Sport

India’s top order batsmen fail to get going

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

CAUGHT! Andrew Flintoff, after softening up Yuvraj Singh with some incisive fast bowling, waits to pouch the edge from the left-hander’s expansive drive off Steve Harmison on Friday.

Chennai: The longest form of the game has the ability to surprise and enthrall. Kevin Pietersen’s men had India reeling at 155 for six on a fascinating Friday at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. Earlier, England was dismissed for 316 in its first innings.

On a pitch increasingly assisting the spinners, a sizable lead for England will not augur well for India. The blazing sunshine is taking its toll; the ball is already spinning quicker off the pitch. England has rightly picked two spinners for the Test. One of them, Graeme Swann, struck twice in his maiden over in Tests. The unfancied debutant off-spinner turned the ball both ways, was undaunted by reputations.

Swann prised out Gautam Gambhir by spinning a delivery into the left-hander from round the wicket. Gambhir, with disastrous consequences, did not offer a shot.

In the same over, Swann switched his line exceptionally well to the right-handed Rahul Dravid, who at the receiving end of a marginal leg-before decision, played down the wrong line to an off-break. The last over before tea had been dramatic.

England’s heroic return for the Test series has now translated itself into a stirring on-field display. Can the visitor close out the Test?

Earlier, the English attack was humming. Steve Harmison was hitting the big gloves of ’keeper Matt Prior hard. James Anderson was lively and moved the ball from a straight line around the off-stump.

Crucially, Virender Sehwag was not provided the width. The marauding opener expected an Anderson delivery to deviate away and shaped for a cut. It, however, nipped back and Sehwag played on.

The English pacemen operated to a plan. They bowled a fuller length and in the corridor. And the short deliveries were no fodder; these climbed into the batsmen’s body.

Andrew Flintoff generated pace and extracted lift from over and round the wicket. His bustling run-up and an explosive high-arm release made for compelling viewing.

Pietersen made all the right moves. He replaced Anderson with Flintoff from the press box end and the all-rounder struck with his first delivery. The length of the off-cutter — just short of the conventional back-of-a-length — undid a well-settled Tendulkar. The maestro’s uncertain push ended in Flintoff’s hands.

Flintoff bowled with heart and commitment — he tested Yuvraj with short-pitched balls. Importantly, he put the batsmen under stress, created the pressure.

Towards the end of a long day, Pietersen replaced Swann with Harmison. The ploy worked. Harmison angled one across the left-handed Yuvraj Singh from over the wicket and the batsman’s attempted loose drive ended in second slip’s hands.

The charismatic Monty Panesar had his moment as well. The slight drift in the left-arm spinner’s stock delivery saw V.V.S. Laxman knocking one back even as he checked his drive. The spinner held on to a reflex catch. Tendulkar and Laxman were stringing together a partnership.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, on a typically wristy 24, carries much of India’s hopes with him.

Earlier in the day, Amit Mishra varied his trajectory and used the crease.

Had the Englishmen used their feet against the flighted deliveries than prodding forward in hope, they would have fared better. Flintoff, still on overnight 18, was held at short-leg.

Dhoni replaced Ishant Sharma with Mishra after just one over from the paceman. On a surface of this nature, a spinner was better suited to exploit the early sluggishness in Flintoff’s footwork.

However, the Indian captain could have subsequently been more attacking in his methods. A lone slip was in place when Anderson faced the pacemen. India did not press or hustle the lower order.

Despite a measure of reverse swing for the pacemen, India could have taken the new ball option. Such a ploy is a more direct method against the tail.

Prior nudged and pushed his way to a 102-ball unbeaten 53. Nightwatchman Anderson — put down at slip by Dravid off Ishant — frustrated India under bright daylight.

Prior displayed faith in the tail; he did not lash out or attempt to farm the bowling.

Harbhajan brought his dexterous wrist into play by getting a top-spun ripper to kick off a length and kiss the edge of Swann’s bat. Blinded by ’keeper Dhoni, Dravid pouched a smart catch at slip. The dismissal was a pointer to how the pitch could behave in the latter stages.

SCOREBOARD

 England — 1st innings: A. Strauss c & b Mishra 123, A. Cook c Zaheer b Harbhajan 52, I. Bell lbw b Zaheer 17, K. Pietersen c & b Zaheer 4, P. Collingwood c Gambhir b Harbhajan 9, A. Flintoff c Gambhir b Mishra 18, J. Anderson c Yuvraj b Mishra 19, M. Prior (not out) 53, G. Swann c Dravid b Harbhajan 1, S. Harmison c Dhoni b Yuvraj 6, M. Panesar lbw b Ishant 6, Extras (lb-7, nb-1): 8; Total (in 128.4 overs): 316.

Fall of wickets: 1-118 (Cook), 2-164 (Bell), 3-180 (Pietersen), 4-195 (Collingwood), 5-221 (Strauss), 6-229 (Flintoff), 7-271 (Anderson), 8-277 (Swann), 9-304 (Harmison).

India bowling: Zaheer 21-9-41-2, Ishant 19.4-2-32-1, Harbhajan 38-2-96-3, Mishra 34-6-99-3, Yuvraj 15-2-33-1, Sehwag 1-0-8-0.

India — 1st innings: G. Gambhir lbw b Swann 19, V. Sehwag b Anderson 9, R. Dravid lbw b Swann 3, S. Tendulkar c & b Flintoff 37, V.V.S. Laxman c & b Panesar 24, Yuvraj c Flintoff b Harmison 14, M.S. Dhoni (batting) 24, Harbhajan (batting) 13, Extras (b-2, lb-7, nb-3): 12, Total (for six wkts. in 45 overs): 155.

Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Sehwag), 2-34 (Gambhir), 3-37 (Dravid), 4-98 (Laxman), 5-102 (Tendulkar), 6-137 (Yuvraj).

England bowling: Harmison 8-1-29-1, Anderson 10-3-26-1, Flintoff 12-2-26-1, Swann 7-0-35-2, Panesar 8-2-30-1.

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