India Wearing Those Wobbly Boots Again

Ian Bell

It is a symptom of the Indian universe that on the same pitch where England's batsmen have scored a quintillion and their bowlers have been able to extract help, they have lost five wickets in a session and England's bowlers have taken what they wanted from the pitch. The inescapable conclusion isn't based on rocket science but recent history. England are just far too good and frankly, for those screaming for a sub continent rematch, it wouldn't matter if they played on Mars, both the daily procedures and the outcomes would be the same.

England added 134 in the morning session, losing Anderson, Bell and Morgan in the process. Bell add 54 to his overnight 181 to record his first double century. Unlike Pietersen's smash and grab effort after reaching three figures yesterday, Bell just continued with the same effortless grace that is his trademark before stepping well across the line to Raina in order to sweep England to a declaration and being lbw. Anderson had left early in the piece, edging a full ball from Sreesanth to Laxman at second slip, his slight delay in leaving causing angst in the big quick whose shadow of his former self stood glowering mid pitch. Morgan was the last to go, also to Sreesanth, a victim of watching from the sheds for too long but at least it gave Bopara an outing. Having replaced Trott for the last two Tests, he has had little to do except the short stints in the field India have offered. His handy red ink innings was dotted with mishaps and he should have been run out in a mix up with Prior but at least he has something to show for his brief inclusion.

Rain was again the lunch time entertainment and it took encores until tea, at which point Strauss made reasonable logic in declaring. In a series where India are yet to reach 300 in an innings, 591 and seven sessions should be more than enough margin for victory.

India used the 33 overs of the last session to confirm what has already been obvious and collapsed in a mix of self destruction and tales of woe. Dravid moved up from his favoured No 3 spot again to open with Sehwag, replacing Gambhir who was still suffering the effects of a concussion suffered whilst dropping a catch on the second day. Yet again, the rest of the order moved about Tendulkar at 4, whether by insistence or Dhoni's belief that was in the teams best interest but it seemed the right time to move the man who holds the alternate nomenclature of "Little Master" up to the spot most consider the place of the best batsmen. Instead, Laxman again plugged the hole after Sehwag failed to last beyond the first over again. After watching three Anderson deliveries and then smashing two drives, he was sent back to his stumps with a ball that moved in and was stuck on the knee roll for Simon Taufel to give a very good decision. Sehwag's three innings have lasted 8 balls for 8 runs. Laxman was gone three overs later, edging a shorter ball from Broad to Prior.

Tendulkar off the glove to Anderson

2-13 and enter Tendulkar: same tumult, same adulation, same fervent wish from the crowd that they might have the honour of saying they were there where he made the 100th hundred. Not only did it not happen, they didn't even see the real Tendulkar. This version was unsettled by the pace and later gambled against the spin and lost. There was nothing to recognise of the baby faced bowler killer on The Oval, in a ragged and frankly jaded performance. The enthusiasm with which he has maintained his career might have been in his locker but he didn't bring it to the middle. For once, it all looked too much for him and after sweeping Swann for fours in one over, he was popping one from the glove with the same shot in the next and Anderson moved from slip for the catch.

The life of Raina's duck had more balls than one killed by a shotgun, his 39 minute effort equalling the longest duck by an Indian in Tests. He over balanced to a big turner from Swann - how we love him, how we love him - and Prior grabbed a rare stumping with Raina on the line. Sharma failed in the nightwatchman role - protecting a skipper who normally bats at 7 - popping a catch to Cook at short leg off Swann, via the inside edge. Swann had three in ten overs and India were tottering again.

The enduring class of Rahul Dravid

At the far end, still standing after all these years, was Dravid. He gave another exhibition of Test match batting and enduring class. He's no longer pretty but he's pretty effective.

The redeeming feature of stumps was that India only have two days of this English torment left. When they return home, Dhoni might think to have a word with his Board about future tours, preparation and scheduling. Four Tests in five weeks and no preparation? I don't think so. England would still have won. There is nothing India could have done to stop that but they might have been able to provide Dravid with more support and may have ensured Zaheer fitness.