The left-arm seamer braved the pain from a sprained left ankle to take a career-best six for 23, including the wickets of Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart with successive balls.

The 23-year-old, on the treatment table for the past two days, also dismissed Michael Vaughan and Paul Collingwood in an impeccable display in the Group A encounter.

England's batsmen, chasing India's 250 for nine, simply could not put bat to ball as Nehra, Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan bowled excellent lines, darting the ball around in the evening conditions.

Nehra, bowling over the wicket, concluded his 10-over spell with a double-wicket maiden. His figures, the best by an Indian in a World Cup, were also the best of the 2003 tournament.

The New Delhi bowler, yet to fully establish himself as an automatic choice in the India line-up, had never taken more than three wickets in a one-dayer before.

For England, at one stage on 107 for eight before being dismissed for 168 in the 46th over, the only consolation came in the shape of Andrew Flintoff.

He hammered 64 from 73 balls, including three sixes, against India's support bowlers as well as taking two wickets for 15 off 10 miserly overs.

'SHEER DETERMINATION'
India captain Sourav Ganguly said: ``Ashish's ankle was pretty swollen - it was his sheer determination that he wanted to play. Hats off to him!

``I just kept telling him he had to bowl 10 overs straight and it was up to him how he did it.

``We have a fair chance of qualifying now and we will celebrate tonight. We did fantastically well here.''

Earlier Sachin Tendulkar had provided a master-class half-century, the fourth time he has passed 50 in five World Cup innings, while Rahul Dravid held the lower-order together with a top-score of 62.

The result gave India 16 points, the same as Group A leaders Australia, which may already be enough for the next phase. India play Pakistan in their last match.

England will have to beat world champions Australia in their final outing to keep their hopes alive. Hussain's side have lost their last 13 one-dayers against the Australians.

Yesterday's toss may have been crucial - Sourav Ganguly called heads correctly - with the pitch freshening up in the evening.

But England could not complain, having benefited from batting first in an almost identical game against Pakistan in Cape Town.

``It was our turn to be on the other side of the equation,'' Hussain said ruefully. ``But all credit to India, they played very well.''

England did not help their own cause, Nick Knight running himself out in the first over to make it six for one.

STRAPPED ANKLE
Marcus Trescothick, horribly out of touch, soon followed, top-edging a hook off Khan to make it 18 for two as the bowlers never strayed from a perfect line and length.

When Nehra, his right ankle heavily strapped, had Hussain caught behind, attempting a cut, and then trapped Stewart lbw for a golden duck with a delivery which nipped back, the game was all but over, with England on 52 for four after 17 overs.

Vaughan's dismissal, caught behind for 20 with the score on 62, was the final nail in the coffin despite Flintoff's big-hitting display.

India's innings was more two-sided, the initiative swinging wildly from one side to the other.

Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, after a cautious start, had hammered strike bowlers Andy Caddick and James Anderson out of the attack. Caddick's first six overs cost 47, with 31 coming off two overs.

Flintoff, however, throttling back his pace and bowling just short of a length, removed both openers in 15 deliveries for just two runs.

India hammered 75 off the last 10 overs while England took four wickets with the last four deliveries of the 50 overs - Caddick's three consolation wickets interrupted by a run-out.

INDIA
V.Sehwag c & b Flintoff 23

S.Tendulkar c Collingwood b Flintoff 50

S.Ganguly c Trescothick b White 19

D.Mongia lbw b Collingwood 32

R.Dravid c Collingwood b Caddick 62

Yuvraj Singh c Hussain b Anderson 42

M.Kaif c Flintoff b Caddick 5

Harbhajan Singh not out 0

Z.Khan run-out 0

J.Srinath c Trescothick b Caddick 0

Extras: (b-1, lb-4, w-9, nb-3) 17

Total: (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 250

Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-91, 3-107, 4-155, 5-217, 6-250, 7-250, 8-250, 9-250.

Bowling: Caddick 10-0-69-3, Anderson 10-0-61-1, Flintoff 10-2-15-2, White 10-0-57-1, Irani 6-0-28-0, Collingwood 4-0-15-1.

England

M.Trescothick c Tendulkar b Khan 8

N.Knight run-out 1

M.Vaughan c Dravid b Nehra 20

N.Hussain c Dravid b Nehra 15

A.Stewart lbw b Nehra 0

P.Collingwood c Sehwag b Nehra 18

A.Flintoff c Sehwag b Srinath 64

C.White c Dravid b Nehra 13

R.Irani c Sehwag b Nehra 0

A.Caddick not out 13

J.Anderson lbw b Khan 2

Extras: (lb-5, w-7, nb-2) 14

Total: (all out, 45.3 overs) 168

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-18, 3-52, 4-52, 5-62, 6-93, 7-107, 8-107, 9-162.