England's cricketers make headway

England made inroads into India's reply in the final Test at Bangalore but Sachin Tendulkar once again stalled their progress.

The Indian master batsman, who registered his 27th Test hundred at Ahmedabad last week, dominated as the hosts recovered from losing two early wickets to close on 99 for three – a deficit of 237 – after bad light hacked 11 overs off the evening session.

Tendulkar had brought up his half–century by using his feet to Ashley Giles and punching the left–arm spinner to the cover boundary.

Displaying his typical exquisite timing and hitting nine fours, Tendulkar carried India to calmer waters in tandem with Shiv Sunder Das, sharing a 66–run third–wicket stand.

Andrew Flintoff accounted for Das as the opener chopped onto his stumps off an inside edge.

Flintoff, in fact, claimed all three wickets to fall, having struck a double blow to reduce India to 22 for two at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

A delivery of extra bounce encouraged Deep Dasgupta to edge to Marcus Trescothick at first slip.

That breakthrough was followed by the removal of VVS Laxman, promoted to number three at the expense of Rahul Dravid, as a big in–swinger found its way through the gate to hit the top of off–stump.

His figures of three for 30 from 15 overs under the floodlights – the gloom of Bangalore once again enforced their employment in the final two sessions – were richly deserved as he provided Nasser Hussain's side with controlled hostility.

The initial burst meant England got to Tendulkar with the ball still relatively new.

They may have also got a look at Dravid shortly before tea when Das, on 11, looped a catch off bat and then pad only for umpire Ashoka de Silva to turn down the appeal as wicketkeeper James Foster took a diving catch.

Das had another narrow escape shortly after tea when Hussain's throw from cover narrowly missed the stumps with the diminutive opener short of his ground.

There was clearly some ill feeling left over from yesterday's bizarre dismissal of Michael Vaughan for handling the ball, and Tendulkar and Hussain were involved in a heated exchange.

England were dismissed for 336 as Anil Kumble finally claimed his 300th Test wicket on his home ground.

Kumble became the second Indian after Kapil Dev to reach the milestone but, having come into this match needing a solitary success to get there, he was made to wait until his 30th over.

An attempted sweep by Matthew Hoggard provided a leg before decision to end England's innings.

The tourists had resumed on another overcast morning, on 255 for six, and stretched their total by another 81 thanks mostly to youngster Foster.

He cruelly fell two short of a maiden Test half–century, following his impressive 40 in Ahmedabad last week, as three wickets toppled for 11 runs in 4.3 overs after lunch.

Foster, 21 and playing in only his third Test, belied his confident earlier strokeplay with a poke at a Javagal Srinath delivery to offer a catch behind.

As was the case in the second Test, he helped nurture vital lower–order runs with a disciplined innings, containing some fluent drives off medium pacers and spinners alike.

He had lost overnight partner Craig White, a centurion in the last Test, who became the third of Srinath's four scalps having added just nine to his overnight 30.

Srinath had peppered him with bouncers and finally after switching round the wicket one did the damage, as, with the ball climbing towards the grille of his helmet, White's gloves intervened and Das dived forward to take the catch at short leg.

His departure ended a 52–run partnership for the seventh wicket with Foster, who had resumed on 14 not out.

India captain Saurav Ganguly opted for the new ball from the first over of the day and Srinath in particular, in his seven–over burst, used it effectively.

But Foster shared in another half–century stand with Ashley Giles, who should have become Kumble's 300th Test victim rather than Hoggard.

Giles, when on eight, edged onto his boot and the ball looped to Das but Kumble was denied his landmark dismissal by umpire AV Jayaprakash.

That decision helped Giles score 28 out of a 63–run partnership with Foster before he succumbed leg before to Sarandeep, the next ball after his partner had departed.