CRICKET:THERE WAS a masterclass, worthy of acute attention by another full house, by the English batsmen in the slip cordon and, most pertinently, by the rest of the India side, luxuriating in their well-appointed Oval dressing rooms.
Technically Rahul Dravid was brilliant as he carried his bat in India’s first innings before marching out, as an emergency opener, in their second. His footwork was as precise as a ballet dancer’s, his eyes as sharp as an eagle’s.
Dravid alone has defied English bowlers in this series, scoring 461 runs and facing 965 balls. As the sun came out the pitch lost pace, the ball declined to swing and the turn was slow, they had to toil for a while. For the first time in a Test this summer the tourists reached 300, but no more. Following on 291 behind, they were 129 for three at the close and Dravid – eventually – was one of those victims.
Having batted superbly against the off-breaks of Graeme Swann in his first innings, he was out caught at bat/pad in the second. It was time for some other Indian player to make a contribution if another humiliation was to be avoided.
Dravid dominated the first two sessions, neutering England’s likeliest match-winner along the way. Swann had spun the ball sharply on Saturday night but Dravid never allowed him to settle. Swann would bowl 21 more overs in that first innings without taking a wicket. It was not until the final session, when India were following on, that something started to click, which is a measure of the off-spinner’s resilience.
So the pacemen had to find the wickets to ensure that India would follow on. Jimmy Anderson removed MS Dhoni with the perfect away-swinger, made all the more potent since its predecessor had been a well-directed in-swinger.
Amit Mishra offered spirited support for Dravid, impishly striking Swann over mid-wicket and staying in line against the quick bowlers. The partnership was worth 87 when Mishra hooked a short delivery from Tim Bresnan. Ian Bell, in the old-fashioned position of backward short leg, stuck out his right hand and there the ball magically resided.
Then for over an hour Gambhir batted passively, seemingly only capable of jogging singles but middling the ball more often than not. Stuart Broad pummelled the ball into the unresponsive turf, whereupon the left-hander fended awkwardly and the ball lobbed to third slip.
Realist that he is, Bresnan will recognise that he was handed the last two wickets. RP Singh, after a little flurry of boundaries, guided a short ball to Anderson at third slip. Sreesanth then crashed his second delivery straight to mid-off where Eoin Morgan held the catch.
Andrew Strauss duly enforced the follow-on and slip cordon, spectators and India’s number three were on red alert to see what Virender Sehwag, accompanied by Dravid again, would do this time. After they both went, in came Tendulkar to the statutory ovation.
Tendulkar may deliver his record hundred today, but even if he does, from an Indian perspective this series should be most memorable for Dravid’s contribution with the bat.
England first innings 591-6 declared (I Bell 235, K Pietersen 175)
INDIA INNINGS (overnight 103-5)
V Sehwag lbw b Anderson 8
R Dravid not out 146
VVS Laxman c Prior b Broad 2
S Tendulkar c Anderson b Swann 23
S Raina st Prior b Swann 0
I Sharma c Cook b Swann 1
MS Dhoni c Prior b Anderson 17
A Mishra c Bell b Bresnan 43
G Gambhir c Pietersen b Broad 10
RP Singh c Anderson b Bresnan 25
S Sreesanth c Morgan b Bresnan 0
Extras (b-8, lb-9, w-7, nb-1) 25
Total (all out, 94 overs) 300
Fall of wickets: 1-8 2-13 3-68 4-93 5-95 6-137 7-224 8-264 9-300 10-300
Bowling: Anderson 16-7-49-2, Broad 21-3-51-2 (1nb), Bresnan 17-3-54-3 (2w), Swann 31-5-102-3, Pietersen 7-1-27-0, Bopara 2-2-0-0
INDIA SECOND INNINGS (following on)
V Sehwag b Swann 33
R Dravid c Cook b Swann 13
VVS Laxman b Anderson 24
S Tendulkar not out 35
A Mishra not out 8
Extras (b-10, lb-6) 16
Total (for three wickets; 35 overs) 129
To bat: G Gambhir, S Raina, MS Dhoni, I Sharma, S Sreesanth, RP Singh.
Fall of wickets: 1-49 2-64 3-118 Bowling (to date): Anderson 9-2-39-1, Broad 6-3-8-0, Swann 15-2-51-2, Bresnan 5-0-15-0
