CIRCKET/Second Test, final day: For the sake of the series and their own self-esteem India needed to bat the day out at Trent Bridge yesterday, and in front of a full house the crackerjack batsmen duly delivered.
There was to be no 30th Test century for Sachin Tendulkar, who made 92, nor for the captain Sourav Ganguly, who became only the sixth Test player to have been dismissed twice for 99 when Steve Harmison removed his off stump.
But Rahul Dravid, who had batted in the shadow of Tendulkar's genius the previous evening and shared a defining third-wicket stand of 172 with him, played with diligence and skill for more than five hours to make 115, the 11th hundred of his career and his first against England.
Just briefly, after Dominic Cork had removed Dravid and VVS Laxman either side of the taking of the second new ball and Harmison had finally nailed Ganguly, did the thought cross the mind of an end to the Indian innings and a frenetic run chase such as England completed successfully in the final Test against Sri Lanka this summer.
But Ajit Agarkar played with panache for an hour to score 32, and although Harbhajan Singh, the semi-centurion of the first innings, had his off stump blown out of the ground by Harmison, Parthiv Patel, the 17-year-old wicketkeeper in on a pair, played with common sense and no little wristiness to see India to 424 for eight, an overall lead of 164, at which point, with 10 overs theoretically still left, Ganguly declared to bring proceedings to an end.
Matthew Hoggard bowled superbly for no reward yesterday, as did Andy Flintoff, bearing down on the batsman like a freight train out of control. But in pristine conditions against batting such as this, the England attack was short on experience.
What almost certainly cost England the chance of winning was the conservative strategy with the ball on the first two days. Let nothing detract from the batting of the Indian trio yesterday, though.
Tendulkar looked odds on to reach the century that must surely come this series before Vaughan's flight and turn out of the rough created by India's own left-arm seamers beat and bowled him on the drive. This was classical off-spin bowling.
Dravid, though, had played with scarcely less skill throughout his innings, even if he approached his century with caution, and he was troubled only immediately after lunch, on 73, when an appeal for a catch at the wicket off Hoggard appeared justified.
For Ganguly, scorer of a hundred on this ground six years ago but with only one in his past 51 knocks, this was an important innings. As ever, in the manner of left-handers, he flirted with the off side.
He was edgy at the end, for having carved Flintoff square for his 13th four to reach 96, he trotted his singles before hanging his bat at Harmison and deflecting on to his stumps. ...
Scoreboard
England 617 (M P Vaughan 197, C White 94 no, A J Stewart 87, M A Butcher 53). India 357 (V Sehwag 106, S C Ganguly 68, Harbhajan Singh 54; M J Hoggard 4-105) and 99-2 (S R Tendulkar 56 no).
INDIA Second Innings (cont)
R Dravid lbw b Cork 115
S R Tendulkar b Vaughan 92
S C Ganguly b Harmison 99
V V S Laxman c White b Cork 14
A B Agarkar lbw b Vaughan 32
P A Patel not out 19
Harbhajan Singh b Harmison 1
Zaheer Khan not out 14
Extras b5 lb12 w4 nb12 pens 0 33
Total 8 wkts (115 overs) ... 424
Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-11 3-174 4-309 5-339 6-378 7-395 8-396
Did Not Bat: A Nehra.
Bowling: Hoggard 23-0-109-1; Flintoff 22-2-95-1; Harmison 29-5-63-2; Cork 12-1-54-2; Vaughan 21-5-71-2; White 8-2-15-0.
Umpires: R E Koertzen and R B Tiffin.
MATCH DRAWN
