Dravid, Ganguly, Tendulkar ensure draw
Faisal Shariff
Twenty-seven bowling changes by Nasser Hussain in India's second innings failed to get him the ten wickets he required to push for a victory and go two-up in the four-Test series.
The batting trio of Sachin Tendulkar (92), Rahul Dravid (115) and Sourav Ganguly (99) weighed in with valuable contributions as India managed to draw the Test at Trent Bridge, scoring 422 for 8 declared after a first innings lead of 260 runs.
India's 17-year old sensation Parthiv Patel gave a good account of himself, batting stubbornly for 84 minutes in the last session of the day.
Michael Vaughan was declared man of the match for his fluent 197 and the crucial wicket of Tendulkar in the second innings.
Morning session
India lost Sachin Tendulkar in the morning session, after briefly spooking the Englishmen, but held on to revive hopes of drawing the Trent Bridge Test.
The master batsman fell short of his 30th Test century, which would have seen him edge past Sir Don Bradman's record, by eight runs.
At 211 for 3, India trail England by 49 runs, with two more sessions left to survive, and Rahul Dravid (73) and skipper Sourav Ganguly (24) batting comfortably.
Tendulkar and Dravid added 88 runs in 17 overs last night to set up a fifth day, charged with optimism for every Indian supporter.
Even as the sun muscled its way through the grey skies, the Tendulkar-Dravid Inc. decided to continue playing their strokes much to the early discontent of convention, which stated that the batters play out the first hour and then reassess the strategy.
An hour into the fifth morning and India had raced away to 163 for 2, having scored 64 runs in the 13 overs bowled, at almost five runs an over.
The first hour of play was nothing if not absorbing, with the batters seeing off the early Matthew Hoggard and Andy Flintoff threat. Tendulkar played the shot of the morning, leaning into an over-pitched delivery from Flintoff to the cover fence. Dravid pulled Flintoff through mid-wicket to record another industrious 80-ball fifty.
None of Hussain's bowling changes seemed to work. Tendulkar had punctured the seven off-side field though Flintoff and Harmison continued bowling from around the wicket into the ribs of the batsmen. India, with a 150-run partnership between Dravid and Tendulkar, seemed to have seen off the threat of a defeat.
Tendulkar collared Dominic Cork, smashing him out of the attack with three consecutive boundaries. A copybook off-drive that rocketed to the fence was followed by a perfectly-balanced square cut past the point fielder. Shaken up by the bluster, Cork drifted down leg, and was flicked to the backward-square-leg fence.
The sun was beating down on the turf as Hussain, in a state of resignation introduced part-time rookie Michael Vaughan into the attack and the game suddenly slowed down.
Tendulkar, who loves to dominate the bowling, was suddenly patting back dot balls to Vaughan.
The first three overs from Vaughan produced 2, 3, 5 runs respectively; Tendulkar had played 12 dot balls off the off-spinner. The scoring pace had been tamed and Tendulkar, on 92, in a bid to break the shackles, decided to attack Vaughan.
After patting the first ball of Vaughan’s fourth over, he swung at a delivery that pitched outside off-stump and turned in viciously, leaving a huge gap between bat-pad. The bails flew and Tendulkar, balancing himself, was stranded for the fifth time in the nineties. He would have to wait for another innings to pass Bradman’s 29 centuries.
Tendulkar’s 92 had come off 113 balls. He scored half of the 34 boundaries India had scored in the morning session. India, at 174 for 3, still trailed by 86 runs.
Ganguly walked out to the middle and saw off the last three-quarters of an hour to lunch. He pulled a short delivery from Flintoff, who was brought back into the attack, for four. Picking up from where he had left off, he cracked an over-pitched delivery through the covers for another four. He then sent a full toss from Vaughan screaming to the mid-wicket fence. The Indian batsmen had decided to attack their way out of trouble.
India went into lunch at 211 for 3, having scored 112 runs in the morning session, off 28.4 overs.
Post Lunch session
A 134-run partnership between Rahul Dravid, who registered his 11th Test hundred, and skipper Sourav Ganguly saw India through to tea at 315 for 4, a slender 55-run lead over England.
After Dravid departed for 115, VVS Laxman and Ganguly held the responsibility of batting out the rest of the overs after tea to draw the Trent Bridge Test.
Ganguly cut Flintoff down to the third-man fence soon after lunch as India cruised into comfort mode. Dravid aggravated Flintoff's misery when he pitched short, square-cutting him for a boundary and recording the 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Ganguly.
Luck changed hands as India had decisions going their way and edges flying through vacant spots. Dravid was nonplussed by an away-swinger from Hoggard that made a sound before settling in Stewart’s gloves. Umpire Rudi Koertzen nodded in disapproval though replays verified the English appeal.
Square-cutting Vaughan off the back-foot for his ninth four, Ganguly scored his second half-century of the Test. A fluid cover drive off Vaughan in the following over put India in the lead. And though the match is still wide open, India ensured that the hosts would have to bat again.
After the Tendulkar dismissal, Ganguly matched Dravid's steel as the duo posted the second hundred-run stand of the innings following the Dravid-Tendulkar partnership, which was worth 163 invaluable runs.
Dravid, after scoring with refreshing freedom, froze in the nineties -- a territory where he has faltered in five times. He laid the ghosts to rest when he ran three runs of an exquisite back-foot drive through the covers and indexed his 11th Test century.
The worst had passed and the rest of the match was regarded as i-dotting and t-crossing as the Dravid-Ganguly combine negotiated the England seam attack.
With the new ball ten deliveries away Dravid, fooled by the late reverse swing of a Cork delivery, was trapped plumb in front for 115. His 339-minute vigil at the crease had ended and England smelt a chance with the lead a mere 48 runs and another 46 overs yet to be bowled in the game.
VVS Laxman and Ganguly dealt with the four overs before tea as India went into tea at 315 for 4, with a slender lead of 55 runs.
Post Tea session:
Ganguly pulled Flintoff to the mid-wicket fence as India embarked on the last session of the day.
VVS Laxman seemed unperturbed by the situation, flicking boundaries with his supple wrists before impetuosity led to his downfall. Dominic Cork dug one in short and tempted him for the hook, which he promptly accepted and found the ball leave his bat and settle into the waiting hands of Craig White at deep square leg.
Cork’s trap had worked and a grimace on Ganguly’s face at the other end reflected the mood in the Indian camp. It was inexcusable for a senior to play a shot of such irresponsibility at a time when the blueprint for the team strategy was to save the game.
Laxman’s departure, for 14, at 339 for 5, left an unpredictable tail exposed to the English seam attack, with the lead a mere 79 runs.
Ajit Agarkar slapped three fours in one over from Cork through the off-side, racing away to 25 runs off 20 deliveries. He was batting with flair and a large measure of fortune.
Ganguly closed in on his first century of the year but his nerves got the better of him as he edged a Steve Harmison delivery onto his stumps one run away from a deserved ninth century. (378-6)
The Indian lower order was at the crease with England still hoping for a final dash to victory, similar to the one they pulled off at Old Trafford earlier this season against the Sri Lankans, under similar circumstances.
The diminutive Parthiv Patel walked out to the middle and with the last 25 overs yet to be bowled in the session played a knock devoid of nerves.
Agarkar finally offered his pad instead of the bat and was trapped in front by a Vaughan off-cutter. Agarkar’s 32 off 40 balls had pushed India to 395 but the seven wickets had fallen with a lead of 135. A run later, Harbhajan Singh was yorked by Steve Harmison and the possibility of England chasing the total was still on.
Zaheer Khan and Parthiv helped India add another 29 runs before skipper Sourav Ganguly declared the innings and Hussain, realising the futility in the chase, settled for a draw.
Patel, undefeated on 19, was applauded by the Englishmen, and in a show of sporting spirit, his opposite number Alec Stewart spoke to the youngster on the way back to the pavilion. With a sound defence and a rare self-discipline, he eschewed the swish outside off-stump.
Only 17, Patel's appreciable glove-work has ended India's hunt for a specialist keeper.
India need to get their seam attack sorted out before the next Test at Leeds. The four-day game against Essex would be the ideal opportunity to check out Tinu Yohannan.
'I call myself a wicketkeeper-batsman' - Parthiv Patel
