Each hit successive boundaries to improve a modest scoring rate but were prised apart in the 15th over when Ishant Sharma dubiously had Pietersen caught behind for 17.
The unshionable cricketing outpost was hosting its first ever international fixture and 39,000 rapt ns saw the local boy pull Steven Finn for four to ensure a irytale seven-wicket win.
Root had seemed composed at the other end, hitting a couple of early boundaries, but could do nothing about Englands woeful position when Craig Kieswetter and Samit Patel fell to Ravindra Jadeja within seconds of each other.
Joe Root and Eoin Morgan needed a big partnership if England were to compete but it did not materialise.
A second wicket followed in the 18th over, the increasingly reliable James Tredwell having Gambhir caught at mid-on for 33 with his ninth ball.
Dhonis arrival at the crease came late in the game and his most telling contribution came when he won the toss and asked England to bat first, a decision that found the tourists in dire form as they slumped to 155 all out.
Yuvraj Singh had freedom to play his shots and zeroed in on Dernbach, whose second spell of two overs cost 25.
Hometown hero Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit the winning runs on Ranchis big day as Englands batsmen floundered for the second time in a week.
Root and county colleague Bresnan spared some shame with a diligent seventh-wicket stand of 47, the best of the innings, before the batting powerplay parted them.
Dhonis moment of magic was still to come but the result had already been decided.
He did not disappoint.
With such a small total, it was all or nothing for England in the field and Finn got them going with a wicket in his second over, beating Ajinkya Rahane for pace and uprooting his off stump.
And while England have plenty of problems to ponder, the day belonged to the India captain,Online Higher Education. who followed the script perfectly when he despatched Finn to long leg to finish unbeaten on 10.
Ian Bell, who had scored just one off his first 18 deliveries, was briefly energised by Kevin Pietersens arrival and the pair momentarily provided cause for optimism.
Bhuvneshar Kumar and Shami Ahmed bowled with good control to restrict the score to 36 in the 10-over powerplay, with the latter adding the scalp of captain Alastair Cook (17) for good measure.
He was off the mark with a straight four - via a ricochet off the stumps - and then1 took on Finns bouncer for the winning boundary.
Finn and Dernbach were then mopped up with minimal fuss as 7.4 overs went unused.
Earlier in the day,Insurance knowledge. Englands innings got off to a ltering start and never fully recovered.
There was no doubt three balls later when Bell reached to cut Kumar and provided a sharp catch for Dhoni at the wicket.
Gautam Gambhir was getting on better, taking four off Jade Dernbachs third ball and taking smart singles.
Yet India were in no danger, Kohli ramming home the point when he thrashed Bresnan for his eighth four.
Root had lasted 57 balls and hit four boundaries before he nicked Sharma to the tumbling Dhoni and England scored just 10 more after his dismissal.
There was no obvious edge, with Pietersens exaggerated reaction and slow departure leaving no doubt as to his opinion.
Tim Bresnan replaced Dernbach and saw his first ball stroked through the covers by Kohli, as the total reached 48 for one after 10 overs.
Kohli mis-cued four more off a Finn bouncer to bring the target into double figures, but back-to-back maidens from Bresnan halted the charge.
Bresnan made a creditable 25 before he received the surprise of the day, a fierce turner from Ashwin that darted between bat and pad and left the Yorkshireman bemused.
Morgan ced 30 balls and added 10 before he was tempted to aim a reverse sweep at Ravichandran Ashwin, botching the stroke and handing Yuvraj a catch.
India v England: MS Dhoni ensures hosts take 2-1 lead in ODI serIndia v England MS Dhoni ensures hosts take 2-1 lead in ODI series as Alastair Cooks men thrashed in Ranchiies as Alastair Cooks men thrashed in Ranchi
His half-century came up in 58 deliveries and for his next trick he lifted Tredwell down the ground for the first of two sixes off the spinner.
A strong lbw shout against Kohli off the next ball followed but umpire Sundaram Ravi was unmoved.
At the halfway stage England had limped along to 98 for six.
That was three fewer than they managed in defeat at Kochi and was never likely to be enough as Virat Kohli made a commanding 77 not out in a chase that lasted on 28.1 overs.
Runs were precious for England so when Kohli hit three consecutive boundaries off Dernbach in the sixth over, it was a hammer blow.
Both made ducks and both iled to pick Jadejas arm ball as India snared three wickets in nine balls.
Tredwell bowled Yuvraj for 30 to give the home ns exactly what they wanted: Dhoni in the middle and just 12 needed.
