With the series already a lost cause, England picked Kolkata’s Eden Gardens as the venue to break their victory drought in India since that awful World T20 final as they beat the hosts in a nail-biter by five runs on Sunday.
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Shikhar Dhawan’s place in the Indian team is under pressure after low scores in the first two matches and there were reports of an injury scare for the left-hander, which means Ajinkya Rahane could make the XI.
Roy and Sam Billings put on an opening-wicket stand of 98 and Morgan and Bairstow combined for 84. India have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and will be eyeing a clean sweep in the series.
Indian captain Virat Kohli has played down the impact of an unbalanced schedule on their chances in the 2017 Champions Trophy.
Jadhav, who is emerging as a finisher for India, fell short of completing his task this time, stumbling in the last moment when India needed six runs off four balls.
England’s victory on Sunday also came down to the final over where Chris Woakes kept his nerve, but Hussain was thrilled with the way Stokes bounced back at the same venue to dispel those World T20 memories.
Man of the series Jadhav – who compiled a spectacular hundred in the first ODI – earned particularly high praise, Kohli describing the 31-year-old as “a brilliant find” and hailing his “priceless” contributions from number six.
Foillowing Yuvraj’s departure, Dhoni launched a fearsome assault on the England bowlers to help push India beyond the 350-run mark.
However, Woakes responded superbly, bowling successive dot balls before removing Jadhav and then finishing with another delivery that India could not score from.
MS Dhoni, who was the other half of the monumental 256 partnership in Cuttack, went cheaply and at 173 for five, the tide seemed to have turned for England. But soon, Yuvraj was dismissed by Plunkett, holing out to Billings with a mistime flick at deep midwicket.
The India captain finally departed for 55 (63b, 8×4) in the 20th over when Ben Stokes got him slashing outside off-stump and Buttler grabbed the catch. England batting first post a monumental total of 321 for 8 in 50 overs at a lively pitch at Eden Gardens.
Bairstow and Eoin Morgan tried to maintain the pace of the innings and they did that pretty well by putting on an 84-run run-a-ball partnership. They have managed to keep the England team under check.
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Jadhav smashed Woakes for back-to-back fours in his eighth over before bringing up his fifty off 46 balls. Buttler failed again to be out for 11 but there was no respite for India. Jadeja’s delivery skipped on and bowled him.
