Indian bowler Ishant Sharma (left) reacts after dismissing England batsman Kevin Pietersen during the fourth one-day international between India and England in Bangalore, India, yesterday. - AP

BANGALORE, India (AP):

India won the fourth limited-over international against England by 19 runs yesterday in a rain-reduced game to take an unassailable 4-0 lead in the seven-match series.

India scored 166-4 off 22 overs after two rain interruptions.

Chasing a daunting victory target of 198 off 22 overs set under the Duckworth-Lewis system, England could only manage 178-8 despite a valiant 72 from Owais Shah.

Shah and Andrew Flintoff (41) put on 82 runs off 48 deliveries for the fourth wicket, but England's challenge faded after they fell in successive overs.

Paces Zaheer Khan (2-20) and Munaf Patel (2-22) bowled economical, controlled spells to rein in England's batsmen.

Earlier, heavy showers led to the loss of more than five hours playing time, but the ground staff worked hard to salvage a game which England needed to win to stay alive in the series.

Bowlers praised

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised his bowlers for delivering the victory despite having problems gripping the wet ball.

"Because of the wet outfield, the ball became soggy and it was not easy to grip the ball," Dhoni said.

"We have one specialist spinner in Harbhajan Singh and some part-time spin bowlers, who all found it tough to grip the ball. But Zaheer bowled very well," he said.

England captain Kevin Pietersen said his team was beaten "by an Indian side which is playing fantastic cricket".

"Owais batted really well today and Freddie helped him out with a good contribution," said Pietersen, who added that England would try to stay competitive in the remaining three games despite the series being lost

"We want to make sure this series stays as competitive as possible," he said.

India's run-scoring was led by Virender Sehwag's 57-ball 69.

India were 106-1 in 17 overs when the second rain break occurred, leaving them just five overs to boost their scoring.

India lost Sehwag soon after the resumption, but Yuvraj Singh's unbeaten 25 off 11 deliveries helped the hosts add 60 runs in five overs.

Yuvraj struck three sixes, seeing Gautam Gambhir (40) and skipper Mahendra Dhoni (nine) fall at the other end before Yusuf Pathan hoisted the last ball - the only delivery he faced - over the fence.

Posting his 32nd half-century in 195 limited-over internationals, Sehwag racked up 6,000 runs in one-dayers when he reached 36. He has also scored nine hundreds.

Combination

Sehwag struck three sixes and nine boundaries before lofting a delivery from off-spinner Graeme Swann into the hands of James Anderson at long on. Gambhir also fell to the same combination.

Put in to bat first after England skipper Kevin Pietersen won the toss, India had earlier lost opener Sachin Tendulkar for 11, bowled by Stuart Broad.

Tendulkar had not featured in a one-dayer since the tri-series victory over Australia in March.

A groin injury ruled Tendulkar out of the series in Bangladesh and Pakistan earlier in the year, and an elbow injury kept him out of the one-dayer against Sri Lanka in August. He was left out of the team for the first three matches of the current series after requesting a break after the four-test series against Australia that India won 2-0 earlier this month.

England's run chase got off to a jittery start as opener Ravi Bopara (one) fell to paceman Patel in the second over. Ian Bell (12) and skipper Pietersen (five) soon followed as the visitors slumped to 52-3.

Shah and Flintoff revived England through their attacking stroke play. Shah struck three sixes and nine boundaries off 48 deliveries before becoming Khan's first victim.

Flintoff fell in the next over from pace bowler Ishant Sharma (2-42). His 30-ball knock featured one huge six and three boundaries.

England's hopes finally perished after the dismissal of Paul Collingwood, who made 22 off 14 balls.