LONDON, 10 August 2007 — Dinesh Karthik scored 91 and India reached 316-4 on the first day of the third Test yesterday to edge closer to a series victory over England.
Leading 1-0 in the three-match series, India survived England’s swing bowling attack at The Oval and would have been even more in control if Michael Vaughan’s team had not dismissed two batsmen who clearly didn’t look out on TV replays.
England, however, might regret dropping Sachin Tendulkar when he had scored 20. He is unbeaten on 48 with V.V.S. Laxman 20 not out going into the second day.
Vaughan’s side has to win the match to tie the series.
England has not lost a series at home for six years and India will be confident of achieving at least a draw.
After India captain Rahul Dravid had won the toss and decided to bat first on a helpful pitch for batting, Wasim Jaffer hit a 6 and six 4s in his 35 as he dominated a first wicket partnership of 62 with Karthik.
Jaffer attacked the erratic bowling of paceman James Anderson. When the paceman hurled a delivery far too wide at the end of the sixth over, Jaffer got a top edge and the ball flew all the way over the rope at third man for a six.
Karthik survived an lbw appeal off the second delivery of the 12th over when Chris Tremlett got the ball past the inside edge of his bat. Umpire Ian Howell ruled it was going over the stumps.
Anderson was punished for his inability to keep his line and had 46 taken off his eight overs in the first session.
But the Lancashire bowler captured the first wicket to fall before lunch when Jaffer chased after yet another wide delivery and top-edged a catch to Kevin Pietersen at third man.
After 19 overs of pace, England gave leftarm spinner Monty Panesar a chance to slow the scoring with only 10 scored off his first five overs.
In the second over after lunch, Andrew Strauss almost caught Karthik on 58 after a fierce drive to short cover off Panesar. Karthik also survived an appeal for a catch at slip by Paul Collingwood, again from a delivery by Panesar. Dravid went on to take part in his record 65th Test century partnership and completed his 50 off 82 balls before he was bowled for 55 while trying to push a ball from Anderson through the onside. The England bowler angled the ball toward leg stump but managed to make it swing away.
Three overs later Karthik aimed to push a ball from Sidebottom through the offside and was given out caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior although TV replays suggested there was no contact with the bat.
Ganguly, who made 37, was also unlucky to be given out.
He and Tendulkar had added 77 to the score when he pushed forward to a ball from Collingwood and was given out lbw by Howell even though the ball appeared to flick the bat on the way through.
Tendulkar had already escaped on 20 when he edged a ball from Sidebottom behind but Prior, diving to his right, failed to hold on to the catch. Laxman helped Tendulkar add 40 more runs before stumps and moved past 5,000 Test runs with his second boundary in an over off Tremlett.
