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Another Yuvraj ton lifts India to 292-9

Yuvraj Singh celebrates his century

Yuvraj Singh plundered a second successive century off England to steer India to 292-9 in the second one-day international here on Monday.

The left-hander, who defied a back injury to hit a match-winning 138 not out in the first game in Rajkot last week, smashed 118 off 122 balls after being declared fit to play just before the toss.

Yuvraj and opener Gautam Gambhir (70) put on 134 for the fourth wicket after a deadly triple strike by 20-year-old fast bowler Stuart Broad had reduced India to 29-3 by the eighth over.

Yusuf Pathan celebrated his 26th birthday with an unbeaten 50 off 29 balls, taking 17 runs off the last four deliveries of the innings bowled by Steve Harmison.

Yuvraj's 10th one-day century, studded with 15 boundaries and two sixes, left England facing a victory target of 5.9 runs an over to draw level in the seven-match series.

Broad, who finished with four wickets, bowled the in-form Virender Sehwag with his second delivery and had Suresh Raina chipping a catch to mid-wicket in his next over.

The Nottinghamshire fast bowler struck again in his fourth over when Rohit Sharma top-edged an attempted hook shot to Owais Shah at square-leg.

All-rounder Andrew Flintoff lifted the pressure off India by conceding 11 runs off one legitimate delivery in the ninth over.

A no-ball was flicked by Yuvraj for a boundary, giving India five runs, and the subsequent free hit off the next delivery was carted by the left-hander over mid-wicket for six.

Gambhir and Yuvraj boosted India with a blistering attack before England captain Kevin Pietersen broke through with his first over of off-spin, the 30th of the innings.

Gambhir, having hit a six earlier in the over, was bowled off Pietersen's last delivery when he played on a ball pitched outside the off-stump.