2-23) by 62 runs

Mitchell Marsh almost single-handedly took Australia into the tri-series final, first by plundering 86 off 51 balls, including 21 off a single Dale Steyn over, and then with two wickets to dent South Africa's chase. The bonus-point victory has guaranteed Australia spot in Saturday's showdown but put South Africa's in some danger. If they lose to Zimbabwe by a massive margin, so much so that the hosts gain a bonus point and improve the net run-rate, South Africa could be on an early flight home.

Marsh's blitz injected life into an Australian innings that was solid at the start but became stuck through the middle periods against a stranglehold of spin. He shared in a 71-run stand with Brad Haddin for the sixth wicket, which included taking 60 runs off five overs from the 44th over, as South Africa struggled for a death-bowling option. Those runs ultimately proved the difference between the two sides on a scruffy, sluggish surface on which run-scoring was laboured.

Less than a week after they gunned down a target of 328 against Australia, South Africa stumbled in search of a significantly smaller target. Only Faf du Plessis had some measure of what was required and only he managed a score more than 24. Du Plessis' second ODI century came six days after his first, but in much more trying circumstances because he lacked support.

South Africa's middle-order was untested thus far but in their first stern examination were exposed against pace and pressure, as they have been in the past. JP Duminy, David Miller and to a lesser extend Ryan McLaren left South Africa's long tail with too much to do and threw the spotlight on whether they were a batsman light or whether their bowling was what them down.

For nine-tenths of their time in the field, South Africa operated with discipline, from the opening passages where JP Duminy shared the new ball with Steyn, during the Phillip Hughes-Steven Smith stand of 85 for the second wicket and through the batting Powerplay in which they conceded only 20 runs and took two wickets.

South Africa's specialist spinners, Imran Tahir and Aaron Phangiso, gave away just 81 runs in 20 overs and contributed to a boundary drought that had the rope being breached just once in 10 overs. They limited Hughes and Smith to collecting runs judiciously rather than freely and only Hughes' sprightly start ensured his half-century was achieved at almost a run a ball, off 51 deliveries. They also snaffled three wickets to leave Australia in danger of a posting a total below 250.

But Marsh changed that when he switched from spectator to instigator as the innings neared its end. He tested the water when he drove Steyn through the covers for four and charged Tahir for six. What followed had not been done in ODI cricket before today. Marsh hit Steyn back over his head for six three times off three deliveries.

In a single over, Marsh's took his own score went from 29 to 50, off just 37 balls, which forced de Villiers to look elsewhere for a death bowler. McLaren offered little better. He missed the yorker on too many occasions and then relied on a short ball. Marsh punished all of it to give Australia a score they would have thought defendable, especially after they removed both South African openers inside ten overs of the reply.

Despite that, du Plessis stirred memories of last Wednesday's effort when he flat-batted Marsh over his head twice but those would have dimmed somewhat when de Villiers swept Nathan Lyon to backward square leg. With Duminy and du Plessis at the crease, South Africa had their best chance at recovery but Australia squeezed, allowing them to score at only four runs to the over. Duminy soon pulled one straight to fine leg and David Miller's defenses were shattered by a fiery Johnson short ball and his own lack of footwork to leave South Africa 101 for 5.

Du Plessis found some assistance from McLaren, who stayed with him for 12.2 overs and contributed 24 runs in a stand of 73. Du Plessis was the senior partner, slamming Mitchell Starc for six twice and lofting Lyon inside-out over cover to reach touching distance of his century. McLaren holed out before du Plessis could get to the milestone, which he reached off 94 balls in the next over.

By then South Africa's challenge was all but over, barring any fireworks from Steyn. He was run out, du Plessis trod on his own stumps and Johnson and Maxwell shared last rites to bowl South Africa out in 44 overs and pick Australia up after their defeat to Zimbabwe in the best way possible.

4th ODI IND beat ENG by 9 wkts

INDIA

212-1 (30.3 overs) won by nine wickets

Not out batsmen: Dhawan 97, Kohli 1

Fall of wickets: 1-183 (Rahane 106)

Bowling figures: Anderson 6-1-38-0, Gurney 6.3-0-51-1, Finn 7-0-38-0, Woakes 4-0-40-0, Moeen 7-0-40-0

ENGLAND

206 all out (49.3 overs) - India won toss

Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Hales 6), 2-16 (Cook 9), 3-23 (Ballance 7), 4-103 (Morgan 32), 5-114 (Root 44), 6-164 (Buttler 11), 7-194 (Woakes 10), 8-201 (Moeen 67), 9-202 (Finn 3), 10-206 (Gurney 3)

Bowling figures: Kumar 8-3-14-2, Kulkarni 7-0-35-0, Shami 7.3-1-28-3, Ashwin 10-0-48-1, Jadeja 10-0-40-2, Raina 7-0-36-1

India sent England to a humiliating nine-wicket defeat to win the fourth one-day international at Edgbaston and win the five-match series 3-0.

Set only 207 to win, Ajinkya Rahane made 106 and Shikhar Dhawan 97 not out as India won with 117 balls to spare.

England never recovered from slumping to 23-3 after being asked to bat.

Only Moeen Ali, who made 67 from 52 deliveries, showed any sort of fluency and England's 206 all out always looked way short of being competitive.

Three inept performances have sent Alastair Cook's side to defeat in their final home series before the World Cup, with seven matches in Sri Lanka and a tri-series against Australia and India to come before the tournament in February.

Cook reacted angrily to former off-spinner Graeme Swann's suggestion that England cannot win the World Cup - claims that came before a ball was bowled in this series - but results have only supported Swann's theory.

This latest dismal display saw the majority of England's batsmen incapable of scoring runs when faced with accurate, but not devastating, bowling, while the home attack was then decimated by Rahane and Dhawan.

It was only the brilliance of Moeen that gave England any crumb of comfort, as the left-hander's confidence and aggression provided his team-mates with a lesson in limited-overs run-scoring.

In the side for James Tredwell as one of three changes - Gary Ballance and Harry Gurney also replaced Ian Bell and Ben Stokes - Moeen arrived at the crease with the score at 114-5 and dragged England towards respectability.

Whereas the rest of England's middle order were rendered shotless against India's trio of slow bowlers, Moeen was prepared to use his feet in hitting down the ground and square of the wicket for three sixes.

If Moeen impressed, then the England top order had earlier been static in immediately surrendering the initiative.

With Bhuvneshwar Kumar moving the ball in the air, a flat-footed Alex Hales was bowled by an inswinger and, in the same over, the under-pressure Cook cut to gully.

Soon after, Ballance presented a leading edge off Mohammed Shami to cover and, even as early as the eighth over of the match, England looked beaten.

All in all, the opening 10-over powerplay contained four maidens and, though Joe Root and Eoin Morgan attempted to rebuild, their 81-run stand took 21 overs to be compiled.

Both fell to spin - Morgan tamely guiding Ravindra Jadeja to leg slip and Root reverse-sweeping Suresh Raina to point - before England were hampered by Jos Buttler being harshly adjudged leg before to Shami.

Moeen dragged them past 200, but England were bowled out with three balls to spare and were then embarrassed by the way that Rahane and Dhawan set about the chase.

Taking only four singles from the first four overs, the opening pair then sprung into life, firstly with orthodox strokes, then some brutal hitting.

Strong through mid-wicket and down the ground, both cleared the ropes regularly. Rahane took James Anderson, Steven Finn and Moeen for maximums, with Dhawan doing the same to Gurney and Chris Woakes, whose four overs cost 40 runs.

By the end, it was barely a contest, as Rahane and Dhawan scored all around the wicket at will. Rahane completed his maiden ODI hundred from 96 balls, before surprisingly guiding a Gurney full toss to Cook at cover.

It was left to Virat Kohli to accompany Dhawan, who won the match with another six, as India showed Cook's men just how far away they are from succeeding them as World Cup winners.