It's back to square one

After establishing a 3-1 NatWest Series lead on the strength of what captain Paul Collingwood branded "no fear" cricket, they slipped to a Duckworth-Lewis 38-run defeat against India at a wet and windy Headingley.

The result means the tourists could still take the spoils in the final two matches.

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To make matters far worse, the England management are awaiting updates on injuries to three players including, most worringly of all, Andrew Flintoff.

The Lancashire allrounder was ruled out of the fifth match of this gripping series of seven after feeling discomfort in his left ankle, which was recently operated on for a third time.

His comeback had already been interrupted by soreness in his right knee but this will be of particular concern to coach Peter Moores.

Officially, the usual "no-cause-for-alarm" ECB line is being applied but Flintoff, 29, has been sent for "specialist assessment" and will link up with the squad tomorrow prior to the sixth match at The Oval on Wednesday.

It may be nothing more than temporary inflammation; an understandable consequence of Flintoff resuming his normal service as an all- or-nothing bowler of 90mph thunderbolts. But the reaction of the ankle suggests his body is rejecting the demands of the job.

If that is the case, missing the World Twenty20 finals and the subsequent one-day tour of Sri Lanka may be just the tip of the iceberg for a player who, by rights, should have plenty of years left in him.

At the lower end of the reason-to-panic scale, Hampshire seamer Chris Tremlett was ruled out of yesterday's match with soreness in his right foot.

Then, as England toiled in the field, Ravi Bopara suffered a blow on his right thumb while vainly attempting to take a catch off his own bowling.

The 22-year- old Essex allrounder was taken to hospital where an X-ray revealed the thumb had been dislocated with a minor fracture. He was able to bat later, but the fear is that he may have to withdraw from the Twenty20 squad bound for South Africa on Sunday.

Collingwood attempted to look on the bright side, saying: "Hopefully they (Flintoff and Bopara) are not as bad as it may seem at the moment."

Asked if the players were major doubts for the inaugural World Twenty20 finals, the skipper added: "We are hopeful about both of them."

The grim injury news somewhat overshadowed the match, which was a blessing of sorts. From the moment Collingwood won the toss and put India in, very little went right.

England brought Jon Lewis into their weakened XI and gave the Gloucestershire captain use of the new ball, which meant the highly effective partnership between James Anderson and Stuart Broad was broken up.

The ploy did not work, as Lewis was treated with brutal disdain by Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. His first four-over spell went for 29 runs but he was by no means alone in failing to curb the onslaught.

Even the previously outstanding Anderson was not immune as India's openers cut loose.

All the seamers dropped too short, too often, although Collingwood again stifled the batsmen with his slow, nagging off- cutters.

The captain had Yuvraj Singh caught in the deep for 72, just when the lefthander seemed destined for a hundred, but saw Matt Prior and Kevin Pietersen drop catches off his bowling.

Monty Panesar, who had already dismissed Ganguly, should have had another wicket when Yuvraj, on 10, edged to Prior but umpire Nigel Llong inexplicably turned down his appeals.

So India enjoyed some good fortune but their top four all made use of a flat pitch and the eventual total of 324 for six left England with a monumental task.

For a while, Prior and Ian Bell suggested all was not lost as they put on 90 for the second wicket at a thunderous rate. England's second 50 came off just 39 balls, but three wickets fell for seven runs to leave India in the box seat.

Pietersen succumbed to a third-ball duck, continuing his disappointing series. Once a rain-break left the home side chasing 311 from 45 overs, the writing was on the wall and, when Owais Shah was out for a tortuous 15 from 36 balls, there was no way back.

Collingwood was immense again, counter-attacking with an innings of 91 from 71 balls. His defiance was illustrated by successive sixes off Tendulkar but no one could stay with him and when the rain returned, India had done enough to narrow the series deficit to 3-2.

However, the England captain was not totally disheartened.

"I don't think we bowled that badly," he said. "We are disappointed but we're still up in the series and hopefully we can wrap it up by winning at The Oval."