Thaindian News

Nottingham, Aug 1 (IANS) Chasing a world record 478-run target in the fourth innings, India went to lunch at eight for one on the fourth day of their second cricket Test against England, having lost first-innings century-maker Rahul Dravid, Monday.

India, who suffered a 196-run loss in the first Test in Lord’s, were staring at their second consecutive defeat after the massive blow of losing Dravid (6) who snicked Stuart Broad to be caught behind.

Abhinav Mukund nearly got a king pair, but Bresnan failed to fasten on to a sharp slip-catch off James Anderson and the young opener along with V.V.S. Laxman saw off the five overs before lunch.

England bullied India by scoring freely as they added 103 runs in 19.2 overs, to their overnight score of 441 for six. Tim Bresnan (90) and Matt Prior (73) blunted the Indian attack adding 119 runs for the seventh wicket before Broad came up with a cameo of 32-ball 44.

Bresnan and Prior, the two overnight batsmen, made their intentions clear right from the first over. Bresnan got to his fifty in an awkward fashion after the third delivery of the day from Sreesanth kicked up from just short of a length, hit the handle of Bresnan’s bat, and flew over gully to third man for four. But Bresnan showed his class by driving Sreesanth’s fifth delivery between the bowler and the mid-on.

Prior, who cracked a century at Lord’s, hit Praveen Kumar (4/124) for two consecutive fours in the next over but the street-smart pacer picked up the England wicketkeeper with an excellent delivery that swung away sharply to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who almost fluffed the catch.

But Bresnan looked in fluent touch. He cut, drove and pulled efficiently to frustrate the Indian bowlers in his 82-run stand with Broad. Kumar picked up Bresnan and Broad off consecutive deliveries, but James Anderson denied him a hat-trick.