Related Links : India’s Tour of England 2011 : England Players : India Players : Scorecard of 4th Npower Test at Edgbaston
India have been put on the mat once again by the English bowlers and this time they face a follow on despite rain stopping play for more than a couple of hours on the third day’s play at The Kia Oval in London. The visitors are in a mess at 103 for 5 in 33 overs after England declared its first innings at massive 591 for 6.
Tale of the Morning Session :
England resumed the third day’s play at a strong 457 for 3 with Ian Bell nearing a double century in 123 overs. Bell registered his maiden double century but it was India having a better morning as Sreesanth collected a couple of consolation wickets. First he got night watchman James Anderson squeezing widish half volley to get caught in the slips. In his next over, Sreesanth found success again when he lured Eoin Morgan into an expansive cover drive and got him edging the away swinger to the keeper. England were now 487 for 5 in the 130th over.
Ravi Bopara who was playing for a place in the side got going thanks to some ordinary Indian bowling. Along with Bell, Bopara took the game forward for England. With a few minutes to go for Lunch, Ian Bell’s long knock came to an end when he missed a full delivery from part timer Suresh Raina in a sweep shot to be given out lbw. Bell settled for a career highest score of 235 which came with 23 fours and 2 sixes while facing 364 balls.
England finished the morning session at 591 for 6 in 153 overs with Bopara on 44* (from 75 balls with 3 fours) and Matt Prior on 18* (from 28 balls with 2 fours).
Tale of the Afternoon Session :
During the lunch break, the ground was hit by a drizzle which soon gave way to a heavy downpour and it was a long delay for nearly three hours. England wisely declared their first innings leaving India to bat out 33 overs after play finally resumed in the evening.
Tale of the Final Session :
India was forced to open with Rahul Dravid and Sehwag as Gautam Gambhir needed some rest following the concussion caused by his head banging hard onto the ground while attempting a catch on Day 2. Virender Sehwag (8 from 6 balls) promised a lot when he punched Jimmy Anderson for a couple of boundaries in the first over. But in the last ball, Sehwag was plumb infront with Anderson bowling a straighter line and getting the ball to nip back and also skid through to hit the pad infront of middle. In the 4th over, VVS Laxman (2 from 7 balls) was forced to edge a rising away going delivery from Broad to the keeper.
The visitors got a fighting partnership going between Dravid and Tendulkar but it lasted only for another 15 overs. Graeme Swann got the better of Sachin Tendulkar (23 from 34 balls with 4 fours) when the right hander attempted a predetermined paddle sweep but only for the ball to lob up to slip off his glove. It was the sharp turn and bounce that Swann got which produced the breakthrough leaving India at 68 for 3.
Swann struck two more blows before the close of play making best use of the dry pitch. He got Suresh Raina comprehensively beaten and stumped by a lovely flighted off break which drifted in and turned away sharply with bounce to defeat an extra cover drive. Raina (0 from 29 balls) failed to get his backfoot in after overbalancing himself out of the crease. Just a couple of overs before the close, night watchman Ishant Sharma was caught bat pad at short leg when he got an inside edge in a forward defence to a sharp turning off break from Swann. India finished on a disastrous note at 103 for 5 in 33 overs with only Rahul Dravid looking at par on an unbeaten 57* (from 108 balls with 9 fours). MS Dhoni is giving him company on 5* and his side is a long way short of the follow on target of 391 runs!