India set England 500-run target |
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Monday August 13, 01:22 AM
London, Aug. 12: Paul Collingwood took two wickets but couldn’t prevent India set a target of 500 for victory in the third and final Test at The Oval here on Sunday.
India declared their second innings on 180/6 after tea on the fourth day. V.V.S. Laxman was 46 not out and Anil Kumble eight not out with 20 overs remaining in the day’s play.
The highest fourth innings score to win a Test is 418/7 made by West Indies against Australia in 2003 and the equivalent record in England is the 404/3 made by Australia at Headingley in 1948.
Medium-pacer Collingwood’s figures of 2/24 were his best in Tests. India, when rain forced an early lunch, had collapsed to 35/3 with fast bowler James Anderson capturing the prize wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, bowled for one in what could be his last Test innings in England.
India resumed with captain Rahul Dravid two not out and Sourav Ganguly 21 not out. Left-hander Ganguly continued to counter-attack, cutting 6ft 7in fast bowler Chris Tremlett through the slips for a couple of fours while a becalmed Dravid spent 35 balls on two.
The Indian fourth-wicket pair posted a fifty partnership of which Dravid’s share was just five before Ganguly completed a dashing personal fifty in 53 balls with nine fours. But Ganguly fell for 57 when, trying to force Collingwood — who before this match had a Test bowling average of 130 — he was caught by Andrew Strauss at slip. Dravid took 91 balls to both score his first boundary, a late cut four off left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, and go to double figures.
However, the batsman, nicknamed ‘The Wall’, finally ran out of patience when he too fell to the Collingwood-Strauss combination for 12, made in 140 minutes, and India were 89/5. Alastair Cook dropped a sharp chance at silly point off Panesar when Dhoni was on 11.
England were a bowler light with left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom off the field with a side injury he’d sustained earlier in the match. Dravid, despite England being bowled out for 345, 120 runs short of the follow-on total of 465, chose to bat again. (AFP)
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