The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, London

Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood guided England to a seven-wicket win over India at Lord's on Saturday and a 4-3 win in the one-day international series.

The two hit an unbeaten 114 in a fourth-wicket stand that rescued England from a terrible start and passed the 187-run target set by India with 82 balls remaining.

The series had been tied 3-3 ahead of this final match after India won the last two games, when England allrounder Andrew Flintoff was sidelined with injury.

Flintoff played Saturday, a day after having a painkilling injection in his ankle, and took 3-45 and a catch. His final wicket was that of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the India No. 7 who topscored with 50.

England paceman Dimitri Mascarenhas also impressed in his seventh one-day match, taking his best ever figures of 3-23 in his 10 overs.

England's new-look openers of Mathew Prior and Luke Wright had a poor start in reply - dismissed without a run between them off the bowling of Rudra Pratap Singh.

Ian Bell was run out by Sachin Tendulkar for 36 when Pietersen called for a risky single. That ended a third-wicket stand of 63 in 14 overs when England moved from 11-2 to 74-3.

Collingwood joined Pietersen at the crease and the two guided England to victory.

Pietersen hit his 16th one-day 50 in his 61st game with a boundary through cover and finished unbeaten on 71. Collingwood reached his 17th one-day 50 soon after, with two runs off Piyush Chawla and was not out 64.

Wright, who made 50 in his debut match on Wednesday, was caught and bowled by Rudra Pratap Singh when he pulled a sharp bouncer in England's second over. Two balls later, Prior edged to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off the same bowler.

India won the toss and chose to bat at Lord's, before quickly regreting the decision. Flintoff and James Anderson combined to dismiss India's first four batsmen for 59 runs.