KANPUR (India), Nov 20: India crafted a 16-run win in the shortened third One-day International against England here on Thursday to go 3-0 up in the seven-match series.

Chasing a modest England total of 240, the home team were 198-5 after 40 overs when poor light forced an early end to the match, already reduced to 49 overs per side after a delayed start due to morning haze.

The Indians were deemed to be ahead of the required total on the Duckworth/Lewis Method.

Indian skipper Mahendra Dhoni, anticipating such an end to the match, resorted to cautious batting, well aware than another wicket could spell defeat for his side.

The usually aggressive Dhoni finished the match 29 not out off 51 balls.

“We knew that at this venue light fades quickly,” Dhoni said afterwards.

“I was in the [Duckworth/Lewis] mode and had the sheet tucked in my pocket. I was not even trying for the singles because I knew if we [didn't] lose any more wickets, we will be ahead of the required total.

“We will now look to win in the next game and seal the series.”

England captain Kevin Pietersen was clearly unhappy with the outcome but promised to come back stronger in the remaining matches.

“It is very frustrating,” he said of the result. “But at the end of the day the umpires made a decision and that's the way it is. We are getting better and coming closer to them, we just need to score some more runs.”

It was opener Virender Sehwag who top-scored for the hosts with 68 while Andrew Flintoff finished as the most successful bowler for the visitors with figures of 3-31 off nine overs.The Indians, who won in Rajkot and Indore by comfortable margins, lost early wickets to be reduced to a shaky 34-2 by the 10th over.

Sehwag, dropped by Samit Patel off his own bowling on 47, went on to complete his 31st ODI fifty with a six off Graeme Swann before being brilliantly caught high in the air by Paul Collingwood off Flintoff.

He hit eight fours and a six in his 76-ball effort.

Yuvraj Singh, who tormented the visitors with centuries in the first two matches, failed to convert his start into a big score this time after his mistimed pull off Flintoff was taken by Broad. He made 38 off 31 balls.

Harbhajan Singh, declared Man-of-the-Match, took three key wickets to restrict England on an uneven paced Green Park track.

The off-spinner dismissed Pietersen (13) and Collingwood off successive overs before sending back Owais Shah (40).

Makeshift opener Ravi Bopara (60) top-scored for the visitors, who reshuffled their batting order, and shared 79 runs with Ian Bell (46).

Pietersen (13) lofted part-time spinner Yuvraj for a six but mis-hit a similar shot against Harbhajan to be caught at long-off.

Harbhajan struck again in his next over when he deceived Collingwood with a doosra, the ball that moves away from right-handers.

Bopara reached his fourth one-day half-century with a four off Yuvraj but lost his wicket soon after when he was stumped by Dhoni while trying to go for an expansive drive. His 82-ball effort included eight fours.

Harbhajan then returned to cut short a fine knock by Shah, the dismissal handing him his 200th wicket in One-day Internationals.

The fourth game of the seven-match series will be played in Bangalore on Sunday.

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