CRICKET: Rahul Dravid completed successive centuries against England and guided India into a strong position in the crucial third Test after a defiant batting display on the opening day at Headingley.
Having hit a determined 115 to secure a draw in the previous Test at Trent Bridge, Dravid excelled even that performance yesterday by overcoming favourable conditions for England's attack to hit an unbeaten 110 and guide the tourists to 236 for two by the close.
His innings, which included 16 boundaries but was mostly a textbook demonstration in defence, was the benchmark for a highly impressive batting performance with Sanjay Bangar following his senior team-mate's lead to help forge a 170-run second wicket partnership which has provided the platform for a major total.
Neither player matched recent trends for attacking, swashbuckling styles of Test cricket pioneered by Australian Adam Gilchrist and Indian team-mate VVS Laxman in the last few years and instead adopted tactics which were a throwback to old-style Tests.
After losing Virender Sehwag to the seventh over of the day, edging Matthew Hoggard to Andrew Flintoff at second slip, when he drove loosely outside off-stump their resolute approach was just what the tourists required.
Flamboyant drives were ruled out in favour of no-nonsense batting with England struggling to break through their stubborn defences to ensure a morning session which effectively became a war of attrition.
In the 21 overs between Sehwag's demise and lunch, India added only 43 runs and hit only 24 scoring shots in the opening two hours play off 174 deliveries, including only four boundaries.
Even more galling than their wayward bowling or missing Bangar early in his innings must have been the reprieve given to Dravid on 16, however, when India were still on a perilous 57 for one when he set off for a quick single.
Pushing to cover, Dravid set off for the run and Michael Vaughan charged in with the Indian batsman some distance out of his ground only for the ball to graze the stumps but fail to shift the bails. It was as close as England came all day to removing Dravid, who reached his century in some style with a brilliantly-timed cover drive.
Scoreboard
INDIA 1st innings
S Bangar c Stewart b Flintoff 68
V Sehwag c Flintoff b Hoggard 8
R Dravid not out 110
S Tendulkar not out 18
Extras (b13, lb7, nb12) 32
Total (2 wkts, 90 overs, 363 mins) ... 236
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-185 To bat: S Ganguly, V Laxman, A Agarkar, P Patel, A Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan
Bowling: Hoggard 22-8-48-1 (3nb); Caddick 21-5-51-0 (4nb); Tudor 21-10-49-0 (3nb); Flintoff 14-3-34-1 (2nb); Giles 12-2-34-0;
England: Michael Vaughan, Robert Key, Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain (capt), John Crawley, Alec Stewart (wkt), Andrew Flintoff, Alex Tudor, Ashley Giles, Andrew Caddick, Matthew Hoggard
Toss: India
Umpires: Asoka de Silva (Sri), David Orchard (Rsa) Third umpire: Peter Willey (Eng) Match referee: Clive Lloyd (WIs)
