Dravid carries bat through innings as India follow on
Rahul Dravid became the third Indian batsman to bat throughout a test
innings on Sunday with an epic unbeaten 146 on the fourth day of the
fourth and final test against England at the Oval.
Opening in place of Gautam Gambhir, who sustained mild concussion
while fielding on Friday, Dravid batted for more than six hours in
India’s first innings of 300 all out to emulate Sunil Gavaskar and
Virender Sehwag who also carried their bat.
His third century of the series and the 35th of his test career was
still not enough to get India close to avoiding the follow-on mark after
England had amassed 591 for six and the home team predictably enforced
the follow-on.
At tea India, who already trail England 3-0 in the series, were 25
for no wicket in their second innings, a deficit of 266.
Apart from Dravid, the only Indian to reach a century in the series,
no batsman exceeded 50 with Amit Mishra the second top scorer with an
enterprising 43. Mishra lofted Graeme Swann for an audacious six over
long-on off the last ball before lunch and helped Dravid add 87 for the
seventh wicket.
Dravid scored 103 not out in the first test at Lord’s and 117 in the
second at Trent Bridge, also opening the batting on the second occasion.
During Saturday’s innings he became the first batsman in test history to
face 30,000 deliveries.
After resuming on 57, Dravid negated the threat of Swann, who took
three cheap wickets on Saturday evening, through adroit footwork and
playing the ball as late as possible.
He could have been run out on 61 after a mixup with Mahendra Singh
Dhoni but survived to race through the 90s with three sweetly timed
boundaries in a Swann over.
Indian captain Dhoni was the only batsman to depart during the
morning session and his dismissal came as no surprise.
Dhoni was beaten twice outside the off-stump by Stuart Broad and
edged another delivery which landed in front of Andrew Strauss at first
slip.
He also survived an lbw appeal against Swann, padding up to a ball
which would have gone over the stumps.
James Anderson replaced Broad at the Pavilion end after 35 minutes
and Dhoni, propping forward, edged his 10th ball of the morning straight
to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Dravid found an able lieutenant in Mishra, who lofted Swann to the
boundary to bring up the 150. The pair took the total to 224 when Mishra
was brilliantly caught by Ian Bell off Tim Bresnan at short-leg, leaping
to his right to grasp a one-handed catch off an attempted hook.
LONDON, Aug 21 (Reuters)
England 1st Innings 591-6 dec
INDIA 1ST INNINGS
V. Sehwag lbw b Anderson 8
R. Dravid not out 146
V. Laxman c Prior b Broad 2
S. Tendulkar c Anderson b Swann 23
S. Raina st Prior b Swann 0
I. Sharma c Cook b Swann 1
MS Dhoni c Prior b Anderson 17
A. 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 (b8, lb9, w7, nb1) 25
TOTAL (all out, 94 overs,) 300
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-8 (Sehwag), 2-13 (Laxman), 3-68 (Tendulkar), 4-93 (Raina),
5-95 (Sharma), 6-137 (Dhoni), 7-224 (Mishra), 8-264 (Gambhir), 9-300 (Singh), 10-300 (Sreesanth)
BOWLING: Anderson 16-7-49-2; Broad 21-3-51-2 (1nb); Bresnan 17-3-54-3 (7w);
Swann 31-5-102-3; Pietersen 7-1-27-0; Bopara 2-2-0-0 |
