Gautam Gambhir hit an unbeaten 106 and Rahul Dravid finally returned to form with 65 not out as India made a solid start in the second Test against England yesterday.
The pair put on an unbeaten 173 for the second wicket as India recovered from the early loss of Virender Sehwag to post 179 for one by stumps on a shortened opening day’s play.
Left-handed Gambhir, who made 66 in the first Test in Chennai which India won by six wickets, slammed his third century this year and the fourth of his 22-match career.
The 27-year-old Delhi opener now has 964 runs in eight Tests this year at an average of 68.85, with a personal best of 206 against Australia in New Delhi in October.
Dravid, fighting to retain his Test place after a recent slump in form, recorded his 54th Test half-century, but the first in his last nine innings.
The pair batted through most of the gloomy day to frustrate England’s bid to gain quick wickets in a match they must win to draw the two-match series.
Play began 20 minutes late due to bad light and ended 18 overs early as dark clouds gathered over the Punjab Cricket Association ground.
India began slowly after electing to bat in overcast conditions, groping for the first 10 overs of the match to make 15 runs after losing the dangerous Sehwag in the second over.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad, returning to the England side in place of Steve Harmison after missing the first Test with a hamstring injury, struck with his sixth delivery.
Sehwag, man of the match in Chennai for his explosive 83 off 68 balls, failed to score as he edged Broad’s outswinger to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Dravid, who turns 36 next month, walked in at his usual No. 3 position despite making just 342 runs in his last 10 Tests at an average of 19.
His lone four in the morning session, a pull off James Anderson off the 46th ball he faced, was his first boundary in five innings.
It was left to Gambhir to keep the scoreboard moving before lunch with six fours, including two in Monty Panesar’s first over.
India ended the morning session on 51-1 from 21 overs, 35 of those runs coming from Gambhir’s bat.
Dravid opened out after the break, driving Panesar through the covers for his second boundary, before two fluent on-drives off Andrew Flintoff and Broad showed he was finally middling the ball.
Another off-drive off Panesar brought up India’s 100 in which Dravid’s contribution was 39.
Gambhir stroked freely at the other end but was lucky to escape twice after reaching 70, off-spinner Graeme Swann being the unlucky bowler both times.
Paul Collingwood failed to grasp a sharp chance in the slips as Gambhir edged Swann, before umpire Daryl Harper turned down the bowler’s loud shout for leg-before.
Television replays showed the ball heading towards the middle stump.
“Test cricket is all about challenges and getting runs against all sort of attacks on different pitches,” Gambhir said, adding that the home team had done a “good job after losing Sehwag so early.”
“Being an opener, my job was to see off the new ball. It was not the kind of wicket on which you could have gone bang-bang,” he said.
“I think we’ve done a very good job, considering the wicket and the kind of fast bowlers they have,” Gambhir said. “It’s up to us to capitalize tomorrow.”
England coach Peter Moores said he hoped his bowlers could turn things around on the second morning.
“Anytime you keep a side under three an over you know if you get two quick wickets you are back in the game,” he said. “We’ll come back tomorrow morning with the same thought. If we get two in the first half hour we’ll be right back in the game.”
■AUSTRALIA V S AFRICA
STAFF WRITER
South Africa were dismissed for 281 on the third day of the first Test against Australia in Perth before bouncing back to leave the home side on 228 for 7 at the close. Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was on 39 not out with the other unbeaten batsman, Jason Krejza, on 28.
The Aussies have a lead of 322 going into day four, largely thanks to the bowling of left-arm pace man Mitchell Johnson who claimed a career-best 8 for 61.
A number of the Australian batsmen were able to get a start in their second innings but none managed a half-century as the South African bowlers struck regularly to just about keep the Proteas in the match.
Dale Steyn, Paul Harris and Jacques Kallis picked up two wickets apiece. Makhaya Ntini was the other wicket-taker.
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