Manchester, August 31:

Stuart Broad returned career best figures with both bat and ball as England beat India by three wickets in the fourth one-day international on Thursday.

When Broad, who’d earlier taken 4-51 as India were dismissed for 212, came to the crease England were in dire straits at 114-7. But they still needed fewer than a run-a-ball to win. And man-of-the-match Broad helped get them with a composed 45 not out off 73 balls with three boundaries.

Together with Ravi Bopara (43 not out), he put on an unbroken 99 as the two batted with the assurance of veterans as they set an England record for the eighth wicket at this level, beating the 76 shared by Paul Nixon and Liam Plunkett against New Zealand in January.

Recalled India seamer Ajit Agarkar removed four of England’s top six on his way to figures of 4-60 but couldn’t inspire his team to victory.

Bopara played some fine shots but it was Broad who caught the eye with superb backfoot drive as he went past his previous best of 29 not out during India’s nine-run win at Bristol last Friday. England had collapsed to 35-3, mainly as a result of Agarkar. England captain Paul Collingwood made 47 before he was run out.

India were indebted to Yuvraj Singh (71) and Sachin Tendulkar (55), who shared a fourth-wicket stand of 71. Flintoff had earlier removed Dravid (1) with his sixth ball and finished with 1-31.

Tendulkar and Yuvraj kept England at bay until the ‘Little Master’ fell to off-spinner Kevin Pietersen’s third ball, when a top-edged pull was caught by Flintoff, running round on the deep square leg boundary. Yuvraj pulled Broad for a huge six to complete a 90-ball fifty. But Broad bowled Yuvraj round his legs with a full length delivery.

England, who’d seen India collapse to 32-3, slumped in reply. They hadn’t scored a run when Alastair Cook was bowled for a fifth-ball nought by Khan. Matt Prior (4) exited when his uppercut off Agarkar went straight to Ramesh Powar.

Ian Bell could only manage 24 before he was bowled, shouldering arms, by an Agarkar delivery that held its line to clip off-stump. Agarkar had his third wicket when Kevin Pietersen (18) skied to Chawla at square leg. Andrew Flintoff (5) fell when he became another Agarkar victim.

The fifth one-dayer is scheduled for Headingley on Sunday.