England on brink of India whitewash

England finally saw off Rahul Dravid as they closed in on a 4-0 series rout of India at The Oval in London on Sunday.

Dravid batted for more than seven hours in the fourth Test before England found a way to break ‘The Wall’.

But India, following-on, were 129 for three at the close of the fourth day, still 162 runs behind England’s first innings 591 for six declared built upon Ian Bell’s Test-best 235 and Kevin Pietersen’s 175.

Sachin Tendulkar, bidding for an unprecedented 100th international century, was 25 not out and nightwatchman Amit Mishra eight not out.

England though needed just seven more wickets on Monday’s final day to complete a 4-0 clean sweep for the first time since a home whitewash of the West Indies in 2004.

“It’s been a tough series,” said Dravid, who carried his bat for an undefeated 146 in the first innings.

“They are a quality side and have bowled well as a group. But hopefully tomorrow (Monday) it is Sachin’s day. If the other guys can rally around him maybe we can save this Test.”

Meanwhile England off-spinner Graeme Swann, who removed both Dravid and Virender Sehwag before stumps, was looking forward to bowling on a last day pitch already offering turn.

“It excites me - especially after you play a whole season on belting batting and seaming wickets,” Swann said. “It is nice to get a spinning wicket.

“We need to make inroads in the morning. We’ve got 20 overs where the ball will talk a lot.

“I was fairly happy with the way I bowled all day. My body is aching like it hasn’t all summer, but it’s a nice ache.”

India resumed Sunday in the desperate position of 103 for five.

Dravid was 57 not out and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni five not out.

But Dhoni, who never looked settled, was out for 17 when he pushed tentatively at a James Anderson outswinger and was caught behind.

Dravid, responsible for all three India centuries this series, sped through the 90s with three fours in four balls from off-spinner Graeme Swann, a sweep and a late cut preceding his elegant advance down the pitch to create a half-volley he clipped through mid-wicket

A late cut two off Tim Bresnan then saw Dravid to his hundred.

Dravid’s century was the second time this series he’d made a hundred while opening in the absence of regular opener Gautam Gambhir.

He had previously made 117, when Gambhir missed the second Test at Trent Bridge with an elbow injury, following his 103 not out at Lord’s.

Dravid’s 35th Test century took him in front of hero Sunil Gavaskar’s mark of 34 and fourth in the all-time list behind Tendulkar (51), South Africa’s Jacques Kallis (40) and Australia’s Ricky Ponting (39).

India started the second session on 218 for six, with Dravid 109 not out and Mishra, who’d driven Swann for six off the last ball before lunch, 38 not out.

However, Mishra added just five more runs before he was brilliantly caught by a diving Bell at an unusually positioned short backward square leg off a pull against Bresnan.

Bresnan struck twice in three balls as India were bowled out for 300 - the first time they’d made the score this series.

Dravid had contributed nearly 50 per cent thanks to a masterful 146 not out in 266 balls with 20 fours.

He was only the third Indian after Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag to carry his bat in a Test innings but India were still 92 adrift of avoiding the follow-on.

The selfless Dravid kept his pads on as Gautam Gambhir, who hadn’t opened in the first innings after suffering concussion fielding on Friday, stayed put.

But his resistance ended when, on 13, he turned Swann to Alastair Cook at short leg.

He was only dismissed when Rod Tucker’s original not out decision was overturned by fellow Australian Steve Davis after England requested a review.

“I thought I got a bit of a feather on it,” said Dravid, who received a standing ovation from a capacity 23,500 crowd as he walked into the pavilion.

Sehwag made a typically dashing 33 before he was bowled between bat and pad by Swann.

Venkatsai Laxman was then bowled for 24 by a superb Anderson delivery that angled in and uprooted his off-stump.
 

Scoreboard

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
Ishant Sharma c Cook b Swann 1
MS Dhoni c Prior b Anderson 17
Amit 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
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

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