KOLKATA: Fast bowler Steven Finn grabbed 3-22 as England kept India down to 120-9 in the Twenty20 international at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.
Tim Bresnan and Ravi Bopara picked up two wickets each after Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni elected to take first strike on a sluggish pitch that hindered stroke-making.
Left-hander Suresh Raina top-scored with 39 off 29 balls with two sixes and four boundaries, while Dhoni made 21 before being run out off the final delivery.
The ninth-wicket pair of Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin (17 not out) boosted the total by taking 25 runs from the last two overs.
England, the reigning Twenty20 world champions, will look to end the current tour on a high after being blanked 5-0 by the hosts in the preceding one-day series.
The tourists made a flying start by removing both openers, Ajinkya Rahane and Robin Uthappa, in the first eight deliveries to catches by wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter.
It soon became 26-3 as Alex Hales took a brilliant running catch on the deep mid-wicket fence to remove Virat Kohli for 15 off Bresnan.
Manoj Tiwary settled in with Raina to help India reach 65-3 in 10 overs, before he was bowled by Samit Patel for 15.
Finn struck twice in two balls, having Raina caught at point before bowling Ravindra Jadeja first ball to reduce India to 74-6 in 12 overs.
Bopara claimed two wickets in one over as be bowled Yusuf Pathan and Praveen Kumar in the space of three deliveries.
Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011
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