3rd Test: India v England at Bangalore, 19-23 Dec 2001 CricInfo Live Report

3rd Test: India v England at Bangalore, 19-23 Dec 2001
Stephen Lamb

India 1st innings: England break through, India fight back, Flintoff strikes again,
England 1st innings: India take new ball , England progress steadily, England bowled out,
Live Reports from previous days

EVENLY POISED AT BANGALORE AS FLINTOFF TAKES THREE

Bad light ended play early with India on 99 for three in reply to England's 336 after an intriguing second day's play in the final Test at Bangalore. Sachin Tendulkar was again in prime form, unbeaten on 50 at the close. Earlier James Foster had rallied the tourists' lower order before Anil Kumble finished the England innings with his 300th Test wicket.

Andy Flintoff achieved his best figures in Test cricket with the third ball after the drinks break, when Das played crookedly outside the off stump, dragging the ball back on to his wicket. Das had made 28 and Flintoff had taken all three Indian wickets.

As the light deteriorated, joy turned to pain for Mark Ramprakash when he was hit on the knee at short leg by a meaty Tendulkar sweep. A single off Flintoff was Tendulkar's first run in 45 balls, and Rahul Dravid was fortunate to see the ball narrowly miss his stumps after he played it into the ground.

Tendulkar went through to his 50 in style, advancing down the wicket to drive Giles through the covers. Immediately he was beaten by a turning ball that defeated everyone and went for four byes. Flintoff and Giles continued as the umpires regular consulted their light meters, and their first offer to the batsmen took the players off, quite probably for the rest of the session.

TENDULKAR TESTS ENGLAND AFTER KUMBLE REACHES MILESTONE

Sachin Tendulkar again revived Indian fortunes after a double breakthrough from Andrew Flintoff, as England strove to take control of the final Test at Bangalore. Flintoff dismissed Deep Dasgupta and VVS Laxman after England were bowled out for 336, and in reply India had reached 88 for two after 35 overs.

Tendulkar's artistry was again in evidence in the first over after tea as he stepped out to clip Giles to the midwicket boundary. Three through extra cover off White brought up India's 50 (133 balls, 96 minutes) and four more followed, again through midwicket, as Tendulkar gave Giles the charge.

A moment's hesitation from Das could easily have cost him his wicket as Hussain shied at the stumps, but Tendulkar then produced a gem of a cover drive off White which turned the fielders to stone. A misfield resulted in another boundary in the same over, and the 50 partnership came up as Das greeted Flintoff's return with four through cover point.

The carnival continued as Tendulkar dispatched a good length delivery from Flintoff to the extra cover boundary. As Giles twice overpitched, Das swept him away behind square and then dispatched him therough cover. The response from Giles was to pitch regularly outside leg stump, giving Tendulkar little opportunity to play him, and an exchange of words between Tendulkar and Hussain resulted.

FLINTOFF STRIKES TWICE AFTER KUMBLE REACHES MILESTONE

Andrew Flintoff took two early wickets as India reached 42 for two at tea after bowling England out for 336 at Bangalore. Anil Kumble took his 300th Test wicket to end the England innings after James Foster had inspired some stubborn late-order resistance from the tourists. Sachin Tendulkar again looked in pristine form for India as the interval approached.

India's reply got off to a brisk start as Matthew Hoggard strayed to leg, allowing Shiv Sunder Das four behind square and two to midwicket off the first two balls of the innings. Flintoff began with a maiden, and found extra pace and lift to make the first breakthrough in the fourth over of India's innings as Deep Dasgupta edged, firm-footed, to Marcus Trescothick at first slip.

VVS Laxman announced himself with four through midwicket, and Hussain responded by strengthening the legside field. Undaunted, Laxman bisected the two deep fielders behind square in Flintoff's next over to add four more. But the Lancastrian's extra pace was too much for Laxman as a scorching inswinger penetrated his defences to hit the top of his middle stump.

Sachin Tendulkar entered to his customary rapturous reception, and was soon timing both Flintoff and Hoggard sweetly off his legs, the latter for a glorious boundary as he overpitched. Ashley Giles replaced Hoggard in the 13th over, which India completed on 31 for two.

Tendulkar's mastery shone again as he steered a marginally short Flintoff delivery through point for four more, and when Yorkshire replaced Lancashire, Craig White's first ball was glanced to fine leg with the same result. A good day for England thus far, but there is still plenty to do.

KUMBLE TAKES 300TH TEST WICKET AS ENGLAND ARE BOWLED OUT

England were eventually dismissed for 336 after James Foster led a stubborn rearguard action which enabled the tourists' last four wickets to yield another 117 runs. Foster was dismissed by Javagal Srinath for 48, and to his relief Anil Kumble took his 300th Test wicket to finish the innings off.

Foster and Giles got the afternoon under way with a flurry of singles as Sarandeep and Srinath resumed the Indian attack, and Giles struck the first boundary of the session, cutting a short ball from Srinath.

However the Indian paceman pulled Foster up just two short of his first Test 50 with an excellent delivery that held its own and foung a thin outside edge on its way through to Deep Dasgupta. Giles was out the very next ball, sweeping at Sarandeep and adjudged lbw as the ball looked to be on or around off stump.

Poor Sarandeep was then withdrawn from the attack after bowling a wicket maiden, to give Kumble the chance to take his 300th Test wicket. He duly obliged with his third ball, trapping Matthew Hoggard lbw to become the second Indian bowler after the legendary Kapil Dev to reach the landmark.

FOSTER FRUSTRATES INDIA AS ENGLAND CONSOLIDATE

James Foster continued his international graduation as the young Essex wicket-keeper saw England to 325 for seven at lunch on the second day of the final Test at Bangalore. Javagal Srinath dismissed Craig White after India took the new ball first thing, but it was India's one success of the morning as Foster reached the interval unbeaten on 45.

Anil Kumble replaced Ganguly for the 100th over of the innings, and might well have had his 300th Test wicket when Ashley Giles pushed his second ball narrowly wide of Das at short leg. A double change ended Srinath's excellent spell with the new ball as Harbhajan Singh was introduced at the BEML end.

Kumble looked less than impressed when a misfield allowed Foster two to third man, preventing a second over maiden. Giles and Foster exchanged singles to long leg off Harbhajan to keep the scoreboard slowly ticking. Foster took four off Harbhajan with a sublime off drive, but was then beaten twice, first defending then sweeping.

Giles was fortunate to survive an appeal for a catch at short leg off Kumble when an inside edge found its way to Das straight off his boot. The 300 came up with an inside edge to the fine leg boundary off Harbhajan, and Foster reached his highest Test score with another scorching drive to the long-off boundary.

Two byes took England to 313 for seven before Kumble made way for Sarandeep Singh. Giles struggled to make contact in Sarandeep's first over; an indiscreet waft was followed by three fortuitous leg byes as he hit across the line. But Giles got full value in Sarandeep's next over, crashing a long hop through point to hoist a 50 partnership for the second time this morning.

Ganguly made another double change just before lunch, recalling Srinath and giving Virender Sehwag an over, but England reached the break intact on 325 for seven.

ENGLAND LOSE WHITE AFTER INDIA TAKE NEW BALL

Craig White was dismissed for 39 shortly after a partnership of 50 with James Foster for England's seventh wicket at Bangalore. White was caught at short leg by Shiv Sunder Das off Javagal Srinath to leave England on 271 for seven.

India took the new ball at the start of play this morning, shared again by Srinath and his captain Sourav Ganguly. Foster was initially the more productive of the overnight batsmen, driving Srinath through cover and mid-off for two and three respectively as Srinath went for seven runs in his second over of the morning.

Ganguly was given a second warning by umpire Jayaprakash for running on the pitch during his follow-through. A misfield by Srinath off his own bowling gave White a single, but the latter then did well to fend off an excellent ball that reared sharply at him from just short of a length. The Yorkshireman was saved by a thin inside edge on to his pad as Srinath appealed fiercely for lbw.

The fifty partnership was handsomely posted as White took four through extra cover when Ganguly dropped short. A hooked single to fine leg took White to 39, but that was the extent of it as Srinath got his man with the first ball of his next over.