Virender Sewhag survived the first ball, but not the over. James Anderson got him off the last ball of the first over, opening the floodgates for England's bowlers. India's hopes of saving the Test virtually got swept away from then.
Having dubiously got a King pair in the previous Test, the spotlight, expectedly, was on Sehwag. With Gautam Gambhir suffering from concussions, Sehwag had to face the first ball.
He left the first two comfortably, hit the next two exquisitely through the covers and negotiated the fifth perfectly before pulversingly perishing to the sixth. Anderson swung it in and trapped a dumbfounded Sehwag plumb in front of the wickets.
That wicket led to four more -- VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina and night watchman Ishant Sharma following suit. Dravid, who opened with Sehwag, showed the characteristic resilience to resist England's foray but at the end of Day Three, the Indian innings was in a shambles at 95 for five after the home team declared their innings at 591 for six. The spectre of a whitewash looms large.
For a change, England's bowling hero was a spinner. Graeme Swann, lying low so far in the series, mesmerised the Indian batsmen to finish the day with three for 27. One of his victims was Tendulkar, who made a shaky 23 but he got Suresh Raina with the ball of the day.
The offie beat the left-hander on the front foot with flight and turn. Matt Prior did the rest, effecting the stumping in a flash. Raina, with a strike rate of 180 in Twenty20 cricket, failed to score a run in 29 balls.
Five wickets in a session was a total contrast to the state affairs in preceding sessions when the Indian bowlers struggled for wickets. The England batsmen were hardly tested.
Prior to this Test, RP Singh had gone wicketless in 57 overs. In England's first innings, he bowled 34 overs without taking a wicket. It would remain a mystery how MS Dhoni found him worthy enough to use the new ball.
Meanwhile, Amit Mishra went wicketless in 38 overs. The leg-spinner conceded 170 runs going for nearly five runs an over. Before the Test, Dhoni said it was the best available squad from India. One wondered if he had picked the best available XI.
With such limp bowling, it was understandably difficult for Dhoni to contain the England batsmen who came in search of some quick runs. They succeeded in their mission, scoring 134 runs in the 30 overs before lunch. Ian Bell, not out overnight on 181, promptly completed his maiden double century. Bell went on to score 235 before he was removed by Raina, who, interestingly, has bowled more balls in the series than he has faced.
At the Oval, all eyes were not on Bell and his double century but on Ravi Bopara, who is playing the Test only because of injury to Jonathan Trott. Having missed out on a good score in England's run riot at Edgbaston, the Essex batsman had one last chance to stay in contention. Bopara emerged unscathed by scoring 44 before a prolonged rain interruption after lunch forced England to advance their declaration.
With Singh and Mishra in operation, it was not difficult for Bopara to get going.
India started the day well with Sreesanth finding his rhythm early. He struck twice in quick succession, taking the wickets of Anderson and Eoin Morgan but England still managed to score 50 runs in the fist 10 overs. They added 80 more in the next 20 overs before rain cut short their batting plans. Rain -- on Days One and Three -- has washed out 83 overs in the Test but not England's hopes of a 4-0 win.
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