BOMBAY, 20 March 2006 — England paceman Matthew Hoggard took two early wickets to help reduce India to 89 for three at the close of play on the second day of the third and final Test yesterday.
The home team, replying to England’s first innings total of 400, lost Virender Sehwag (6) and Wasim Jaffer (11) to Hoggard before James Anderson claimed the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar (1) on his home ground.
Captain Rahul Dravid (37 not out), appearing in his 100th Test, and Yuvraj Singh (32 not out) then fought back for India with an undefeated stand of 61 for the fourth wicket.
The out-of-form Tendulkar, playing in an Indian record 132nd Test, was booed by the crowd as he trudged off to the dressing rooms after edging an away swinger to wicket keeper Geraint Jones.
The 32-year-old Tendulkar has not passed 28 in nine innings since compiling a world record 35th Test hundred against Sri Lanka in December.
Sehwag was the first Indian batsman to fall, edging a lifting delivery to debutant Owais Shah in the slips. Jaffer went to another ball from Hoggard that rose steeply when he gloved a leg-side catch to Jones.
Earlier, Shah hit 88 and skipper Andrew Flintoff (50) made his third consecutive half-century as England added 128 runs to their overnight 272 for three. Flintoff, who struck 70 and 51 in the second Test, was twice dropped on 29 off unlucky paceman Munaf Patel.
The Lancashire all-rounder eventually holed out to Tendulkar on the mid-wicket fence off leg spinner Anil Kumble.
Shah had been forced to retire hurt on 50 after suffering cramp in his hands on Saturday. Fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, 23, finished with four for 70 while off spinner Harbhajan Singh picked up three for 89.
Patel, who claimed seven wickets on his debut when India won the second Test, added two victims in successive balls after lunch yesterday, removing Shaun Udal for nine and Hoggard for a duck.
India are 1-0 up in the series.
