Close India 272 for 4 (Dravid 73*, Sehwag 71, Yuvraj 63*, Giles 3-38) beat England 271 for 7 (Trescothick 86, Hussain 54, Yuvraj 3-39) by 6 wickets
scorecard

Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh stitched together a magnificent 131-run partnership as India stole a momentous six-wicket victory over England in the second match of the NatWest Series at Lord's. Playing a one-day game at cricket's spiritual home for the first time since their finest hour in 1983, India cruised home with seven balls to spare as Dravid and Yuvraj exploded with some thrilling strokes at the finish.

It was touch and go with five overs left but once both men worked James Kirtley away for fours, the chase was on. Dravid then played an exquisite extra-cover drive off Andrew Flintoff and two superb flicks to square leg off Kirtley. By the time he worked Matthew Hoggard over cover for four, it was almost over. A single, off a no-ball, to deep mid-on and the dressing room could celebrate a fantastic win.

It was Yuvraj who upped the ante after a mid-innings slump, playing some superb strokes down the ground and square of the wicket, before Dravid took on the role of finisher. In the end, they timed the surge perfectly and England had no answer.

India had got the best possible start, with Virender Sehwag in scintillating form and Sourav Ganguly content to watch from the other end as the shots flowed. Sehwag started off with a superb back-foot cover-drive off Kirtley, before flicking over the infield for four more. Hoggard was then dispatched back over his head and down to midwicket as Nasser Hussain started to scratch his head in alarm.

Ganguly was no idle spectator though, easing the ball through the covers with customary fluency as India piled on the runs in ominous fashion. Sehwag motored past fifty with a gorgeous cover-drive off Flintoff, a shot he repeated two overs later. Ashley Giles's first ball was sent soaring over long-on for six and apart from a half-chance that Paul Collingwood grassed in Ronnie Irani's first over, it was a gem of an innings. A stunning catch from Marcus Trescothick on the midwicket fence ended it, as Sehwag, after a blistering 65-ball 71, went to sweep Ashley Giles and connected well, only for Trescothick to make ground to his right and take the ball on the dive (109 for 1).

Giles then tossed one up and Dinesh Mongia went for the ambitious swipe over midwicket. It was an atrocious stroke and he was bowled through the gate for 1 (111 for 2). Irani pushed India right onto the back foot moments later, picking up the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar with a delivery that nipped back sharply. Tendulkar played all across it and was trapped in front (118 for 3). He made just 1 and his departure meant that India had lost their way alarmingly - scoring just nine runs and losing three wickets in five overs.

Another sensational catch in the outfield spelt the end for Ganguly. He gave Giles the charge and his loft to deep midwicket seemed to be beyond Kirtley, but he threw himself full length to his left to take a stunner with his left hand (141 for 4). There wasn't a baseball mitt in sight. Ganguly made a restrained 43 off 67 balls and at that stage, India looked doomed to defeat. Yuvraj had other ideas.

Earlier, Yuvraj was India's unlikely bowling hero as they restricted England to 271 for 7. While it was a substantial total, it was well short of what they had threatened with Trescothick on the rampage. But Yuvraj became the latest in a long line of modest slow bowlers to prosper against England in one-day cricket, as wickets fell in a heap midway through the innings.

Hussain had little hesitation in batting first on winning the toss and Trescothick and Nick Knight showed why with some superb batting early on. Trescothick creamed both Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar through the covers and Knight, even though he never looked in fluent touch, rotated the strike cleverly as the runs came at six an over.

The advent of spin in the shape of Harbhajan Singh saw Knight play the reverse-sweep with élan but it was Anil Kumble – smashed down past cover by Knight second ball – who had a hand in the crucial first wicket. A magnificent throw by Sachin Tendulkar from deep square leg ended the partnership that was threatening to take the match away from India in a hurry. Trescothick's eagerness for a second run wasn't quite matched by Knight and Sachin's throw was gathered by Kumble with the batsman marginally short of his ground (86 for 1). Knight made 32 off 42 balls.

Trescothick continued to motor along, sweeping Harbhajan with tremendous power square of the wicket. His splendid innings of 86 came to an end in tame fashion when he edged Ganguly through to Dravid, standing up close to the stumps - moments after he had smashed Yuvraj over deep midwicket for six (153 for 2).

Next to go was Flintoff, who had bludgeoned his way to 22 in next to no time when he jumped out to a Yuvraj delivery and drove uppishly to Mongia at cover (201 for 3). It was some respite for the Indians after Ganguly and Singh had been under the cosh in the middle of the innings. Flintoff got off the mark with a powerful pull for four off Ganguly, and he followed that with another lofted pull and a superb inside-out drive through cover. As for Hussain, he was content with merely reverse-sweeping Harbhajan to distraction.

Graham Thorpe's brief cameo ended at 12, and once again Yuvraj was India's golden arm. A ball after thrashing him over midwicket, Thorpe leant back and cut one straight to Sehwag at short third man (217 for 4). Suddenly, England were looking a little uncertain.

A superb piece of glovework by Dravid behind the stumps got rid of Hussain, who had batted very responsibly for his 54. He gave Yuvraj the charge and was well out of his ground as Dravid collected a wide ball and broke the stumps (222 for 5).

Irani and Stewart worked the ball around in the final stages before Agarkar and Zaheer came back with some terrific bowling. They varied their pace and length as the runs dried up for England. Irani was run out for 12 and Collingwood then holed out off Zaheer as India made sure that they would be chasing much less than 300. It looked to be enough, till Dravid and Yuvraj took the game away with some resplendent batting.

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