Yuvraj Singh produced another match-winning display, this time with bat and ball, to lead India to a 54-run victory over England and give his side a 2-0 series lead.
Yuvraj passed a fitness test on a back injury after he crashed a quick-fire century in the first match on Friday and went on to plunder 118 off 122 balls on Monday at Indore, helping India to 292-9. Virender Sehwag said afterwards he thought before the game that 220 to 240 would be a good total.
Yuvraj's part-time left-arm spin bowling then claimed 4-28 from ten overs, with all of his victims England’s four highest scorers, including the two most dangerous men in the line-up Andrew Flintoiff and captain Kevin Pietersen as England managed 238.
Having won both matches, India are now well positioned to win the seven-match series and follow on from their emphatic 5-1 series victory over England in 2006.
England, under Pietersen’s new regime, are being dragged back down to earth after their 4-0 home series win over South Africa in September. They have now lost four of their last five matches in all types of cricket.
Possibly the most impressive aspect to Yuvraj’s latest and tenth one-day international hundred was the fact he came to the crease with India struggling on 29-3. Yet he was still able to kick on and play a typically aggressive innings, while being well supported by opener Gautam Gambhir, who made 70.
Rajasthan Royals star Yusuf Pathan also chipped in with a vital 50 not out from just 29 deliveries towards the end of the innings. He clubbed four sixes. Stuart Broad was England’s best bowler on show with 4-55 from his ten overs.
England’s innings suffered from having too many static periods, especially when spinners Harbahajan Singh (1-45 from ten overs) and Yuvraj bowled in tandem. Even Matt Prior, normally an efficient hitter, required 64 balls for his 38. England competed for a win realistically for only about eight overs, when Flintoff (43 from 35) accelerated during the third power-play.
The third match of the series will be played at Kanpur on Thursday. India, fresh from a 2-0 Test series win over world champions Australia, will be seeking to all but wrap up the series to head into the two-match Test rubber in good spirits.
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