England v India 2007
Wisden's review of England's 3rd Test against India, 2007
Jonathan Agnew
15-Apr-2008
At The Oval, August 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Drawn. Toss: India.
Rahul Dravid became only the third Indian captain to win a Test series in England,
after his team registered the biggest total in all matches between these sides and
effectively batted Michael Vaughan's men out of the game. The significance of the
draw would have hit Vaughan especially hard: it sealed not just his first home series
defeat as captain, but only the second for England in the 21st century, following the
2001 Ashes.
The "Jellybeangate Affair" lingered on from Trent Bridge, and continued to dominate
the back pages throughout the build-up. But, despite so much hanging on the outcome,
this Test was played in a healthy and competitive manner. The ICC's senior and most
respected referee, Ranjan Madugalle, had ordered England and India to be on their best behaviour following the childish and unsporting conduct of both teams a fortnight
earlier, which not only calmed tempers but surely prevented further unsavoury scenes
- there was some dreadful umpiring. The official in question was the South African
Ian Howell, who had made his Test debut a week after Australia's Simon Taufel, but
was standing in only his ninth game here compared to Taufel's 43. No one was safe,
and Ganguly received the worst decision of all when his promising 37 in the first
innings was cut cruelly short by Howell's failure to detect a deafening inside edge.
Ganguly somehow managed to rustle up a smile as he left the crease and, even in the
most trying of circumstances, nobody showed dissent.
One strong argument against three-Test series is that the spin of the coin can have
a major influence; England can count themselves unlucky to have lost the toss at Trent
Bridge and The Oval. The pitch looked a belter, and Dravid knew that all he and his
formidable array of batting talent had to do was to bat for the best part of two days
and the series would be theirs.
This India achieved spectacularly, leaving a mountain of statistics and broken records
in their wake. (One happened before the match began: this was the first time in history
that both sides were unchanged in a series of three Tests or more.) Vaughan must have
known as early as the end of the first day that his proud unbeaten home record was
hanging by a thread; Karthik and Dravid had ensured that a wholehearted effort by England's bowlers was largely unproductive, although the rejuvenated Anderson looked
impressive again.
Prior, who had been roundly criticised for his boorish behaviour behind the stumps
in the previous Test, was reminded that no one is bigger than the game. He equalled
the record number of byes conceded by a specialist wicketkeeper in a Test and
committed two blunders by dropping Tendulkar on 20 and Laxman - when Prior dived
anxiously in front of Strauss - on 41. Sidebottom was the luckless bowler each time.
Both batsmen went on to half-centuries during a stand of 78, one of eight fifty
partnerships; there had been 21 instances of six in a Test innings, but no side had
managed even seven before.
Laxman fell to Tremlett in the 12th over of the second morning and, after a period
of tight, attritional cricket in which a badly out-of-touch Tendulkar played particularly
painstakingly, Anderson had him taken at first slip for 82, scored in five hours.
That made it 417 for six, a score that still gave England the faintest whiff of a
chance, but no one bargained for the last four Indian wickets adding the small matter
of 247 runs. The most exhilarating contribution of the whole innings came, not
surprisingly, from Dhoni. He hit two sixes in three balls off Panesar, then two in
succession off Pietersen to race to 92 from 80 balls. Two deliveries remained in
Pietersen's over, with Dhoni two shots short of his hundred. Typically, he went for
glory and perished at deep midwicket.
Still India had not finished and, as every batsman reached double figures (for only
the 11th time in Test cricket), the most notable landmark of the match was set by one
of the game's most endearing characters. Leg-spinner Anil Kumble has a list of outstanding
achievements to his name - not least all ten wickets in an innings against
Pakistan. But all bowlers dream of being batsmen, and Kumble could well have felt
more pride and elation than at any other moment in his life when he edged Pietersen
through Prior's legs to reach his hundred. He became the oldest Indian to score a
maiden Test century, at 36 years 297 days; it took him 180 balls, as well as the longestever
wait in terms of appearances, his 118 Tests beating Chaminda Vaas's recent record
of 97.
When Sreesanth finally fell, leaving Kumble 110 not out, only the most optimistic
England supporter felt that there was any life left in the series. To make matters even
worse, Strauss casually hooked Zaheer Khan straight to deep square leg before the close.
From now on, it was a case of England making the right noises but, realistically,
batting for pride. Collingwood made a good 62 before falling to another "Howeller",
and the most fluent innings came from Bell. But as England slipped behind, the
only question was whether Dravid would be game enough to enforce the follow-on.
In our hearts we knew the answer. Many of the pundits urging him to do so would
surely have acted differently had they been in his position, with the burden of
expectation of a billion people resting on his shoulders.
As it was, his decision to bat again with a lead of 319 almost backfired when India
slipped unbelievably to 11 for three by the seventh over. The dramatic slide was
instigated by another miscalculation by Howell, who adjudged Wasim Jaffer lbw when
he played no stroke to Anderson. It did not require Hawk-Eye to confirm that the ball
would have passed comfortably over the stumps. Tremlett then had Karthik taken at
second slip by Collingwood, and Anderson struck again, spectacularly, when he
splattered Tendulkar's stumps via the inside edge. England dared to dream, but were
thwarted by the absence of Sidebottom through a side strain, and also by Dravid who,
with visions of effigies being hastily and angrily prepared throughout India, embarked
on one of the most tortuous Test innings ever played. Anderson thought he had him
lbw on two, but Howell had by now switched determinedly to "not out" mode. With
grim determination, Dravid hauled his team to safety, scoring 12 from 96 balls as
Ganguly - noticeably relieved of the pressure of the captaincy - batted with admirable
freedom (57 in 68 balls) at the other end.
Dravid finally felt confident enough to declare when his lead stood at 499. England
survived 20 overs that evening, and went into the final day needing 444 to win, with
all ten wickets standing. As Pietersen - who denied India victory with 101 - asserted
afterwards, it is unlikely that that number of runs could ever be scored on a fifth-day pitch, with the fielding captain able to set defensive fields to negative bowling.
Pietersen's critics might point to his unfortunate habit of apparently losing concentration
when his personal goal has been achieved, but he was well supported by Bell, who
carried his fluency and momentum with great success into the one-day series that
followed. Dravid sensed a chance when he needed five wickets with 21 overs to go,
but he was more than satisfied with the draw he craved to seal his place in Indian
cricket history. A month later, he stepped down as captain.
Man of the Match: A. Kumble.
Men of the Series: England - J. M. Anderson; India - Zaheer Khan. Close of play: First day, India 316
Men of the Series: England - J. M. Anderson; India - Zaheer Khan. Close of play: First day, India 316