England set new standards

Ian Bell holds his pose as he drives through the off side in his unbeaten 126 © Getty Images

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Paul Collingwood called for patience ahead of the first game of the NatWest Series as he sets about forming a successful one-day strategy.

Two months was the self-imposed timeframe, but any caution on the captain’s part was shown to be wholly unnecessary as his side produced a display of the highest calibre to beat India by 104 runs under the Rose Bowl floodlights.

England posted a daunting 288 for two after being put in to bat, and ripped the heart out of the India reply en route to bowling them out for just 184. It was as comprehensive a victory as one will see at this level.

From the centuries scored by Alastair Cook and Ian Bell - their maiden one-day international hundreds - to the incisive new-ball burst of James Anderson, who returned career-best figures of 4-23, and Andrew Flintoff’s heartening comeback from injury, England performed with a verve rarely seen of late.

Throw in Dimitri Mascarenhas’ economical spell, Matt Prior’s superb glovework and three run-outs in a fielding display bordering on faultless, and it is not too fanciful to suggest Collingwood will find himself having to dampen expectations for the remainder of the series.

England’s failure to make better use of the final 10 overs - they yielded 78 runs when the number of wickets in hand may have prompted more ambition - was the only remotely negative aspect of a sensational evening’s work.

But it merely served to highlight the quality of Cook and Bell’s batting, especially in the middle overs of the innings.

Alastair Cook goes to three figures for the first time in his ODI career © Getty Images

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Both batsmen touched new heights at this level, Cook striking a superb 102 to silence those who questioned the suitability of his game to the limited-overs arena and Bell compiling an unbeaten 126 off just 118 balls, an innings of the highest quality.

It was the only the fifth time two England players have scored hundreds in the same game, and their second-wicket partnership of 178 allowed Kevin Pietersen the freedom to hit 33 not out off 25 deliveries late on.

Cook mixed his usual fondness for the leg side with a clutch of sweetly-struck boundaries through cover off the back foot, and continued to rotate the strike sensibly despite seeing opening partner Prior depart for 19, caught via a leading edge.

India had to wait more than 30 overs for their next success as Cook - his confidence and range of stroke growing in tandem - and Bell gradually upped the run-rate, the former swatting young leg-spinner Piyush Chawla to wide long-on for four shortly after passing his previous best, the 41 he made against Sri Lanka at Headingley last year.

A 74-ball fifty arrived shortly after, and he was followed to the landmark by Bell, whose glorious straight six off Chawla remained the highlight of his innings.

Neither Cook nor Bell offered a chance as they partnership breached the 150 mark, and the opener’s delight was obvious when he went to a 122-ball century containing eight fours.

James Anderson removes Yuvraj Singh on the way to figures of 4-23 © Getty Images

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He eventually fell to RP Singh, playing on as he advanced down the wicket and swinging to leg, but Pietersen maintained the momentum without ever truly freeing his arms.

He helped add 67 in little more than eight overs with Bell, and saw his partner, whose previous highest score was 88 against Pakistan last year, go to three figures with a leg glance for four off Ajit Agarkar.

England’s fine batting display was matched by their showing with the ball and in the field, Anderson leading the way with three wickets in his opening six overs to reduce India to 34 for four.

He had Gautam Gambhir caught behind, induced a lazy flick to mid-wicket from Sachin Tendulkar and saw a Yuvraj Singh edge superbly taken one-handed by Alastair Cook at a fine gully in a devastating opening eight-over spell.

Monty Panesar had got the ball rolling by running out Sourav Ganguly in the third over, and Flintoff - showing no sign of the ankle injury that has kept him out for much of this summer - and Mascarenhas effectively sealed victory by removing MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid respectively in the space of eight deliveries to reduce India to 105 for six.

Dhoni laboured 60 balls over his 19 before he gloved a hook to the immaculate Prior, who then executed an outstanding leg-side catch stood up as Dravid attempted to sweep.

Agarkar and Chawla’s dismissals epitomised India’s bedraggled running between the wickets, Anderson yorked Zaheer and Panesar bowled RP Singh with the last ball of the innings to cap a “near perfect” display, in the words of Collingwood.