MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, July 17, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Hardik Pandya took a 
career-best 4-24 as India dismissed England for 259 in the deciding one-day 
international at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The pace-bowling all-rounder helped India compensate for the absence of 
Jasprit Bumrah, due to back spasms, from the finale of a three-match series 
all square at 1-1.

England captain Jos Buttler top-scored with 60 on his Lancashire home ground 
-- his highest innings since he succeeded the now retired Eoin Morgan as 
white-ball skipper.

He shared stands of 75 and 49 with Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone 
respectively, but just when it seemed 50-over world champions England were 
about to cut loose, India pegged them back.

There were 25 balls of the innings remaining when No. 11 Reece Topley was 
bowled by leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (3-6) -- the only one of the 10 
wickets England lost that didn't fall to a catch.

England started brightly after India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss.

Jason Roy struck three fours in the first over of the day, from Mohammed 
Shami, off-driving the opening ball for a boundary before clipping the third 
and fourth deliveries through the legside.

But it was a different story at the other end as Mohammed Siraj, recalled in 
place of the injured Bumrah in the only change by either side following 
England's series-levelling 100-run win at Lord's, started with a double-
wicket maiden.

Jonny Bairstow fell for a three-ball duck, caught at mid-off from a leading 
edge as he tried to work the ball legside.

Yorkshire team-mate Joe Root, the world's top-ranked Test batsman, also 
exited for a three-ball nought, squared up by a full-length delivery he edged 
to Rohit at second slip.

England were now 12-2 off two overs.

Roy and new batsman Ben Stokes, England's red-ball captain, repaired some of 
the damage with an attractive stand of 54 in eight overs.

But both men were dismissed by Hardik.

Roy, who has been struggling for runs this season, appeared to be getting 
into top gear when on 41, having hit seven fours, he could not decide whether 
to pull or flick the ball off his hip and skyed a simple catch to 
wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

Stokes had advanced down the pitch several times during his 27 but Hardik 
out-thought him with a bouncer that cramped the left-handed batsman for room 
and led to a simple return catch, with England now 74-4 in the 14th over.

The fiery Siraj then twice hit Buttler on the helmet.

Buttler, however, recovered to hit two hit huge sixes off Chahal during a 65-
ball fifty also including three fours.

It was a morale-boosting innings for Buttler following scores of nought, 
four, 18, 30 and four since he succeeded Morgan.

Hardik, however, struck twice in an over to remove the big-hitting 
Livingstone and Buttler.

Livingstone, two balls after pulling Hardik for six, tried to repeat the shot 
only to find Jadeja on the rope at deep square leg.

Jadeja, India's best fielder, took an even better catch three balls later to 
get rid of Buttler after running round from deep square to midwicket.