Mumbai, Oct 23 (IANS): Half centuries from Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina gave India a comprehensive six-wicket victory over England at the Wankhede stadium here Sunday, and a 4-0 lead in the five-match ODI series.
The hosts are now a win away from completing a whitewash in what was touted to be a "revenge series" after their recent winless tour of England.
Electing to bat, the visitors fumbled against the Indian spinners to be all out for 220 in 46.1 overs. In reply, India were reduced to 46-3, but Kohli (86 not out) and Raina (80) put up a 131-run stand to take the hosts to victory.
On a slow turner, England's fallibility against spin was once against exposed with Ravichandran Ashwin (3-38) and Ravindra Jadeja (2-41) picking five wickets among themselves. They were well complemented by debutant pacer Varun Aaron, who returned with three for 24.
Steven Finn (3-45) emerged as the best bowler for England and put India in a spot of bother with two early wickets.
Finn along with Tim Bresnan kept it tight with the new ball, and gave his side the breakthrough when he rattled Pathiv Patel's (8) middle and off stumps.
He then got Gautam Gambhir (1), who while playing a flat-footed, got an inside edge to the middle stump.
Stuart Meaker's maiden international wicket in Ajinkya Rahane silenced the crowd and left the hosts trotting at 46/3. Rahane got an edge and wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter took an outstanding catch.
Kohli and Raina then joined hands and soon cut lose to put the pressure on England bowlers. Young leg-spinner Scott Borthwick, who was chosen ahead of experienced Grame Swann, did his best but fell short.
Raina went after the bowling and Kohli backed him up by skillfully rotating the strike. Raina reached his half-century from 50 balls and Kohli 65 and by then India were in the driver's seat.
In contrast, England failed to capitalise on the good start. After putting behind two successive maidens, captain Alastair Cook and Kieswetter scored at a fast clip to put up 39 runs in 5.6 overs.
Kieswetter came specially hard on R. Vinay Kumar, smashing him for a six and two fours in the fourth over, forcing Indian skipper Mahendera Singh Dhoni to replace the pacer with off-spinner Ashwin.
The lanky spinner's first five deliveries were hammered for 15 runs by Kieswetter, but Ashwin, on the last ball, trapped Cook leg before with a straighter one to end the over on a high.
England slumped to 39/2 within two balls as Praveen Kumar slammed a low delivery into Kieswetter's pad to get him leg before.
Jonathan Trott (39) and Kevin Pietersen (41) looked to build on the start with their 73-run third wicket stand but Vinay Kumar, back for his second spell, castled Trott's stumps to separate the two.
Tim Bresnan, with run-a-ball 45, pushed the score past 200 but Aaron, bowling consistently at 140 km per hour, knocked off the bails of the lower order thrice to dismiss the visitors with 23 balls remaining.