We'll hit back, vows Dimitri

Dimitri Mascarenhas was in bullish mood despite England's narrow defeat to India and insisted his team-mates will pick themselves up for Saturday's series decider at Lord's.

The Hampshire all-rounder who crashed 36 not out from 15 balls including five sixes from the last five balls of the innings off Yuvraj Singh, said: "For the first 20 overs of India's innings they were just smashing it everywhere, so to claw it back from there showed we can fight back and it wasn't just one person, it was the whole team.

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"Everybody is really backing each other but going to Lord's it's 3-3. It's a final and we'll be gunning for it.

"Whenever you lose it's tough but we've been playing some excellent cricket and we're not downhearted."

Mascarenhas, 29, also took two wickets to boost his claims for a place in England's Twenty20 squad flying to South Africa next week.

With Ravi Bopara ruled out with a fractured thumb and Andrew Flintoff increasingly doubtful with ankle trouble, Mascarenhas, who admitted to being shocked at his original omission, is desperate to go.

He added: "I've been told there's a chance I might be included and obviously I'd love the opportunity to show what I can do.

"It was a hugely important game for me. Getting a couple of wickets and the runs I got was very pleasing.

"I always try to hit sixes, especially at the end of games like that. After the second one I thought I was seeing it pretty well, Yuvraj bowled in the right area and I kept swinging.

"I saw Chawla catch the first one and thought: 'Touch the rope, touch the rope' and he did. It was beautiful."