Andrew Strauss hit a career-best ODI score of 158 against India yesterday as England tied an extraordinary World Cup game here.
India had set a huge target of 339 runs after Sachin Tendulkar's pulsating 120 made him the first batsman to score five centuries in the tournament.
But captain Strauss put England in command with a 170-run third-wicket stand with Ian Bell before they fell to successive deliveries from Zaheer Khan.
England needed only two off the last ball to win but Graeme Swann had to make do with a single as Strauss's men finished on 338 for eight in the Group B match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Strauss said: 'It was my best one-day knock.'
'The guys can be very proud of what they've achieved. Ian Bell played a classy innings, and when you're chasing that many runs you need to score freely at both ends. Like me, he was a little bit disappointed not to be there until the end, but we've batted very well in two games now.
'I said to the lads after India's innings that it was an unbelievable flat wicket and we can chase this. It's the sort of chase that gives you confidence you can chase anything. 'We didn't play the powerplay very well, but Zaheer Khan bowled well
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said: 'Maybe if we'd fielder slightly better we'd have won by one run.'
Only one man, it seems, saw the result coming.
Writing on Twitter, Shane Warne said: 'Looking forward to the game between India and England today should be a cracker. My prediction - a tie!'
If only the former leg-spinning genius had placed a bet.
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