England captain Paul Collingwood (front centre) holds the trophy after his side won its seven-match series against India 4-3 after the final one-day international at Lord's, yesterday. - AP

LONDON (AP):

KEVIN PIETERSEN and Paul Collingwood guided England to a seven-wicket win over India at Lord's, yesterday, 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, whenEngland allrounder Andrew Flintoff was sidelined with injury.

Flintoff played yesterday, 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 number seven who top-scored with 50. Collingwood said the return of Flintoff had boosted the England team.

"He makes a big difference. I'm sure he's a little bit sore," Collingwood said. "We go away to the Twenty20 World Cup tomorrow and a few decisions will need to be made, but we'll see."

Philosophical about loss

India won the Test series 2-1 and their captain was philosophical about the one-day series loss.

"It didn't work out today," Rahul Dravid said. "I think 250 would have been a good score but we never got going. But England played some good one-day cricket and we had to keep fighting all the way. It was a great series played with some great spirit."

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 Matthew 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 for two to 74 for three.

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 on 64.

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

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

Angry with umpire

Ganguly made 15 before he hit a delivery from Anderson low to second slip. Anderson took his second wicket when Gautam Gambhir (12) hit a short ball to Wright, who dived forward for a low catch at square leg.

Flintoff went for 10 runs in his opening over but had Dravid caught behind in his second with a third-ball duck.

Tendulkar (30) went the same way the next over but, like Dravid, was angry at the decision by umpire Aleem Dar, com-plaining the ball did not touch his bat.

Robin Uthappa added 47 runs in a fifth-wicket partnership with Yuvraj Singh, before he slashed a delivery from Mascarenhas to mid-off into the hands of Anderson. Mascarenhas took his second wicket when Yuvraj Singh (28) steered a shot to Collingwood at third slip.

Ramesh Powar escaped a run out while on 10, when Monty Panesar diverted a shot from Dhoni onto the non-striker's stumps. But he was out next ball.

Dhoni took a risky single and, despite a diving lunge, Powar couldn't reach the crease before Owais Shah's throw from the field was helped onto the stumps by wicketkeeper Prior.

India was left on 148 for eight before Chawla was stumped by Prior.

Dhoni was last man out, caught by Anderson in the deep off Flintoff for 50.

Midway through India's innings, the International Cricket Council confirmed that Anderson could replace the injured Ravi Bopara in England's squad for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa from September 11-24.