England batsmen keep their cool to take unassailable lead against India

New recruit Ravindra Jadeja (78) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (69) had given India a chance, after James Anderson had reduced the tourists to 13 for three and then 58 for five.

But in the end England just had enough batting depth to prevail, with seven balls and three wickets to spare, and remain on course for an unprecedented whitewash of India in all three formats this summer.

Munaf Patel ended the opening stand when Alastair Cook shuffled across to be lbw to a full-length ball, but a series of trademark Kieswetter biffs to the long boundaries at midwicket and extra-cover bagged a 34-ball 50 and appeared to have put England in control.

Kieswetter and Jonathan Trott misread straight-on deliveries, from Jadeja and R Ashwin (three for 40) respectively, to be bowled.

England then sent Ben Stokes in for only his second international innings, at a pivotal 89 for three, with Ian Bell yet to establish himself at the other end.

Both Stokes and Bell got started either side of the interruption but could not carry the game in pursuit of a recalculated 218 from 43 overs. Bopara and Tim Bresnan were left needing 85 in 15 overs and kept England on track in a stand of 60. There was one more late twist, Bopara bowled by an Ashwin off-break which barely touched the bail, and Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann therefore had to finish the job.

Earlier, Anderson (three for 48) had a hand in all India’s first four wickets.

But Dhoni and Jadeja then shared a century stand. The latter hit ten fours from 89 balls for a career-best contribution in tough circumstances. After Anderson had shifted both openers and Virat Kohli, and run out lynchpin number three Rahul Dravid, India’s prospects of staying alive in the series were already compromised.

Ajinkya Rahane did little wrong, the credit Anderson’s entirely for a delivery angled in and holding its line for a routine catch at slip.

In the absence of any breathing space it was all too much for the habitually free-scoring Parthiv Patel, who tried to seize on a full ball from Anderson but aimed across the line and was bowled.

Kohli contributed to his own dismissal when he pushed out at Anderson and edged behind. But Jadeja announced himself with a cover-driven four, and India’s sixth-wicket pair gradually found life easier. Dhoni finally lofted a simple catch off a slow full-toss from Bresnan’s

But Jadeja stayed until the last over, when he was caught off Jade Dernbach.