England Post 321/8 vs India in 3rd ODI  

Kolkata: India's bowlers put up a comparatively better show even as England managed a competitive score of 321 for 8 riding on a late flourish from Ben Stokes in the third and final ODI, here today.

Stokes hammered the Indian attack in final overs with his unbeaten 39-ball-57 had four boundaries and two sixes. The last seven overs produced 75 runs as England jumped from 246 for 6 to 321 for 8.

With Stokes on fire, Jasprit Bumrah's horrifying series continued despite a decent first-spell of 4-1-17-0. His final figures read 10-1-68-1. This is after 2/79 (10 overs) and 2/81 (9 overs) in the previous two games.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya was the pick of the Indian bowler with figures of 10-1-49-3 and along with Ravindra Jadeja (2/62) triggered England's slide after a brilliant opening partnership of 98 between in-form Jason Roy (65) and Sam Billings (35).

Roy struck 10 boundaries and a six in what was his third fifty in a row. One drop Jonny Bairstow scored 56 from 64 balls (5x4, 1x6) and skipper Eoin Morgan slammed a quickfire 43 from 44 balls (2x4, 3x6) but the 'Men In Blue' were a shade better as the final total will suggest.

Following the promising first hour for the visitors, India finally got the much-awaited breakthrough two balls after drinks break when Jadeja dismissed Billings (35) and in the very next over he claimed Roy for a third time on trot.

But the England skipper, fresh from an attacking century in Cuttack, kept them going before gifting his wicket flicking a terrible ball to short fine leg, which could have been easily walloped for a boundary.

The opener's unconvincing stay ended when he reverse swept Jadeja and looped straight to Bumrah.

English opener Roy notched his third fifty in a row as he along with Sam Billings did well to negotiate the first hour on a moving Eden Gardens track to put up a solid foundation.

PTI