India took four wickets with the new ball to compound England’s dire position in the third and final Test at The Oval here on Saturday.
LONDON: India took four wickets with the new ball to compound England’s dire position in the third and final Test at The Oval here on Saturday.
England, at stumps on the third day, were 326 for nine in reply to India’s 664 — their record Test innings total against England. That left the home side 338 runs behind and still needing 139 more runs to avoid the follow-on.
Left-arm quick Zaheer Khan led the India attack with miserly figures of three for 32 off 22 overs. Several England batsmen made it past 60 but none was able to go on to get a hundred which would have formed the basis of a big score and India took four wickets for 17 runs in the first nine overs with the new ball.
Chris Tremlett was 18 not out and last man Monty Panesar nought not out.
England, at tea, were 210 for five after Kevin Pietersen was out for 41 when, trying to drive Sachin Tendulkar’s first ball, he got an edge to a sharply turning leg-break and was caught at slip by elated India captain Rahul Dravid.
Paul Collingwood, 34 not out at tea, completed a 90-ball fifty with Ian Bell reaching the landmark in 77 deliveries. However, a stand worth 86 was ended by the sixth delivery with the new ball when Collingwood was lbw for 62 to fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.
It was not long before 288 for six became 305 for eight with Khan taking two wickets in five balls. Bell, on 63, tried to cut a delivery angled across him without moving his feet and edged to wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
New batsman Ryan Sidebottom then gave a gentle caught and bowled to Khan after top-edging an ill-advised hook. England wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who’d conceded 33 byes, was then out for nought when he guided Sreesanth to first slip Tendulkar.
Earlier, leg-spinner Anil Kumble continued to be a thorn in England’s flesh. The 36-year-old, whose 110 not out on Friday was his maiden Test hundred and the first century by an India batsman in this series, removed both Alastair Cook and England captain Michael Vaughan.
Cook, who’d been twice dropped off legside shots, ultimately saw one of his strengths become a weakness when he fell for 61. The 22-year-old left-handed opener, trying to turn Kumble to the on-side, got a leading edge and was caught by Rudra Pratap Singh, running round from mid-off. Cook faced 98 balls with 11 fours.
Kumble, in his 118th Test, moved into joint third place on 563 wickets with retired Australia quick Glenn McGrath in the list of Test cricket’s most successful bowlers when he caught and bowled Vaughan for 11 off the last ball before lunch.
India, 1-0 up, have simply to avoid defeat in this match to win only their third Test series in England in 15 tours, dating back to 1932.
The hosts need to win this match to preserve their six-year unbeaten run in home Test series, but it now looks as if they would do well to get a draw.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}