Flintoff Quick to Find Feet After Bell and Cook Hit Form

England's one-day form has been in the doldrums for so long that their start to the NatWest Series last night represented untold riches. Not one England batsman, but two registered their maiden England ODI hundreds and Alastair Cook and Ian Bell did so in such an unflustered fashion that it was possible to imagine that it was an everyday occurrence.

India then collapsed instantly in pursuit of 289, with three top-order wickets for Jimmy Anderson and, to cap it all, there was a thoroughly uplifting return from injury for Andrew Flintoff, whose effervescent bowling stint surely surpassed England's wildest dreams. Victory could hardly have been more comprehensive.

Neither Cook nor Bell had been entirely confident that they would fight off Owais Shah for the final batting place but, once achieved, the Indian attack proved less taxing. There was little giddiness in their stand of 178 in 31 overs but on a slow pitch they gradually wrested control against an innocuous Indian attack.

England were thrashed 6-1 in the last series between the sides in India nearly 18 months ago, a series that caused their World Cup plans to be abandoned in desperation. But if England still have much to prove in this NatWest series, with Paul Collingwood negotiating his first summer as one-day captain, any turbulence will be India's. Their ageing side crashed out of the World Cup at the qualifying stage, but there remains no appetite for transition. And, to deepen the uncertainty, the Indian Board yesterday sacked 48 players who have signed up for the Indian Cricket League, a rival domestic competition of deepening significance engineered by Zee TV.

The last time that two England players hit centuries in an ODI was only two years ago when Andrew Strauss and Collingwood took advantage of a flat Trent Bridge pitch and a flatter Bangladesh attack. Cook has since supplanted Strauss and, despite misgivings about whether his dignified style is suitable for the 50-overs game, he has logged his first England one-day hundred at only the sixth attempt.

As a one-day player, Cook does not rock. In the early stages of his innings, as Indian power plays came and went, and Cook failed to pierce India's ring field, he looked particularly buttoned up; one yearned for him to take his tie off and cut a dash. Instead, his poise gradually won through.

With England 88 for one from 20 overs, and India's three power plays utilised, England's second-wicket pair had to build on their own foundations. Cook looked rigid at times, especially on the sweep, but India bowled three part-timers, Chawla looked disheartened, and Cook's legside strength came to the fore.

It was Bell, though, who most sparkled. He was in mint form in the final Test at the Oval and under the Rose Bowl lights his powers remained undimmed. His was an even tempo, even tempered innings, a straight six against the 18-year-old leg-spinner, Piyush Chawla, emphasising his lightness of foot. Chawla was too good an opportunity to miss, a rare example of someone Bell can tower over literally as well as metaphorically.

The Rose Bowl crowd saw only 25 balls of Kevin Pietersen, on his home ground, and none at all of Flintoff the batsman, but for Bell and Cook, this had been a proving ground. Owais Shah, consistent against the West Indies, must feel a little unfortunate.

By the 12th over, India were four wickets down. When Monty Panesar ran out Sourav Ganguly with a high throw from mid-off, England had an inkling that it was their night. Anderson's eight new-ball overs reaped three for 19, Rahul Dravid fell to a slick legside take by Matt Prior, standing up to Mascerenhas.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's bizarre innings - 19 in 60 balls - was ended by Flintoff as a second successive appeal for a gloved hook was answered in his favour. Flintoff looked irrepressible, a bowler in moonboots still capable of catching moonbeams.