Trott helps England post 298-4 against India
Jonathan Trott struck an unbeaten 98 on Thursday as England scored a challenging 298-4 in 50 overs after electing to bat against India in the third one-day international at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.
The number three batsman struck eight fours off 116 balls as England looked to keep alive the five-game series, which it trails 2-0 after losses in Hyderabad and New Delhi.
Samit Patel (70 not out), Kevin Pietersen (64) and Craig Kieswetter (36) were the others to ensure a fine total.
Trott missed out on a fourth one-day century as most of the deliveries toward the end of the innings were faced by Patel, with whom Trott shared in a 97-run unbroken stand for the fifth wicket.
Patel, who used his feet well against both fast and slow bowlers, smashed seven fours and two sixes during his 43-ball cameo.
Trott, who scored his 15th one-day half-century in 38 games, had earlier partnered in a 101-run stand for the third wicket dominated by Kevin Pietersen.
Pietersen completed his 23rd half-century in 122 one-dayers, scoring 64 off 60 deliveries with nine fours. He was adjudged lbw off left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja when he had stretched a long way forward.
Opener Craig Kieswetter too had promised a bigger knock but perished for a 38-ball 36 after unleashing two sixes off India's new-ball bowlers. He moved out of the crease and heaved Praveen Kumar over the deep-wicket fence before slashing Vinay Kumar over third-man.
But Kieswetter inside-edged a yorker-length delivery from seam bowler Virat Kohli to give India its second wicket after captain Alastair Cook had been trapped lbw by Vinay for six.
For India, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Kohli and Jadeja took one wicket each.
Both teams went in unchanged from the first two games in Hyderabad and New Delhi.
Scorecard
England Innings
Alastair Cook lbw b Vinay Kumar 3
Craig Keiswetter b Kohli 36
Jonathan Trott not out 98
Kevin Pietersen lbw b Jadeja 64
Ravi Bopara b Praveen Kumar 24
Samit Patel not out 70
Extras: (1lb, 2w) 3
TOTAL: (for four wickets) 298
Overs: 50. Batting time: 202 minutes.
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-53, 3-154, 4-195.
Did not bat: Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, Steven Finn, Jade Dernbach.
Bowling: Praveen Kumar 10-0-56-1 (2w), Vinay Kumar 9-1-64-1, Virat Kohli 3-0-20-1, Umesh Yadav 10-0-71-0, Ravichandran Ashwin 10-0-45-0, Ravindra Jadeja 8-0-41-1.
Toss: England.
Umpires: Billy Bowden, New Zealand and Sudhir Asnani, India.
TV umpire: S. Ravi, India. Match referee: Roshan Mahanama, Sri Lanka.