CUTTACK, Nov 26: Virender Sehwag smashed 91 off 73 balls Wednesday to lead India to a six-wicket victory over England in the fifth limited-overs international and a 5-0 lead in the seven-match series.

Responding to England’s 270-4 from 50 overs, India coasted to 273-4 in 43.4 overs after getting off to a flying start through a 136-run opening partnership between Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar (50). Sehwag struck one six and 15 boundaries.

Suresh Raina hit 53 not out to put on a 94-run stand with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who scored 50 at Barabati Stadium.

England’s dismal run continued despite captain Kevin Pietersen’s unbeaten 111 and his unbroken 112-run partnership with Owais Shah, who made 66 not out from 57 balls for his second successive half-century.

Pietersen, whose seventh century in 87 one-dayers contained one six and 10 boundaries and was the first by an England batsman in the series, also added 89 for the third wicket with Paul Collingwood.

Put in to bat by Dhoni, England was revived by Pietersen’s partnership with Collingwood after losing openers Alastair Cook for 11 and Ravi Bopara for 24 to be 68-2 in the 10th over.

Playing for the first time in the series, Cook chased an outswinger from Zaheer Khan and was caught by Sachin Tendulkar at first slip. Bopara was out driving, edging an outswinger from Khan to Yuvraj Singh at backward point. He hit three fours in 33 balls.

Pietersen took time to get settled but received good support from Collingwood before the former England one-day captain was dismissed trying to hit out against offspinner Harbhajan Singh.

Collingwood fell to an outstanding catch by Khan at long-on after scoring 40 from 64 balls with four boundaries.

Andrew Flintoff was dismissed for 0 after edging a ball from paceman Ishant Sharma to Tendulkar in the slips.

Khan had the best figures of 2-60, while Harbhajan claimed 1-47 and Sharma 1-54.

With Sehwag in sparkling form, India was never threatened by the prospect of chasing under floodlights.

Pace bowler Steve Harmison broke the opening partnership when he bowled Tendulkar after he had struck six boundaries off 57 deliveries.

Yuvraj Singh was out for six when he gave a return catch to Bopara. Sehwag fell nine short of his 10th limited-overs century as Stuart Broad trapped him lbw with an off-cutter.

Dhoni hit five boundaries before falling lbw to offspinner Graeme Swann, while Raina smashed eight fours.

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