It could be said that the main business of one-day cricket is to produce an exciting finish. This was a classic of its kind by that reckoning as the pendulum of fortune swung first one way and then the other. The teams, and individual players, alternated between ecstasy and despondency and back again as England kept alive their hopes of squaring the series, winning by a mere two runs. That bald statistic, however, conceals a wealth of drama.

Put in after a delayed start on a misty Delhi morning, England appeared to have opted for an entirely different strategy in their innings. The openers did not throw everything into a heady pursuit – some might say reckless pursuit – of a large total.

The Indian attack allowed few liberties to be taken and, unlike other starts from both sides in the series, Nick Knight and Marcus Trescothick could not take the rate much above four an over. The total stood at 51 in the 12th over when Trescothick drove Ajit Agarkar in the air towards mid-off where Sarandeep Singh, making his debut, just clasped the catch as it died on him.

Nasser Hussain announced himself with a majestic cover drive for a boundary. Although he did not appear totally at ease – he was breathing heavily throughout his innings – he stuck to the task in company with Knight as the pair registered the first century partnership for England in the series.

Sachin Tendulkar had been brought into the attack to take the pace off the ball and, not only did he achieve that objective, he also took the wicket of the England captain. A shortish ball out side the off stump saw Hussain playing a favourite dab and Ajay Ratra took a smart catch with Hussain one short of his fifty.

Andrew Flintoff waited for his second ball before clubbing it to the cover boundary and, unlike other times on the tour, went on to build an innings. And a rollicking knock it was. He took 13 off a Tendulkar over to see him out of the attack, and the same off Javagal Srinath when he came back to the bowling crease.

Knight had not been his usual cavalier self, even if his steady innings was priceless for England, and he reached his hundred from 126 balls with seven fours. He was run out shortly afterwards thanks to a moment's hesitation and slick fielding between Agarkar and Srinath. The partnership with Flintoff had produced 80 runs in ten overs as the pace picked up to the required level.

Flintoff reached his fifty from just 36 balls with six fours and a six. He did not last for long after that, being caught at long-off, but he had been at his destructive best to lift England to what was considered to be about a par score in the conditions. The closeness of the finish confirmed that assessment.

India got off to a flyer. Andrew Caddick had been out of international cricket for some time and must have wondered if he should have bothered to return as the first ball of the innings crashed into the extra-cover boundary via the middle of Virender Sehwag's bat. With another of the same, ten runs came from the first wayward over.

Knight put down a difficult chance off Flintoff at slip when Sehwag edged in the second over, before the batsman picked up another boundary. The first three overs produced 26 and by the end of the fourth the total stood at 32. And the batsmen were not even slogging.

Tendulkar had been the quieter of the two and he was first to go. He fenced at a lifting ball outside the off stump from Caddick for James Foster to take the catch. Sehwag responded to the fall of his partner by bludgeoning 14 from the next over.

At this point, England began to rein the batsmen in. Caddick produced the first maiden of the match, and then he and his old mate Darren Gough each conceded a single run off the next two overs. Sourav Ganguly took 13 balls to get off the mark, which he did with a straight four off Gough.

The Indian captain should have been out when he had 14. Michael Vaughan had been doing a splendid job as a spinner, luring Ganguly down the pitch, beating him, only to see Foster fluff the take. Although the wicket-keeper got the ball back onto the stumps, the third umpire reckoned Ganguly had grounded his bat. Confidence in that official, however, had evaporated when he gave Flintoff not out in similar circumstances with his foot clearly not grounded.

Foster did take a regulation catch to dismiss Dinesh Mongia off Flintoff to reduce India to 100 for 3 in the 22nd over, but he could do nothing but watch as Ganguly lifted his side right back into contention. He and Mohammad Kaif brought up the century partnership in 95 balls.

Kaif was impressive but not chanceless. Foster put down a dab outside the off stump when Kaif got a face of the bat onto the ball. Vaughan failed to get a hand onto a simple chance despite moving well within reach in the covers. It looked as if those errors would cost England the game, but there were a few more twists to come.

The pair had put on 111 in 19 overs when Ganguly lifted Ashley Giles to long-off. Giles had retired from the attack with figures of 4-0-32-0, but he returned now in spectacular fashion with five wickets in six overs.

Kaif followed his captain two balls later after chipping into the covers. Giles accepted a caught and bowled from Hemang Badani. Foster, to his evident relief, found that he could still effect a stumping to dismiss Ratra, and then Giles bowled Anil Kumble. India 239 for 8 in the 47th over. Game over? Not a chance!

Agarkar is dangerous with a short boundary. Sarandeep offered staunch support. Agarkar was particularly effective, hitting the ball cleanly to the boundary four times in his stay of 24 balls that left him undefeated on 36.

They gnawed away at the total and England's nerves so that nine were needed off the last over to be bowled by Gough. Summoning up all the experience of one hundred such matches, Gough delivered a dot followed by four singles. Five runs were needed off the last ball – it was no time to overstep or go wide – but the courageous Agarkar could manage no more than a couple. England had won by the narrowest of margins to set up a grand finale in Mumbai on Sunday.

© CricInfo