Photos: Indian batsmen falter as England exploit slow track

It was England's day again after their bowlers had India struggling at 87-4 at stumps on Day 2 of the fourth Test at the VCA stadium in Nagpur on Friday.

- India's brittle batting gives England upper hand

- Scorecard

Captain M S Dhoni (8) and Virat Kohli (11) were at the crease at close of play.

Earlier, Piyush Chawla recorded his career-best haul, 4 for 69, as England were dismissed for 330 in their first innings.

Resuming at the overnight score of 199 for 5, England did well to add another 129 runs while frustrating the Indian bowlers.

Chawla snapped up the wickets of debutant Joe Root (73), Graeme Swann (56), and James Anderson in a superb post-lunch spell of 4.5-0-17-3, to add to his lone success on Friday.

Coming in to bat on the fourth morning, Matt Prior and Joe Root set out to pile on the runs. The scoring wasn't quick, but they did well to grind the Indian bowlers.

After 15 overs in the morning, England slowly swelled their total, scoring 36 runs.

Prior completed his 50 (53 from 132 balls) through a boundary off Pragyan Ojha.

Two overs later, Root registered a half-century (155 balls) on debut and brought up the 100-run stand for the sixth wicket from 269 balls.

However, India fought back well after the first hour's play by claiming two quick wickets.

After Ashwin dismissed Prior, Sharma, replacing the off-spinner, sent back all-rounder Bresnan with the second ball of a new spell to help India wrest the initiative.

The two wickets fell in the space of nine deliveries.

England lost both the wickets at the same score of 242, having added 43 runs to their overnight total.

Root hardly looked troubled, either against the spinners or Ishant Sharma's pace.

The 21-year-old was solid in technique and rarely played a bad shot. He seemed to have lost his concentration when he reverse-sweept Ashwin but sent the ball into Dhoni's pads.

Swann made his intentions clear, going after the bowling once in a while, while Root displayed more maturity.

Swann completed his fifth Test half century and went after Jadeja for a boundary.

Chawla then brought some cheer to the Indian squad when he accepted a return catch from Root.

The debutant batted six hours while facing 229 balls and hitting just four fours.

It ended a stubborn 60-run eighth-wicket partnership between Root and Swann, who faced 91 balls and struck six fours and two sixes.

Two overs later, the leg-spinner had Swann, attempting a reverse sweep, trapped in front with a quicker ball that went straight before hitting him on the pads.

In his next over, Chawla packed off Anderson through a catch in the leg trap to bring an end to the England first innings at 330.

The visitors lost their last three wickets in the post-lunch session.

India were struck an early blow when James Anderson had Sehwag bowled for a two-ball duck in the first over itself.

Gambhir, looked in good touch but for his poor judgment of a run, and Pujara added 58 runs in 132 balls before a sudden slump that saw both batsmen and Tendulkar dismissed for just 12 runs in nine overs.

Swann provided England the big wicket of Pujara, caught at short leg for 26.

Anderson then dismissed Gambhir, who edged an outgoing delivery without any real footwork and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Prior for 37.

India were in a shambles at 71 for 4, but Kohli and Dhoni saw off the day without further setback.