Geo Sports

England on brink of India whitewash

LONDON: England finally saw off Rahul Dravid as they closed in on a 4-0 series rout of India at The Oval here on Sunday. Dravid batted for more than seven hours in the fourth Test before England finally found a way to break 'The Wall'. But India, following-on, were 129 for three at the close of the fourth day, still 162 runs behind England's first innings 591 for six declared built upon Ian Bell's Test-best 235 and Kevin Pietersen's 175. Sachin Tendulkar, bidding for an unprecedented 100th international century, was 25 not out and nightwatchman Amit Mishra eight not out. England though needed just seven more wickets on Monday's final day to complete a 4-0 clean sweep for the first time since a home whitewash of the West Indies in 2004. India resumed Sunday in the desperate position of 103 for five. Dravid was 57 not out and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni five not out. But Dhoni, who never looked settled, was out for 17 when he pushed tentatively at a James Anderson outswinger and was caught behind. Dravid, responsible for all three India centuries this series, sped through the 90s with three fours in four balls from off-spinner Graeme Swann, a sweep and a late cut preceding his elegant advance down the pitch to create a half-volley he clipped through mid-wicket A late cut two off Tim Bresnan then saw Dravid to his hundred. Dravid's century was the second time this series he'd made a hundred while opening in the absence of regular opener Gautam Gambhir. He had previously made 117, when Gambhir missed the second Test at Trent Bridge with an elbow injury, following his 103 not out at Lord's. Dravid's 35th Test century took him in front of hero Sunil Gavaskar's mark of 34 and fourth in the all-time list behind Tendulkar (51), South Africa's Jacques Kallis (40) and Australia's Ricky Ponting (39). India started the second session on 218 for six, with Dravid 109 not out and Mishra, who'd driven Swann for six off the last ball before lunch, 38 not out. However, Mishra added just five more runs before he was brilliantly caught by a diving Bell at an unusually positioned short backward square leg off a pull against Bresnan. The new ball did for Gambhir, who'd suffered concussion while fielding on Friday, when he fended at Stuart Broad and was caught by Pietersen at gully. Bresnan struck twice in three balls as India were bowled out for 300 -- the first time they'd made the score this series. Dravid had contributed nearly 50 percent thanks to a masterful 146 not out in 266 balls with 20 fours. He was only the third Indian after Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag to carry his bat in a Test innings but India were still 92 adrift of avoiding the follow-on. The selfless Dravid kept his pads on but his resistance ended controversially when, on 13, he turned Swann to Alastair Cook at short leg. Umpire Rod Tucker said not out but England asked for a review and Tucker's fellow Australian Steve Davis gave Dravid out, although replays indicated the ball may have gone to Cook straight off the pad. The India great, in what could be his last Test in England, walked off to a standing ovation from a capacity 23,500 crowd. Sehwag made a typically dashing 33 before he was bowled between bat and pad by Swann -- a classic off-spinner's dismissal. And England had one more wicket before stumps when Venkatsai Laxman, who has had a wretched series, was bowled for 24 by a superb Anderson delivery that angled in and uprooted his off-stump.