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India vs England, 3rd Test at Kolkata, , Dec 05 2012 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
3rd Test, Eden Gardens, December 05 - 09, 2012, England tour of India
316 & 247
(T:41) 523 & 41/3

England won by 7 wickets

Player Of The Match
190
alastair-cook
New
ENG 2nd Innings
Full commentary

That's it from Kolkata. England can celebrate long into the Kolkata night. India will move straight to the selection-committee meeting. Will tough calls be made? We will know soon. England 2-1. Can't lose the series now. But they will be disgusted if they go back with a drawn series. We will see you in Nagpur. Until then goodbye from me, Sidharth Monga, Andrew McGlashan, Alan Gardner and Alex Winter. Cheers

Quotes from Presentation

"We need to give bowlers a few more runs," says MS Dhoni. "We haven't scored consistently over 300. On this wicket we should have scored 450 or above. The batsmen who got starts didn't make it matter. In the second innings, it was like a landslide we couldn't stop. We have everything to play for in Nagpur. Everybody needs to pull up their socks. OF course the better team won. They bowled in the right area,s they fielded well... They played well but we need to retaliate"

"Everyone performed," says Alastair Cook. "To keep India to 300 on that wicket was a great effort. Credit to all the hard work we have out in. It was a touch morning session yesterday. Credit to the way Sehwag and Gambhir played. We knew we needed to strike early, that's what Graeme Swann did. Nice to contribute to the team success. To score runs out here you need to bat long period. I needed some luck. We have to recover well, this win has taken a lot out of us. A big thank you to the Barmy Army, it means a long for us. This is long way from home, we need all the support. We will try to win the series in Nagpur, we can't be complacent"

Cook is also the Man of the Match

10.05am I'm back. Great scenes of joy for England. India in their dressing room. Contemplation will be the theme there.

"Congrats England... Now we will wait for the "Reverse-revenge-series"...." Jai makes fun of the propaganda

9.55am The England players in a tight huddle in the balcony. It's an easy win despite the stutter today. England have taken a 2-1 lead. The first time India have lost back-to-back Tests at home since 1999-2000. The Barmy Army sings, the England players rejoice, what sweet joy to win an away Test, and then follow it with another. Bell allows himself a quiet fist-pump. They walk on to the field to savour the moment. They will go on a victory lap surely? They have a wonderful bunch of fans who have travelled with them through the ridiculous and the sublime. I'll be back before you miss me

12.1
1
Ashwin to Bell, 1 run

full, on the pads, flicked away to the left of square leg for the single that seals it

We deserve to watch a Bell cover drive against the turn to end this match

end of over 125 runs
ENG: 40/3CRR: 3.33 
Nick Compton9 (30b 1x4)
Ian Bell27 (27b 4x4)
Pragyan Ojha 6-3-10-1
Ravichandran Ashwin 6-1-30-2
11.6
Ojha to Compton, no run

arm ball, outside off, another stutter, they think they want the single to point, but finally decide against it. All safe

11.5
Ojha to Compton, no run

flat, on off, solid defensive shot again

11.4
Ojha to Compton, no run

pushed back to Ojha

11.3
Ojha to Compton, no run

solid front-foot defensive. Compton likes this ground. In no hurry to get off the field

11.2
1
Ojha to Bell, 1 run

on the pads, helped around the corner, worked away for a single around the corner. Scores are level

11.1
4
Ojha to Bell, FOUR runs

Shot, Bell. Lovely shot. Picks the length of a flat ball early, rocks back, and cuts this away through point

end of over 115 runs
ENG: 35/3CRR: 3.18 
Ian Bell22 (25b 3x4)
Nick Compton9 (26b 1x4)
Ravichandran Ashwin 6-1-30-2
Pragyan Ojha 5-3-5-1
10.6
1
Ashwin to Bell, 1 run

tossed up again, on the pads, worked away for a single

10.5
Ashwin to Bell, no run

a bit of overspin of this one, Bell is forward and is hit on the inside half of the bat

10.4
Ashwin to Bell, no run

sharp offbreak from outside off, Bell stays back to defend

10.3
4
Ashwin to Bell, FOUR runs

lovely shot. Flighted outside off, bell comes forward, drives with an open face, against the turn, and through covers

10.2
Ashwin to Bell, no run

driven down the ground, Sharma makes a diving save at mid-on

10.1
Ashwin to Bell, no run

flighted on off, defended solidly

end of over 101 run
ENG: 30/3CRR: 3.00 
Nick Compton9 (26b 1x4)
Ian Bell17 (19b 2x4)
Pragyan Ojha 5-3-5-1
Ravichandran Ashwin 5-1-25-2
9.6
Ojha to Compton, no run

flighted on off, solid front-foot defensive

9.5
1
Ojha to Bell, 1 run

arm ball, runs off the inside half of the bat for a single

9.4
Ojha to Bell, no run

tossed up on off, solid front-foot defensive

9.3
Ojha to Bell, no run

flatter ball, pushed through, 92ks, punched away to cover

9.2
Ojha to Bell, no run

flighted delivery, middle and leg, turning away, defended solidly

9.1
Ojha to Bell, no run

length ball, on off, angling in, defended

Two sixes away

end of over 911 runs
ENG: 29/3CRR: 3.22 
Nick Compton9 (25b 1x4)
Ian Bell16 (14b 2x4)
Ravichandran Ashwin 5-1-25-2
Pragyan Ojha 4-3-4-1
8.6
Ashwin to Compton, no run

flighted offbreak, kicked away