At Kochi, April 6, 2006. India won by four wickets. Toss: England.

With three games to go, India settled the series. They also beat West Indies' record of 14 successful one-day run-chases in a row (from February 1985 to November 1986) thanks to another display of all-round excellence against increasingly shambolic opposition. England's total of 237 on the best pitch of the series so far was at least fifty below par; once Dravid, throwing caution to the wind, and Pathan had added 76 for the second wicket, the result was hardly in doubt. England brought in Batty and Hoggard for Plunkett and Mahmood, but the most significant change was the return of Pietersen for Shah. Still not 100% fit after his illness, he was top scorer for the tenth time in his twenty one-day innings for England. But when Dravid finally deployed his second powerplay, Pietersen top-edged a slog-sweep in its first over and Flintoff dragged Yuvraj Singh to short midwicket in the next. Though Jones made a thoughtful 49, batting with a runner after straining his left thigh (Prior took over as keeper), another England position of strength had come to nothing.

Man of the Match: Yuvraj Singh.