Match reports

India v England

At Delhi, January 31

15-Apr-2003
At Delhi, January 31. England won by two runs. Toss: India.
Injuries continued to reshape the series, as Snape's damaged hand led to a match-winning return by Giles. He began unpromisingly: 32 runs from his first four overs. When he reappeared, India were nearing victory at 204 for three, but Ganguly charged at his seventh ball, and dragged an attempted six into the hands of long-on. It began a spell of five for nine in 20 deliveries from Giles, whose ten previous internationals had yielded only nine wickets. India were suddenly on the canvas. But Agarkar nearly revived them, carving 36 from 24 balls. They went into Gough's final over needing eight for a series-clinching tie, which became four off the last ball; Giles pulled off a diving boundary save to thwart them. Earlier, Knight had neutralised India's spinners with trusty sweep shots, both conventional and reverse. He scored his fourth one-day hundred, and added 117, England's only century stand of the series, with Hussain. The final flurry brought 107 in 15 overs as Flintoff belted a thrilling 52 in 39 balls. The match was halted briefly when England fielders were struck by pellets thrown from the crowd.
Man of the Match: A. F. Giles.