The 19-year-old capitalised on a dropped catch to guide the home team to a four-wicket victory as they reached 230-6 with just one over to spare after being set 227 to win.

Raina's heroics overshadowed the achievement of England batsman Kevin Pietersen, who equalled Vivian Richards' record of reaching 2,000 runs in 21 one-day innings with a characteristically streaky 71.

India were struggling at 122-5 when seamer James Anderson let slip a return catch off the left-handed Raina, holding the ball on his follow-through but dropping it as his elbow hit the ground.

The drop proved costly as Raina and Mahendra Dhoni (38) put on 118 for the sixth wicket.

Raina improvised brilliantly in the later part of his match-winning knock, his best in one-day internationals. He struck one six and eight fours as India took a 2-0 lead in the seven-match series.

"We were very worried when we lost five wickets," said India captain Rahul Dravid.

"But Raina and Dhoni built a very good stand. They showed a cool head under pressure. England are a very good side and we will have to play well in the remaining matches to win the series."

England had been restricted to just 226 and India also found runs hard to come by on a slow track where the ball turned and kept low to make stroke-making difficult.

But the hosts were strongly placed at 61 without loss before slipping to 92-5.

India had four spinners to exploit the conditions and England just one in Ian Blackwell, who did his best to keep his team in the game with two important wickets.

The left-arm spinner provided the vital breakthrough when he removed Virender Sehwag, who was bowled sweeping. He then dismissed Yuvraj Singh, who chopped the ball on to his stumps.

"I think we put up a decent score and we were very much in the game," said England captain Andrew Flintoff.

"But they (Raina and Dhoni) were involved in a great stand. But there are still five matches to go and we have shown good signs in this game."

India faced a difficult task after losing five wickets in the space of 31 runs, including those of Dravid and Mohammad Kaif.

Kaif was trapped leg-before by seamer Liam Plunkett, while Dravid was given run out by the third umpire following a brilliant piece of fielding by Paul Collingwood.

India earlier were well-served by little-known Ramesh Powar, who finished with three wickets to restrict England despite impressive half-centuries from Pietersen and opener Andrew Strauss (61).

The off-spinner, with just one wicket in four matches before this game, was difficult to get away as he conceded just 34 in 10 overs.

Strauss and Pietersen were the only batsmen to apply themselves well on a wicket where spinners called the shots.

Flintoff elected to bat after winning the toss in his 100th one-dayer and Matthew Prior (33) and Strauss gave their team a bright 66-run start. Strauss was also involved in a 64-run stand for the third wicket with Pietersen.

India let off Pietersen twice and Strauss once.

Pietersen was dropped on three and then survived a run-out chance on 27, while Strauss survived on 27 when Powar dropped an easy return catch.

Pietersen went on to smash two sixes and four boundaries in his sixth half-century and Strauss six fours in his eighth 50.