Cricket: England secure series win

File image of Ian Bell. Photo / Getty Images

England secured their first series win in India for 28 years overnight after the fourth and final test ended in a draw in Nagpur.

England started the final day needing to bat for as long as possible to secure a 2-1 series win and they did just that with Jonathan Trott (143) and Ian Bell (116) dominating proceedings.

The duo put on 208 for the fourth wicket and batted until just before the tea break when Trott was the only wicket to fall on day five, caught a leg slip off the bowling of spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

England declared their innings at 352 for four, a lead of 356, at which point the match was called a draw.

The series win is England's first in India since the 1984-85 season.

England paceman James Anderson was named man of the match after taking 4-81 in India's first innings, while England skipper Alastair Cook was man of the series for scoring 562 runs in the four tests at an average of 80.28, including three centuries.

The two teams now begin a two-match Twenty20 series followed by five ODIs. England's next test series is against the Black Caps in March.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to the unacceptable conditions the Indian cricket board is trying to impose on photo agencies we will not be running photos from the current India-England cricket series.

- nzherald.co.nz