Vironment

The Oval has been a happy hunting ground for India, and this was the venue of India’s first test victory in England in 1971. The pitch has aided spin in the past and India would have gone into the match hoping for a better result than in the first three games that England won on wickets aiding their fast bowlers.

Highlights of Day One

Strauss began on a positive note by winning the toss on a flat batting wicket and by lunch, at 75/0, England appeared to be batting India out of the match. So when rain intervened after lunch and England went to stumps on the same score, India would have felt relieved, as their bowlers were spared from an imminent leather hunt. with Strauss on 38 and Cook on 34, both looking settled, apart from a short ball from Ishant Sharma that reared and hit the England skipper on the helmet, the Indian bowlers looked ineffective. Praveen Kumar who hurt his thumb in the third test at Edgbaston was rested and India went into the match three seamers, RP Singh selected to join Sreesanth and Sharma, ahead of Munaf Patel. Mishra was the lone spinner, in place of the injured Harbhajan, already back in India, after the second test.

Highlights of Day Two

If the morning session was anything to go by, an observer would be forgiven for thinking England were trying to draw the match and preserve their 3-0 lead in the series. after the early loss of Cook who fell on the overnight score of 34, caught Sehwag off Sharma, Staruss struggled for nearly an hour to add just two runs to his overnight score, before he fell caught behind off Sreesanth. with England at 97/2, India might have dreamt of engineering a collapse, and England went in to lunch at 126/2, just 51 runs coming in the morning session.

But the complexion of the game changed completely, after the interval, as Pietersen went about hammering the Indian attack. At tea, the hosts had reached 296/2, with Bell on 114 and Pietersen two short of a hundred, which meant that 170 runs had come in the post lunch session of play.

If India thought the worst was behind them, Bell and Pietersen were in no mood to relent as they continue the massacre after tea. At close, England were 457/3, with Bell still there on 181, and Anderson giving him company as night watchman. The lone wicket to fall in the last session was that of Pietersen who plundered 175 off 232 balls before he fell caught and bowled to Raina.

India’s tale of woes continues, and there can be only one winner in this match after two days of play. England might try to accelerate as much as possible and aim for a lunch time declaration to leave their bowlers enough time to take 20 Indian wickets for a 4-0 whitewash of the tourists.

However, Indian batsmen would feel encouraged by the sight of a batting track that has not given any help to their bowlers, thus far. Unless Broad and company have other ideas!

Highlights of Day Three

Beginning at the overnight score of 457/3, England lost an early wicket when night watchman Anderson was caught by Laxman off Sreesanth for 13, to leave England at 480/4. Seven runs later, Sreesanth got Morgan to edge one to Dhoni behind the stumps and England were suddenly down to 487/5. But that did not deter Bell and Bopara; England’s game plan was all too clear, as the batsmen milked every scoring opportunity.

The hosts went to lunch at 591/6; 134 runs had been added during the morning session for the loss of three wickets. The third wicket to fall was that of bell who completed a well-deserved double-hundred; he was eventually out for 235, and after his departure, Prior joined Bopara to put the Indian bowling to the sword.

Rain held up play after lunch and that was sufficient cue for Strauss to declare the innings. All eyes were on Sehwag on a wicket that had seemed harmless when England batted. Indian fans would have heaved a sigh of relief when Sehwag did not get out to Anderson’s first ball. And a couple of fours in the next four deliveries would have done Sehwag’s confidence a world of good. But the dashing opener did not survive the over, falling LBW off the last ball.

Laxman joined Dravid, opening in place of an injured Gambhir, and when Broad got the new batsman to edge one to Prior, the Indian innings lay in tatters, at 13/2. Tendulkar joined Dravid and the pair put on 55 runs, in the process overhauling the partnership record of Haynes and Greenidge. But when Swann took out Tendulkar caught off a mistimed sweep by Anderson, India were getting a step closer to the abyss. Raina, the new man in, pottered around for 19 balls without opening his account before being dismissed by Swann, who was getting bounce and turn that was strangely absent when Mishra turned his arm over during the England innings.

Dhoni decided to send Ishant Sharma in as night watchman; the move backfired, as Swann took his third wicket when Cook at shortleg held on to a bad-pad opportunity, to leave India reeling at 95/5. Meanwhile Dravid had got to a fighting half-century, and joined by his captain, shepherded India to stumps without further loss.

At 103/5, at end of day three, India are 488 runs adrift. With a follow on looming, 180 overs to bat out, on a turning track, and an injured Gambhir, things look bleak for India. Could this be the wake up call that India’s batsmen have been waiting for, all series?

Highlights of Day Four:

India began the day on the overnight score of 103/5, and mid-way into the first session lost Dhoni, caught behind off Anderson for 17. At 137/6, it looked like curtains for the visitors. Dravid, solid as ever, was joined by Mishra, coming ahead of Gambhir, and the pair added 87 runs in quick time, before the spinner departed, caught by Bell off Brsenan for 43.

When Gambhir walked in at 224/7, Indian fans would entertained hopes of a late fight back by India, given that Dravid was still holding one end up. But the left-hander disappointed yet again to be out for 10, caught by Pietersen off Broad. Once again the pressure of expectation was off, and India prospered, as RP Singh, the new man in, carried on from where Mishra had left off.

When Dravid with his third ton of the series had shepherded India to 300 for the first time on tour, Indian fans would have been forgiven for dreaming of avoiding the follow on. That target, 92 runs away, appeared eminently within reach, with RP Singh looking comfortably set on 25. As it transpired, the Indian innings came to an abrupt end in a single Bresnan over, with both Singh and Sreesanth losing their wickets within three balls of each other.

Trailing on the first innings by 291 runs, India followed on, and Dravid walked in with Sehwag, to open the innings, after having been left holding the baby, at 146 not out, in the first innings. The pair began positively and had added 49 for the first wicket when Dravid was consumed by Swann, introduced early into the attack. Dravid’s dismissal appeared controversial and is sure to reignite the debate over the need of electronic aid to umpires. Laxman, who came in at number three, added 15 runs with Sehwag, for the second wicket, before the opener became Swann’s second victim, when he was bowled by the spinner.

Laxman didn’t last very long, and when he departed, bowled by Anderson, India were in dire straits, at 118/3, but Tendulkar and night watchman Mishra managed to survive some tense overs, to take the Indian score to 129/3 at close. Tendulkar was distinctly lucky when Prior whipped off the bails and did not appeal; replays showed the batsman’s leg an inch above the ground, when the bails were distrurbed.

But Sachin is still there, batting on a positively crafted 35 off 51 balls, with five hits to the fence. India can still save this match, and Tendulkar will have to play an anchor role for that to happen. The stage is set for Tendulkar’s 100th international century, and surely, if the master blaster were to achieve the milestone, India should be able to ward off defeat.

For England, Swann could prove to be a match winner; the spinner got vicious turn and bounce by the end of day four, and an early breakthrough on day five could put the cat among the proverbial pigeons. So, on to day five, for the intriguing battle that beckons!