Hussain and Stewart resist spin onslaught

India 628-8 England 273 & 239-4

Using the skill and experience gained from almost 200 Test appearances Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart, the two old stagers in the England dressing-room, showed the young pups that age has not diminished their love for a good, honest fight.

In difficult conditions – and with the Indians going for the kill after taking four second-innings wickets and having made England follow on, still 355 behind – Hussain and Stewart stood firm in front of everything that Sourav Ganguly's side could throw at them. And while there is still a long, long way to go before the home side can feel they have a chance of getting something out of this third npower Test match, they have again shown a resilience that was lacking in England sides before Hussain took charge.

When the pair, with a combined age of 73, came together, England were teetering at 148 for 4, and most of the crowd of around 6,000, as well as the players if they were honest, would have been preparing for a relaxing Bank Holiday Monday. However, guarding their side's 1-0 lead like a mother does its offspring, they showed just why their careers have lasted so long and why they are held in such high esteem.

Hussain played as he loves to, from the front. His passion to be successful does not end with his captaincy. There has always been a burning desire in Hussain to be seen as a high-quality Test batsman and nowhere was this tested and proved more than yesterday when he fearlessly got behind balls that spat off a length and struck him about the body.

It appears Hussain is at his best on the most testing of pitches, but this innings was not just about courage and taking a few blows, it was also about skilfully handling two of the best spin bowlers in world cricket. On the way to his 90 not out he was dropped by India's 17-year-old wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel off Anil Kumble just before tea, but this was the only chance he gave.

By his side for most of the afternoon and early evening was Stewart, who makes light of his 39 years of age every time he walks out on the field. A proven player of quick bowling, spin has been his Achilles heel. But, having worked hard at this aspect of his game with the England coach, Duncan Fletcher, who knows how long he could keep playing?

By the end of the day's play Hussain and Stewart had almost driven India's spin bowlers and close fielders to distraction, causing the umpires to have a quiet word with Ganguly because of some over-zealous appealing. They made an undefeated 91, but England are still 116 runs short of making India bat again.

Any thoughts that this pitch may have lost some of its venom following the four overs of spin it took to take England's last wicket, were dispelled during Ajit Agarkar's first over from the Kirkstall Lane End. By the end of it, Michael Vaughan was left scratching his head, realising the enormity of the task facing his side.

Three deliveries landing roughly on the same spot immediately highlighted how unpredictable the bounce has become and how difficult batting would be. Two scuttled along the ground and another flew past the England opener's right shoulder.

On this pitch, which started damp, the inconsistent bounce is caused by a delivery pitching on the same spot as an earlier ball which has dented the surface. These indentations give the pitch an appearance similar to that of the inside of a giant cheese-grater and depending on which part of these little hollows the ball hits, it will either keep low or bounce steeply.

Such unpredictability can make batting a lottery. It makes batsmen hesitant and this showed in the dismissal of Vaughan. Aware of the erratic bounce, the Yorkshire right-hander, who looked in the best form of his career when compiling 197 two weeks ago at Trent Bridge, was naturally apprehensive about committing himself on the front foot. Such uncertainty led to his downfall when he was caught lbw on the crease to a ball that nipped back on him.

Watching from the other end, and coping rather well in adversity, was Robert Key. The technique and temperament of the Kent opener are already being put under the microscope and even though he dropped two straightforward chances during India's innings, his batting again suggested he does have a future on this stage. However, for the second time in this match, he failed to go on after doing the hard work of getting himself in. In the first innings a loose shot led to his demise, but yesterday, once again in the thirties, he fell to the relentless accuracy of Anil Kumble.

For a leg-spinner with 329 Test wickets, Kumble has a very simple method. He does not spin the ball prodigiously and has little variety, other than a good change of pace. Why the 31-year-old is so successful is because he wears his opponents down.

His mentality is more akin to a fast bowler than a spinner. Pushing the ball through quickly, he attempts to force the batsman on to the back foot hoping to slide one through their defence.

And this is how Key perished. Instead of going forward, he played from the crease and a quicker ball sneaked past his straight bat. Realising, after a nervous start, there was little future in being cautious, Mark Butcher decided to try and take the game to India. This tactic worked in that putting their bowlers under pressure led to more bad balls being bowled, but eventually it led to his downfall. On 42, Butcher went for a big drive at a wide half-volley from Sanjay Bangar only to see himself edge the medium-pacer to Rahul Dravid at first slip.

Next to go was John Crawley after an unconvincing shot that led to him chipping a short wide ball from Bangar to Virender Sehwag at extra cover. The reaction of India's fielders when the catch was taken suggested they thought they were home, but the arrival of Stewart at the crease ended their hopes of a four-day victory.

Hussain and Stewart made their debuts together in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1990 and have spent a lot of time together since. England need them to spend a few more hours today if they are to get out of jail.

HEADINGLEY SCOREBOARD

India won toss

India – First innings 628-8 dec

England – First Innings
R W T Key c Laxman b Zaheer Khan 30
M P Vaughan c Sehwag b Agarkar 61
M A Butcher lbw b Kumble 16
N Hussain lbw b Zaheer Khan 25
J P Crawley c Laxman b Harbhajan Singh 13
A J Stewart not out 78
A Flintoff lbw b Harbhajan Singh 0
A J Tudor c Sehwag b Agarkar 1
A F Giles lbw b Kumble 25
A R Caddick b Harbhajan Singh 1
M J Hoggard c Sehwag b Kumble 0
Extras (b1, lb12, nb10) 23
Total (361 min, 89 overs) 273

Fall: 1-67 (Key), 2-109 (Butcher), 3-130 (Vaughan), 4-140 (Hussain), 5-164 (Crawley), 6-164 (Flintoff), 7-185 (Tudor), 8-255 (Giles), 9-258 (Caddick), 10-273 (Hoggard).

Bowling: Zaheer Khan 19-3-59-2 (nb2) (6-2-20-0, 5-0-12-1, 5-1-14-1, 3-0-13-0); Agarkar 15-4-59-2 (nb2) (4-1-22-0, 8-3-18-1, 3-0-19-1); Bangar 4-1-9-0 (nb1) (3-1-3-0, 1-0-6-0); Kumble 33-7-93-3 (nb5) (21-3-62-1, 3-1-9-0, 3-2-5-0, 6-1-17-2); Harbhajan Singh 18-6-40-3 (2-2-0-0, 12-3-37-2, 4-1-3-1).

Progress: Third day: 50: 61 min, 14.4 overs. Lunch: 61-0 (Key 24, Vaughan 35) 19 overs. 100: 121 min, 30 overs. Rain stopped play 3.26-4.27pm - tea taken 135-3 (Hussain 20, Crawley 0) 44 overs. 150: 217 min, 53.2 overs. 200: 277 min, 67.3 overs. 250: 320 min, 78.2 overs. Close 264-9 (Stewart 71, Hoggard 0) 85 overs. Fourth day: Innings closed 11.12am.

Vaughan: 50: 121 min, 78 balls, 8 fours. Stewart: 50: 118 min, 82 balls, 7 fours.

England – Second Innings (following on)
R W T Key lbw b Kumble 34
M P Vaughan lbw b Agarkar 15
M A Butcher c Dravid b Bangar 42
N Hussain not out 90
J P Crawley c Sehwag b Bangar 12
A J Stewart not out 40
Extras (b2, lb3, nb1) 6
Total (4 wkts, 349 min, 86 overs) 239

Fall: 1-28 (Vaughan), 2-76 (Key), 3-116 (Butcher), 4-148 (Crawley).

Bowling: Zaheer Khan 16-7-39-0 (3-0-13-0, 3-1-5-0, 4-0-21-0, 4-4-0-0, 2-2-0-0); Agarkar 14-4-42-1 (6-2-13-1, 4-1-19-0, 2-0-8-0, 2-1-2- 0); Bangar 13-2-54-2 (5-1-13-0, 6-1-27-0, 2-0-14-0); Kumble 20-7-53-1 (nb1) (9-3-19-1, 5-2-10-0, 3-1-12-0, 3-1-12-0); Harbhajan Singh 22-6-43-0 (2-0-7-0, 8-1-24-0, 6-2-8-0, 3-2-2-0, 3-1-2-0); Sehwag 1-0-3-0.

Progress: Fourth day: 50: 85 min, 19.3 overs. Lunch: 56-1 (Key 29, Butcher 11) 23 overs. 100: 136 min, 33 overs. 150: 197 min, 47.2 overs. Tea 166-4 (Hussain 47, Stewart 12) 51 overs. 200: 292 min, 72 overs. New ball taken after 82 overs at 237-4.

Hussain: 50: 113 min, 69 balls, 8 fours, 1 six.

Umpires: E A R de Silva (S Lanka) and D L Orchard (SA).

TV replay umpire: P Willey.

Match referee: C H Lloyd.