Related Links

Link to 3rd Test Scorecard

The sun was shining, there was no cloud in the sky, the pitch was flat and the side batting first made most of the conditions to reach a solid total of 316 for 4 at stumps. That was India with their batsmen piling up the pressure that has been created on Michael Vaughan's team who are desperately trying to save a home series after six long years. Each and every Indian batsman got into the middle to do his bit to keep the English bowlers at bay at the Brit Oval in the third and final Test.

The toss was so vital with both sides waiting to grab the opportunity to bat first. The luck was with Rahul Dravid and his openers had to give him a decent enough start to take the shine off the new ball. Both teams as predicted made no changes at all. The day begun with a couple of maidens from Sidebottom and Anderson, to be more precise India had to wait for 22 deliveries to get off the mark. Wasim Jaffer with an aerial square cut and an off drive announced that India were here to play an attacking game. Jaffer continued to play his strokes, he even registered his only second six off his career when he climbed into a short and wide delivery from Anderson to put that away behind square. Dinesh Karthik was holding up one end sensibly and was collecting his runs smartly through pushes into the gaps. India went past the first hour in this fashion but a senseless shot selection from Jaffer after drinks gave England the breakthrough. With nothing much happening, Michael Vaughan decided to be innovative with his field set up as he got Pietersen at a fly slip. The bowler Anderson executed the plan to perfection, getting the tennis ball bounce in a short and wide delivery which Jaffer found it too difficult to resist as his upper cut sailed right into the hands of KP. That was a soft dismissal with Jaffer cutting short his innings at 35 from 47 with 6 fours and a six.

Rahul Dravid came in at an ideal time, at 62 for 1. He didn't allow the English bowlers to come back in the contest by playing some forceful cut shots. He along with Dinesh Karthik ensured that India went to lunch with just the loss of Jaffer at a score of 117 for 1. Dinesh Karthik had just got to his 6th fifty prior to that. The first over after lunch, infact the first ball was driven through the covers for a boundary by Dinesh Karthik to set tone for a new session. The same over from Sidebottom saw another boundary, this one coming from Dravid. There was one let off when Strauss couldn't quite hold onto a tough chance, a full blooded cover drive that wasn't carrying to him at extra covers off a Karthik drive. The bowler was Monty Panesar who was later taken for a magnificent six from Karthik. An inside out lofted shot over widish mid off it was from Dinesh Karthik which stamped his class as an international batsman. Just when things were going on smoothly, Anderson produced a dream outswinger which was full in length on the middle stump that beat Rahul Dravid's attempt to work that towards the onside. Dravid played all around it to be clean bowled for a well made 55 from 101 balls with 8 fours.

At 189 for 2, India had a wonderful platform for a huge first innings score thanks to the 121-run stand for the second wicket. Tendulkar, the new man in was greeted with plenty of short pitch deliveries with a leg gully and a short leg in place. Anything that was drifting into him at his body wasn't offered any shot from Tendulkar. On a normal day, it could have been scoring opportunities but Tendulkar was rather overcautious about the two fielders. Meanwhile Dinesh Karthik got too anxious once he reached the 90s, the scoreboard wasn't moving along and the bowlers were getting on top of the game. A loose shot, an attempt to drive on the up resulted in a thin edge off Sidebottom and for the second time in his career, Karthik fell in the nineties. He made 91 from 151 balls with 10 fours and a six.

There was a spring in the step for England after two quick wickets. The storm was weathered down by a fluent Sourav Ganguly and a determined Sachin Tendulkar as India started to rebuild their platform. The pair negotiated the brief period before Tea to take their side to 211 for 3 in 56 overs. The last session was all about batting sensibly which both these batsmen did as they took the score forward. They were assisted by the lapses from Matthew Prior, who just couldn't get to the wayward deliveries outside the leg to give away plenty of byes. What was worse for the England keeper was that of dropping a relatively simple diving catch to his right when Tendulkar played a false drive off Sidebottom when he was on 20. The Indians made sure that was going to be the only opportunity and the partnership continued to blossom. Monty Panesar had a bad day, not much turn and the batsmen looking to take the aerial route. Sachin lifted him over the top of mid off for a boundary which was followed by a sizzling six over long on by Ganguly.

Just when the second new ball was due, Michael Vaughan brought in Paul Collingwood. And that brought in plenty of luck for the homeside. Collingwood got the ball to reverse swing and one of those inswingers beat Ganguly's defences to rap him up on the pads but not before a thickish inside edge. The inside edge was missed by Umpire Ian Howell and that was ruled out lbw to rob Ganguly of a big score. Ganguly smiled at the decision and the luck of the bowler, it was the second time that he got a rough decision in this series. Ganguly made 37 from 77 with 4 fours and a six to take India to 276 for 4. VVS Laxman along with Tendulkar ensured that India took the day's honour by surviving the second new ball to take their side to a dominating 316 for 4 in 90 overs. As many as 21 byes were conceded by Matt Prior! At stumps, Tendulkar has got to 48 from 132 with 5 fours and VVS Laxman got 20 from 37 with two fours. VVS Laxman with a boundary through thirdman crossed the milestone of 5000 Test runs. Now its upto this pair and MS Dhoni to drive home the advantage on the second day. England would now depend solely on their batsmen to get them a bigger total than India's to save this series!

Top of the Page