Images: England win final ODI, ruin Dravid's swansong

England continued their mastery of the touring India team with an emphatic six-wicket victory in the fifth and final One-day International in Cardiff on Friday.

- Scorecard / Match Report

India posted an imposing 304 for six, but, after the target was reduced under the Duckworth/Lewis method following rain interruptions, England cruised to 241 for four in 32.2 overs, to win the series 3-0.

One match was a no-result and another was tied.

Chasing the challenging target, and their innings interrupted by intermittent rain, England stuttered to 166 for four in the 26th over, but recovered to race to the revised target of 241 with 10 balls to spare, Jonathan Trott and captain Alastair Cook being the main contributors.

Debutant Jonny Bairstow and Ravi Bopara, who knocked off the winning runs, also chipped in with unbeaten knocks of 41 and 37 respectively.

The target was revised twice earlier as the start of England run chase was delayed due to rain. First, it was revised to 295 from 47 overs and then to 270 from 40 overs. It was finally 241 to get from 34 overs, and England were home comfortably.

With the loss, India will return home without a victory on the disastrous tour. They were whitewashed 0-4 in the four-match Test series, and beaten in the one-off Twenty20 International.

England made merry on India's misery; besides a toothless attack, the wet outfield also did not help whatever was left of India's bowling.

Before the first rain interruption during their innings, England lost opener Craig Kieswetter for 21, leg-before-wicket to Vinay Kumar, after the hard-hitting opener faced only 17 balls and hit four fours.

India appeared to have got back into the game when they dismissed Bell and Trott in quick succession. Bell holed out to substitute fielder Manoj Tiwary in the deep off RP Singh, while Jadeja sent Trott back after a well-made 60.

England were 166 for 4 in the 26th over, still needing 75 runs off 50 balls.

But debutant Jonathan Bairstow took the game away from the Indians, using the long handle to good effect. The youngster was almost savage in his attack and showed no nerves in smashing 41 runs off 21 balls, inclusive of one four and three sixes.

Riding high on a wonderful century from Virat Kohli and half-centuries from Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni, India posted a challenging 304 for 6 earlier.

Kohli and Dravid put on a solid 170-run partnership (off 160 balls) for the third wicket to lay the platform for skipper Dhoni to finish off the innings in style.

Openers Ajinkya Rahane (26) and Pathiv Patel (19) had given India a good start after the hosts were asked to bat by Alastair Cook.

They put on 52 off the first 12 overs, even as Rahane lived dangerously on the way to his 26.

After getting a life from Samit Patel, who dropped him on eight, Rahane went on to play aggressively. He was lucky not to find fielders as he cover-drove deliveries in the air.

However, his approach proved a little too expensive, and his adventurous stay came to an end when his miscued shot found Steve Finn at third man, off the bowling of Jade Dernbach.

Playing his last ODI, Rahul Dravid stepped in the middle and looked like a man on a mission.

He looked in impeccable form as he rotated the strike and found the boundaries at will. Along with Virat Kohli, he kept India afloat without losing any more wickets.

He played controlled shots and appeared good to end his ODI career on a high.

Kohli and Dravid led India's batting charge with a 170-run stand for the third wicket, off 160 balls. He soon slammed his sixth ODI century from 64 matches while for Dravid reached his 83rd half century.

Swann, who had gone off the field after jarring his ankle in the deep, returned to make a telling impact by removing both Dravid and Kohli in successive overs.

Dravid went for an expansive drive and had his off-stump pegged back, while Kohli trod on to his wicket while playing a backfoot punch.

Dravid faced 79 balls for his 69 and hit four fours, while Kohli's 107 came from 93 balls with nine fours and a six.

With new men Suresh Raina and Dhoni at the crease, India opted for the batting powerplay in the 45th over, at 236 for four. As many as 48 runs came from five overs of batting powerplay.

Raina announced the onslaught with a straight six off Tim Bresnan. Then Dhoni took over, scoring couple of fours and a six and 17 runs off Bresnan's ninth over.

Raina departed in the 49th over but helped put on 48 runs for the fifth wicket off 30 balls with Dhoni.

Dhoni hit a six in the final over, bowled by Dernbach, and reached his half century off the final ball of innings, facing 26 balls and hitting five fours and two sixes.