Dinesh Karthik and Rahul Dravid hit half-centuries but England fought back well to restrict India to 316 for 4 on the opening day of the third and final Test at The Oval in London on Thursday.
At close on day one, Sachin Tendulkar was unbeaten on a gritty 48 from 132 deliveries, inclusive of four boundaries. VVS Laxman was not out on 20 at the other end, as India missed out on a chance to make the most of a dream batting wicket.
Electing to bat, India were given a fine start by openers Wasim Jaffer and Karthik, who put on 62 runs for the opening wicket before the former was dismissed for 35.
However, Karthik batted with great resolve in the company of captain Dravid, who registered his first half-century of the series before being bowled by pacer James Anderson for 55.
While Karthik got his third half-century of the series, he was unlucky to miss out a well-deserved century. The 22-year-old fell for 91, caught behind off Ryan Sidebottom after hitting 10 boundaries and a six in his 151-ball knock.
Sourav Ganguly played a breezy knock of 37, including four boundaries and a six, but was unluckily given leg before wicket even though he got a big inside edge on to his pads.
Both teams retained the line-ups that played in the second Test at Trent Bridge.
India lead the series 1-0 having won the second Test, while the first at Lord's ended in a draw.
Morning session: (117 runs, 28 overs, 1 wicket)
The Indian openers must have been relieved to see that the pitch did not have much sideways movement, but only a good carry to the wicketkeeper. Both Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik had to negotiate harder conditions in the last two Tests.
India played three overs before Jaffer scored the first runs in style, in the fourth over, when he lashed a wide delivery from James Anderson through the point region for a boundary. In the same over, he hit another delightful boundary straight back past the bowler.
Anderson struggled to find a good line and consistently bowled wide off the stumps in his first three overs. At the other end, left-armer Ryan Sidebottom was consistent as ever and time and again made the batsmen play.
Karthik got off the mark in the fifth over with a double off Sidebottom. His first runs came off the 14th ball he faced.
Jaffer looked quite comfortable against Anderson and lashed out at the final delivery of the sixth over. It was short and wide and carried for a six over the gully region.
Anderson's struggle was evident as he went for 19 in his first three overs and was replaced by Chris Tremlett, as India reached 28 for no loss after seven.
Jaffer was in sublime touch, racing to 26 off 25 deliveries; the runs were from five boundaries and a six.
Tremlett nearly struck in his second over when he got one to bounce steeply. Jaffer could only glove it, but, luckily, it fell safe.
The Indian openers scaled an important peak when they put on 50 in the 14th over. Karthik was on 14, but he then hit a couple of boundaries off Tremlett to move to 24.
Just when it seemed that the England bowlers were in for a long day's toil, Jaffer paid the price for over-confidence. Once again he tried the upper cut, but this time there was a fielder [Kevin Pietersen] on the third man boundary and the ball went straight to him.
Jaffer walked back after scoring 35, disappointed that he could not carry on for a big knock. The extra bounce from Anderson did the trick as the Indian opener could neither keep it down nor play it a bit square.
However, the Mumbai batsman had given the team a solid start, hitting six boundaries and a six in his 47-ball knock, and adding 62 runs for the opening wicket with Karthik.
Even Dravid seemed to like the wicket as he raced to 15 from 15 deliveries, inclusive of three boundaries. India were solidly placed at 85 for 1 after 20 overs, going at more than four runs per over. The only thing they needed to avoid was relaxing and not throwing their wickets away.
The Indian captain took the team's total past 100 with a neat flick on the leg side in the 23rd over, off Sidebottom. Karthik opened the face of the bat and guided a ball to the third man boundary off the same bowler in the 27th over to bring up the 50-run partnership for the second wicket.
In the next over, the final one before lunch, Karthik brought up his half-century with a single off Panesar. His fifty, his sixth in his last six Tests, needed 72 balls and included six boundaries.
At the break, India were 117 for 1 in 28 overs, with Dravid looking good on 25 from 46 deliveries, including four boundaries. Karthik was unbeaten on 50.
It was a strong batting performance by the Indians as they took advantage of winning the toss and making first use of a good first day Oval pitch.
Jaffer gave them a rollicking start but it was unfortunate the way he got out. He certainly looked good for a big knock. India will be hoping the other batsmen learn from his lapse and not throw their wickets away.
Post-lunch session: (94 runs, 28 overs, 2 wickets)
Karthik started the session with a sweetly-timed boundary through the covers off the first ball after lunch from Sidebottom. Two balls later, Dravid repeated the dose through the cover region.
In the next over, Karthik, on 58, got a reprieve when Andrew Strauss at short cover failed to hang on to a difficult chance off Panesar. At the other end, Sidebottom tried Zaheer Khan's trick of bringing some variety by bowling round the wicket, but he struggled to control his line and often strayed down the leg side.
Dravid then gave a master class in off-side driving with two shots off consecutive deliveries in the 34th over, bowled by Panesar. The first was a back-foot shot off a short delivery that saw the square boundary. That was followed by a beautiful cover drive that beat a narrow gap between two fielders at short cover.
The first six overs after lunch went for 30 runs as India raced to 147 for 1 after 34 overs, the pitch getting flatter with every over.
The two batsmen brought up a 100-run partnership in the 39th over as Dravid scored a single on the leg side. The century stand came off 144 balls, inclusive of 12 boundaries. Karthik and Dravid's contribution was 43 and 48 respectively.
In the next over, the 40th, the Indian captain completed a half-century with a double off Panesar. The milestone, his 48th half-century in Tests, took 82 deliveries and included eight boundaries as India reached 164 for 1 after 40 overs.
Karthik grew in confidence, especially with his front foot drives. Two cover drives off Tremlett and Anderson, in 41st and 43rd over were a treat to watch, as he progressed to 76.
In the next over, he danced down the wicket and lofted Panesar for a huge six over the covers to enter into the eighties. The shot was a story in itself as the 22-year-old enjoyed his time out in the middle.
However, Anderson brought much-needed relief for the hosts when he broke through Dravid's defences. The Indian captain played all over a full pitched delivery and was bowled for 55, after hitting eight boundaries in 101 deliveries. He added 127 runs for the second wicket with Karthik as India again lost a wicket against the run of play.
After a listless first spell, Anderson had come back well, claiming the two openers.
Out walked Sachin Tendulkar to a standing ovation from the packed crowd at The Oval in what could possibly be his last Test in England.
He started nervously, evading the bouncers quite well, but at times poked at wide deliveries and was lucky not to get the edge.
England tried using short ball tactics, with a leg gully in place against Tendulkar. Anderson peppered the little master time and again with a few short deliveries, but he was wary of the danger.
Sidebottom then struck with the big wicket of Karthik. The opener played a loose shot and was caught behind for 91. The 22-year-old hit 10 boundaries and a six in his 151-ball knock but once again let go an opportunity to make a mark with a big hundred.
One got the feeling that after a fine start, India were letting the initiative slip by conceding two quick wickets, both to loose shots. The loss of the free-flowing Dravid and Karthik in the space of 10 runs and three overs was a huge boost for the England bowlers.
Sourav Ganguly hit a couple of streaky boundaries through the slips and was unbeaten on 8 at the tea break, while Tendulkar was not out on 2 from 23 deliveries.
India reached 211 for 3 in 56 overs. The next few overs after the tea break will be quite testing too and India must to ensure they do not lose a wicket and with that the upper hand.
Post tea session: (105 runs, 34 overs, 1 wicket)
Tendulkar was once again served a plethora of short deliveries after the tea break, hoping he may glove one of them to the short leg or the leg slip fielder. But the master batsman held out strongly and in the process took quite a few blows on his body.
Not surprisingly, his first boundary came off after facing 38 deliveries when he hit Anderson through the covers to a rare pitched-up delivery in the 59th over as India progressed to 223 for 3.
Panesar was brought into the attack in the 65th over, replacing Tremlett. It gave Tendulkar some respite from the short-pitched stuff. And he responded immediately by dancing down the wicket and carting the left-arm spinner straight down the wicket for a straight boundary to move to 20.
In the next over, however, Tendulkar got a reprieve when wicketkeeper Matt Prior dropped a straightforward edge off Sidebottom. The left-arm seamer got Tendulkar playing at a wide delivery, which he edged behind but Prior spilled it as he dived to his right. How costly the drop could prove remains to be seen as Tendulkar is gradually finding his footing after a nervous start.
Even Ganguly started taking a toll on Panesar as the spinner was found wanting on a first day's track against two of the best players of spin. In the 72nd over, Ganguly charged down the wicket and launched Panesar straight down the wicket for a huge six. It was a short that was trademark of Ganguly's batting in his prime. In the last couple of seasons it had become a rarity and it was good to see that shot back.
The first hour after tea had proved to be the most difficult by far since morning, but the two veterans fought it out quite well. Only 42 runs were scored in 15 overs in the first hour after the break, but runs were not India's concern; it was wickets they were looking to preserve.
But once the two batsman got settled after the initial hostile burst by the pacers after the tea break, they gradually milked the bowling around for runs, interspersed with a few cracking boundaries.
With regular bowlers unable to make an impression, captain Michael Vaughan called on part-time bowler Paul Collingwood. His decision was rewarded when Collingwood struck in his second over, getting the wicket of Ganguly leg before wicket for 37. But a closer look at television replays showed that the left-hander had got a big inside edge on to his pads, which, unfortunately, South African umpire Ian Howell could not see despite being so close.
Ganguly walked back smiling more in disbelief as to how the umpire could miss such a big inside edge. India were reduced 276 for 4.
For England, it was the perfect opportunity to end the day on a high after that fantastic start by the Indian top order. Another wicket before the close and it would be India who would be feeling the pressure and not England.
England took the new ball in the 83rd over and with around half an hour to go before the close of play, and it was important that the Indian batsmen saw it off.
VVS Laxman stroked a couple of boundaries against Tremlett in the 88th over to bring up his 5000 runs in international cricket. In the same over, India also crossed the 300-run mark.
At close on the opening day, India reached a commanding 316 for 4 in 90 overs, but they could have done much better had it not been for some better shot selection and umpiring decisions.
Tendulkar finished the day on a fighting 48 not out where most of the time he had to contend with short pitched deliveries. He hit just five boundaries in 132 deliveries for a strike rate of 36.36, the lowest of the Indian batsmen today.
Laxman finished unbeaten on 20 and would be looking to increase his tally on day two.
England's bowlers fought back well and did not let India run away after that fantastic start by the top order. All the top three -- Jaffer, Dravid and Karthik would be disappointed not to go on to post big scores after getting off to good starts.
Even though India managed to post in excess of 300 on the opening day, they are still not safe. If you remember, in the Oval Test in September 2003, South Africa had amassed an imposing 362 for 4 on the opening day but still ended up losing the match by 9 wickets.
That is the danger if you don't take full advantage batting first on such pitches because the team batting second can then post a huge score and put you under pressure in the second innings.
