Anderson leads dominant England to big win

England 474 for 8 dec (Pietersen 202*, Trott 71, Praveen 5-106) and 269 for 6 dec (Prior 103*, Broad 74*, Ishant 4-59) beat India 286 (Dravid 103*, Broad 4-37, Tremlett 3-80) and 261 (Raina 78, Laxman 56, Anderson 5-65, Broad 3-57) by 196 runs

	James Anderson helped England avoid a repeat of Lord's 2007 © Getty Images

England's bowlers fought through dogged batting, the absence of DRS for lbws and some sloppy catching to avoid a repeat of Lord's 2007 - when India saved the Test - and completed a comprehensive win 28.3 overs before the scheduled close of a gruelling final-day scrap.

India's four big hopes survived 93, 113, 56 and 68 deliveries, which meant England had to work for wickets and also that they never let those batsmen feel they were in. James Anderson took out Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar, although it could be argued that he struck the knockout blows after Stuart Broad and Chris Tremlett had softened the batsmen up.

Though there were two dropped catches and two controversial not-out lbw decisions, it all went down in a manner suggesting England had scripted it thus. They wouldn't have budgeted for the strongest resistance to come from Suresh Raina, who proved he belonged with a fighting 78, but by the final session Anderson was in red-hot form. He completed his 11th five-for by breaking through that final piece of Indian fight with a beautiful away seamer from round the stumps. Initially, Anderson fed off the immense pressure created by Tremlett and Broad, and Graeme Swann contributed by accounting for one of the best players of spin today, Gautam Gambhir.

It was just as well that England finished India off and avoided what would have become a major controversy had India hung on with one wicket in hand. The dreaded event, when Hawk-Eye and the umpire would be in disagreement, occurred twice in potentially crucial circumstances. Broad had comprehensive cases for lbw against Tendulkar and Raina, and would have successfully challenged the original not-out decisions had DRS been available for lbws. Those two decisions cost England 15.4 overs.

Smart stats England have improved on their excellent record atLord's in recent Tests. In 23 Tests between 1984 and 1999, they won four and lost 11 out of 23 Tests. In 24 Tests since 2000, they have won 13 and lost just three. India suffered their 11th defeat in 16 Tests at Lord's. The 11 defeats is the most at a particular venue for India. James Anderson dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for the sixth time in five Tests. In 223 balls, Anderson has conceded 114 runs and picked up Tendulkar six times. Anderson's five-wicket haul is his 11th in Tests and 3rd at Lord's. His previous five-wicket haul at Lord's also came against India in 2007. Stuart Broad's match figures of 7 for 94 are his best in Tests surpassing his previous best of 6 for 87 against South Africa in Durban in 2009. Rahul Dravid, in the course of his 36, surpassed Brian Lara to become the highest run-getter in the fourth innings in Tests. Tendulkar's strike-rate of 17.64 is fourth on the list of lowest strike-rates for a score between 10 and 49 inTests since 2000. Kevin Pietersen's seventh match award puts him joint-third on the list of England players with the most match awards in Tests. Compiled by Madhusudan Ramakrishnan

Broad would have wondered what he needed to do to get a wicket. He had two catches dropped off him in the first innings and in today's morning session, after Anderson had drawn Dravid into a rare loose shot outside off, he regularly beat Laxman's bat in a five-over spell, often proving to be too good to take the edge.

While Andrew Strauss' catching at slip and his defensive in-and-out fields in the first session could be argued against, his bowling changes worked like a charm. About 20 minutes before lunch he brought on Anderson, who began with a long hop that Laxman pulled straight to short midwicket.

Laxman's dismissal brought together India's walking wounded, Gambhir and Tendulkar. They hung in bravely, Gambhir for 56 balls with a painful elbow and Tendulkar for 68 with a viral infection. Those two decisions apart, the umpires had a great match, and it was evident in Gambhir's lbw, the over after Laxman's dismissal. The Swann arm ball had hit the pad a microsecond before it hit the bat and Asad Rauf sent him on his way.

From the injured man the burden transferred to the ill man, Tendulkar, who began positively but went into a shell after lunch. That Raina looked more comfortable than Tendulkar during their 17.4-over partnership told a story. While Tendulkar was solid in defence, he let the bowlers bowl to a perfect rhythm, and the odd one was bound to be too good.

After surviving that Broad shout, Tendulkar played 40 balls for one run. Once again Anderson came back and struck immediately. He had Tendulkar dropped by Strauss, but produced an inswinger similar to Broad's two balls later, and Tendulkar was plumb.

In the lead-up to tea, with England easing the pressure as they built up to the new ball, Raina and MS Dhoni gave India hope. Raina showed character in how he avoided bouncers and reached a half-century that will only do him good. With the new ball, though, England were back on course. The ball started jagging around again, and a shaken-up Dhoni finally edged an outswinger from Tremlett.

A cold, ruthless demolition of the tail followed. Harbhajan Singh refused to back away, but England worked him over with precise short deliveries. Praveen Kumar didn't stand much of a chance. Raina got a gem from Anderson, coming in from round the stumps, then leaving him, and taking the edge. Broad deservedly ended the match with a plumb lbw; the last four had fallen for 18 runs.

Scenes of elation followed for the home side and the biggest Monday crowd at Lord's. England will feel relief too at having finished off the job, and not only because they righted what happened in 2007. Had India drawn this, they would have had positives to take; now they have injured bodies to heal and a series deficit to erase. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

England need nine wickets on final day

ndia 286 and 80 for 1 (Dravid 34*, Laxman 32*, Broad 1-12) need 378 to beat England 474 for 8 decl. and 269 for 6 dec (Prior 103*, Broad 74*, Ishant 4-59)

	Matt Prior and Stuart Broad batted India out of the game, after England had been 62 for 5 © Getty Images

Ruthless England came down hard on wounded and battered India, but the visitors had fingernails dug in at the edge of the cliff. Forced to bat at Nos 2 and 3 respectively, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were made to look ungainly by some testing seam and swing bowling, but they batted out 131 deliveries between them to leave India another 98 overs to survive on the final day, with nine wickets in hand. Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar were not available to bat in their usual positions because of injury and illness respectively.

Those tuned into the match would have known that the real game on the fourth day would begin some time in the final session, when England - 193 for 0 effectively at the start of day - would declare to leave India four sessions to bat, give or take. The journey to that point proved fascinating too. Ishant Sharma, a rhythm bowler, found his rhythm against a surprisingly suspect batting line-up, reducing England to 62 for 5, incredibly bringing an Indian win into the faint edge of the frame.

Matt Prior and Stuart Broad, though, shook India out of their dream with a 162-run seventh-wicket stand, all but ruling out an Indian win. Prior summed up the England team's attitude when he began attacking India during those shaky moments, scoring a century at a strike-rate of 85.83, although defensive fields meant he hit only five fours and a six. And Broad could do no wrong. After his unbeaten half-century, he took a wicket in the first over of a spell for the third time in this match, removing Abhinav Mukund who once again looked solid before he sighted Broad.

Until Prior and Broad counterattacked, India did decently in the absence of the hamstrung Zaheer Khan. It helped that England were in their shell at the start of the day even though the ball hardly swung then. During that period Praveen Kumar dismissed Alastair Cook for a rare single-digit score, and Andrew Strauss fell to his second ordinary sweep off Harbhajan Singh.

The next hour belonged to Ishant. No matter where this matches goes, that spell of 5-3-4-3 held significance for the rest of the series. For starters he let Kevin Pietersen know that he will not be bullied. In the first innings, Pietersen had put Ishant completely off his line and length by walking across and towards him. Today Ishant welcomed him with a bouncer, got extra bounce and the glove. Then followed the two quintessential Ishant wickets. Ian Bell got one that left him against the angle, taking the edge. Two wickets in one over. Two overs later, Ishant got one to move in sharply to Jonathan Trott, against the slope, and hit the top of off. That ball was meant to get greats out.

Sixty-seven runs came in 26 overs before lunch, for the loss of five wickets. Post lunch, India weren't as aggressive. They didn't begin with Ishant, who had bowled 11 overs in the first session. When they reintroduced Ishant, he got Eoin Morgan with a short ball that did the batsman for pace.

Prior, though, didn't inhabit the shell his team-mates had. Faced with his aggression, India backed off a bit. The running between the wickets was aggressive too. The fielders wilted. MS Dhoni, having an ordinary Test as a wicketkeeper, dropped a tough chance from Broad, and then failed to go for another to his left after he had placed the first slip wide. The lead was 326 and 331 at those points.

Prior didn't offer any chances. He exploited the in-and-out field well. Every time he got room he drove emphatically, anything straight was punished into the on side, and potentially the biggest blow was a meaty sweep into Gambhir's elbow at short leg, minutes before tea. The batsman had to go to a hospital for an x-ray, and came back just before stumps with the news that there was no fracture.

Prior had broken India's spirit, though. Post tea, he and Broad went into Twenty20 mode, scoring 95 runs in 12 overs. Ishant's earlier resurgence now seemed just a minor blip. India took off their tired specialist bowlers, no longer making an effort to make England bat as long as possible. Dhoni brought himself on, making Dravid, due to open the innings in a matter of minutes, keep wicket.

That didn't seem to affect Dravid's concentration when he walked out after Prior's century heralded the declaration. The openers saw off eight overs, but Broad came on to dismiss Abhinav in a fashion similar to the first innings: played on. That brought together the old firm of Dravid and Laxman, who were thoroughly tested by Broad, Chris Tremlett, Graeme Swann and James Anderson.

Like with Abhinav, England tried a repeat dismissal with Laxman, keeping their fine leg square and bowling into his ribs. Laxman pulled three boundaries to let England know he won't let them keep bowling short at him. England didn't have a first-innings dismissal for Dravid to go by. Still they did well enough to him. Tremlett and Broad especially bowled superb outswingers. While the two applied themselves, there was some luck involved too as it invariably does in such situations: they were beaten 15 times between them.

One Broad over summed up the kind of odds the two were fighting. The first ball swung away late, beating the outside edge. Dravid looked to cover the movement of the next ball, but this one came in and kicked to beat the inside the edge. Dravid looked for the bounce, but the next one stayed low. The bat came down in time, and it came coming down in time until stumps. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

England boss, but India avoid follow-on

England 474 for 8 decl and 5 for 0 (Strauss 3*, Cook*) lead India 286 (Dravid 103*, Abhinav 49, Broad 4-37, Tremlett 3-80) by 193 runs

	Atypical celebrations after a typical hundred © Getty Images

Fifteen years and 153 Tests later, Rahul Dravidreturned to Lord's to make it to the honours board and help India avoid the follow-on. On a day that belonged to England, on a day that everybody willed Sachin Tendulkar to get his 100th hundred, Dravid, 38 years and 193 days old, stole the spotlight. Only Alec Stewart has scored a Test century with a longer tooth in this millennium. India were still behind by 193, looking at having to bat about four sessions to save the match. Had India followed on, though, it wouldn't have been that straightforward.

Smart stats Rahul Dravid, in the course of his hundred, surpassed Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in Tests. Only Sachin Tendulkar, with 14,726 runs, is above Dravid. Dravid's century is his first at Lord's and 33rd overall. His 33 centuries is third on the list of Indian batsmen with most Test centuries. Dravid's century is the tenth instance of an Indian batsmen scoring a century at Lord's. Dilip Vengsarkar has achieved the feat on three occasions. When Dravid passed Ponting's tally, it became only the second instance after 1912 when the two top run-getters in Tests have played in the same team in a match. The last such instance was when Victor Trumper and Clem Hill played for Australia in 1912. In Tests since 2000, Dravid is the second-oldest playerto score a century behind Alec Stewart, who was a little over 39 years when he scored a century against Sri Lanka in 2002. Sachin Tendulkar's jinx at Lord's continued when he was dismissed for 34. His highest score in eight innings at the venue is 37. Stuart Broad's 4 for 37 is his best performance against India and his best bowling performance since the 4 for 38 against Pakistan at Edgbaston in 2010. VVS Laxman's problems in the first Test of a series continued with his dismissal for ten. In 73 innings played in the first match of a Test series, he has scored 2256 runs at an average of 36.38 with just one century.

The spotlight could easily have belonged to Stuart Broad alone. On notice and a subject of "enforcer" jokes, he responded with lovely, controlled outswing, and should have removed all of India's top five, but had Dravid and VVS Laxman missed in the slips in the same over. Broad's figures would have read 5 for 25, and India 159 for 5, had those catches been taken. While England recovered fairly well from those lapses, Dravid added 61 to his score after he was reprieved, 23 of them with the tail.

Implored to bowl fuller in the lead-up to the match, Broad did so, bowling the best lengths of all the English quicks, thrice breaking burgeoning partnerships. First he interrupted Abhinav Mukund and Gautam Gambhir when the new-ball bowlers looked unthreatening. Then he ended the sublime partnership between Tendulkar and Dravid when they were racing towards safety. The 35-run stand between Praveen Kumar and Dravid threatened to substantially eat into the lead, but once again Broad returned to dismiss Praveen.

Chris Tremlett, not at his best against the left-hand openers, came back superbly to build up the pressure, helping Broad with the wickets. He was the one who brought the follow-in into the picture, removing MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh in the same over after Dhoni had added 57 with Dravid. India needed 34 then to avoid the follow-on, and Dravid 20 to get to the century. Praveen came out and swung merrily, and the 35-run stand helped Dravid achieve both the landmarks.

The way the first two sessions began, it didn't seem England would bowl themselves to a position of such strength. James Anderson and Tremlett failed to engage the openers, who left alone 45 of the 134 deliveries they faced. Abhinav had the odd loose moment, but whipped off the hips in a manner reminiscent of the other Tamil Nadu left-hand batsman who opened for India, S Ramesh.

Broad interrupted that state of affairs, getting Gambhir in his third over with a perfect outswinger. Half an hour before lunch, Abhinav's nerves consumed him when he played on on 49, but Broad contributed, too, by changing the angle and going round the stumps.

The afternoon session was worth every penny the 30,000 spent to be at Lord's today. In the first hour of that session, Tendulkar and Dravid scored 48 of the most couth runs in seven overs, taking India to 150 for 2. Then England made a rousing comeback. Tremlett sowed uncertainty in the minds of the right-hand middle order, and Broad delivered the big blow with an outswinger that took Tendulkar's edge for 34, three short of his best at Lord's.

For a while after that England showed they were very much the gracious hosts, matching India's tally of drops in one Broad over. It was neat outswing bowling, but Andrew Strauss missed Laxman at first slip, and Graeme Swann reprieved Dravid at second. Strauss redeemed himself through superb bowling changes in the rest of the innings. Like Broad did Tendulkar, Tremlett claimed Laxman in the first over of a new spell. Swann half-made up by trapping Suresh Raina 20 minutes before tea. England had upped their game in that session of play: Broad, Tremlett and Swann probed persistently; the final 23 overs of that middle session brought 43 runs and three wickets. Not to mention the drops.

Dravid, though, remained classy. Putting behind him the drop, he covered the swing, played late, and didn't let the occasional miss affect him. The way he read the Anderson inswingers, keeping every single one of them out, summed up his watchfulness. He was equally good against the low bounce from Swann. Having scored 42 off the first 80 balls, he went through a period of 50 balls for just 17, but when the wickets fell, he was urgent in hitting three boundaries in the 80s and 90s.

With the injured Zaheer Khan for company, he clipped Tremlett past midwicket to bring up the hundred, celebrating emotionally. He raised one arm even as he scrambled back for the second, punched the air, and then let out a scream. The crowd, the balcony, and Strauss applauded generously. Anderson showed up then, claiming Zaheer and Ishant Sharma with late swing, gently serving the reminder that England were still in the ascendency, and that India will need to defend grimly to get away with a draw. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Sachin Tendulkar says he won't put himself under pressure

By: Clayton Murzello, MiD DAY

That's what India Batting maestro, Sachin Tendulkar told MiD DAY of his much-anticipated 100th ton ahead of tomorrow's first Test against England at Lord's

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has said that the possibility of scoring his 100th international hundred which will be his first Test century at Lord's in five visits is not occupying his mind. However, his aim to score big in every game is a constant objective.


Sachin Tendulkar stretches during a training session at Lord's in London
yesterday. Pic/AFP

Not only is a Test century missing from his record at Lord's; he hasn't even scored a half century -- his best being a 37 -- in the first innings of his last Test here in 2007.

More than just Thursday's battle being the 100th between India and England and the 2000th Test overall, Tendulkar's barren century column here and the possibility of him getting his 100th international century during the July 21-25 period is dominating all cricket talk in bars, buses, cafes and cabs.

How does one cope with all the hype and anticipation, MiD DAY asked Tendulkar as he got set to cross the hallowed turf en route to the dressing room. "I am not thinking about it (100th ton). I go into every match with the same thinking -- to get a big score," he said.

Tendulkar has proved that he is a master when it comes to the pressure game. He has felt and dealt with all -- be it against erstwhile kings Australia or getting it splendidly right against Pakistan. "I will do what I normally do and will not put myself under any pressure," Tendulkar added.

Tendulkar has scored 51 Test hundreds and 48 one-day international tons -- more than anyone in the game.
The Englishmen (except Andrew Strauss' team of course) want a fairytale ring to Tendulkar's last Test tour to England. He played his first Test here in 1990 with no Test or hundred to his name. Now, there is a chance of getting Hundred No 100 at what many cricket lovers believe is still the home of cricket.

He got his first Test hundred on the 1990 tour of England at Manchester and there is every chance his 100th international century here. For die-hard cricket fans here, that will probably be better than their favourite tea with scones and Devonshire cream!

Arjun Tendulkar's day out at India nets

By: Clayton Murzello, MiD DAY

If he's come, might as well bowl, says Tendulkar of son's India net session

A young bowler in whites came over and bowled to the Indian team at the Nursery End of the Lord's Cricket Ground yesterday -- a boy bearing the name of a Hindu God and a legendary second name. Okay, let's put it straight... 11-year-old Arjun Tendulkar.


Sachin Tendulkar's son, Arjun, prepares to bowl during the nets at Lord's
yesterday. Pic/Clayton Murzello

He had a ball... literally and one could tell that he had a good time as he walked towards the pavilion end of the ground, probably to catch up with his dad, who had just finished his practice stint.

Did Arjun enjoy bowling at the team, MiD DAY asked Tendulkar Sr yesterday as he obliged an autograph hunter. "Yeah. If you have come, might as well bowl."

Next question: "Has he been to the dressing room? "No...oh yes... he has... when we played the T20 (World Cup in 2009)," said Tendulkar.

Arjun's walk towards the pavilion surprised the steward, but he was soon informed whose son he was and the kid went through without hindrance. Wonder whether he realised how special his tryst with hallowed turf was. 'I walked at Lord's when I was 11,' his friends could soon be informed.

Jennings backs India
Former South Africa coach Ray Jennings, who calls the shots at Royal Challengers Bangalore, was spotted at Lord's yesterday. Jennings is here as coach of the South African under-19 squad that plays their English counterparts.

Jennings backed India for the four-match Test series which kicks off at Lord's on Thursday. "India will win! They have good batsmen and bowlers while England is a bit up and down. I am backing my second home," Jennings said with a chuckle.

Pity his young South African team couldn't be allowed to get their photograph taken with the Lord's pavilion behind them. Some of them won't forget it and they'll have a yarn to tell when they graduate to international status.

Why it is called the Nursery End...
THE guided tour operator at the Nursery End of the Lord's Cricket Ground was emphatic in his description of the far end of the historic ground yesterday: "It is not called the Nursery End because we nurse young cricketers, but because there used to be a nursery here."

He was right. For one, the World No 1 Test team were training at the Nursery End and secondly, there was Sachin Tendulkar, the senior-most player in the game.

The guide went on to explain that the nursery grew pineapples. "How they could do that in England, I don't know, but that could be the reason it shut down (before Marylebone Cricket Club) bought the land," he said.

Media centre history
There was a guided tour to the Media Centre too. As journalists banged away at their laptops, a tour guide explained how the Media Centre was set up in 1999 and brought up the 1999 World Cup final between Australia and Pakistan.

"It was one of the most one-sided finals in history," he informed. Later, he asked if some of the visitors wanted to view the England team train. "No all of us," a voice amongst the crowd, was heard. That visitor happened to be an Australian, probably stung by the former world champions' loss in the 2010-11 Ashes.

A contest that's equal to the hype

For the players of both sides this series may not be the ultimate match-up, but there is more than enough potential for it to develop into a contest worth top billing

	Sachin Tendulkar and Duncan Fletcher plot England's downfall in the first Test © Getty Images

There is a scene in the acclaimed documentary Fire in Babylon in which the great West Indians of the 1970s and 80s reflect on the "Calypso" generation that preceded their rise to world domination. Turning up, giving everyone a good show, then losing in a charming fashion - just as they did on the tied-Test tour of Australia in 1960-61 - was a trait that may have proved endearing, but it was one that Clive Lloyd's mean machine soon made it their mission to banish.

A similar change of mindset has taken hold of India's cricketers in the space of a generation. Twenty-one years ago, almost to the week, these two teams took part in one of the most acclaimed mismatches of all time -the Lord's Test of 1990, when Kiran More's fumble set Graham Gooch on his way to a career-best 333, and England to victory by 247 runs. Along the way, however, India's own calypso qualities captured the English public's imagination - from the impossibly wristy riposte of their captain, Mohammad Azharuddin, through Kapil Dev's four consecutive sixes to save the follow-on, and through an outstanding one-handed running catch from a 17-year-old prodigy, Sachin Tendulkar - who, within a fortnight, would record the first of his 99 not out international centuries.

As Wisden Cricket Monthly's editor, David Frith, wrote at the time, that match played out like a midsummer dream, and two decades on, Tendulkar's enduring presence in India's ranks confirms the other-worldliness of that era. At some stage in the coming days, Tendulkar will march out to the crease for his fifth Test appearance at the game's grandest venue, knowing that he has an opportunity to record arguably the most incredible achievement in one of the greatest sporting careers of them all. Perhaps more importantly, however, he'll be seeking to cement his team's credentials as the most formidable outfit in the modern-day game.

However and wherever it arrives - and he will surely not fall Bradman-esquely short - the romance of Tendulkar's hundredth hundred will be a distant echo of those early days in international cricket. The team of which he remains such a formidable component has changed beyond recognition in the intervening years, in attitude as much as output. These days, India sit atop both Test and one-day trees, and go about their business with a swagger that, like West Indies and Australia before them, reflects their sense of entitlement. They are the game's modern-day galacticos, and they play with expectation where hope once held sway.

Where England are concerned, that attitude is particularly justified. Despite a supposed fallibility outside of Asia, India have not lost at home or away in five series since Rahul Dravid first appeared on the scene in 1996, and despite England's belief that greentops are the key to ending that sequence, their traumatic defeats at Headingley in 2002 and Trent Bridge five years later are potent reminders of the class that resides in their opponents' batting ranks. India have lost just two series out of 15 since their mould-breaking triumph in 2007, and none in the last three years. The financial might of the BCCI is nowadays matched, in no uncertain terms, by an intimidatory on-field clout.

Mind you, England are themselves in a mean streak of Test form, with seven series wins and a draw in eight outings since May 2009, which means that the coming contest ought to be the finest tussle on these shores since the epic Ashes summer of 2005. Then as now, two genuine contenders for the World Test Championship crown are about to go head to head, and if the hype surrounding this series is more muted than one might expect in the circumstances, then that is most likely a reflection of the two teams' obsessions with their principal foes, Australia and Pakistan - against whom they each recorded a memorable triumph in the winter just gone.

Nevertheless, a contest of this calibre needs no over-egging, and it is strangely refreshing that the cricket has, for once, been left to do much of the talking. If England can win the series by two clear Tests out of four, they will have achieved their stated ambition of becoming the world's No.1 Test side, a position they've not held since Peter May held sway in the early 1950s. That scoreline might be too much to expect, even for a team that condemned Australia to three innings defeats on home soil in the recent Ashes, but there's little doubt that England are primed for the challenge that awaits them - more so, arguably, than their opponents who were a clear second-best in their solitary warm-up against Somerset earlier in the week.

It was not an auspicious arrival, as Somerset racked up a grand total of 685 for 5 in two innings, either side of rolling their opponents for 224. However, there's one particular member of the Indian party who will shrug his shoulders at such events. Throughout his seven-year tenure as England coach, Duncan Fletcher treated warm-up matches with disdain, often using 13 or 14 players in what amounted to glorified nets sessions. It is an attitude that could not be further removed from the approach of his fellow Zimbabwean, Andy Flower who, back in November, treated England's three first-class fixtures in the lead-up to the Ashes as unofficial Tests, and reaped the rewards of his team's intensity.

Fletcher's crossing of the floor promises to be the zestiest subplot of a spicy summer. The manner of his departure in 2007 was bitter in the extreme, and continues to mask the extent to which his efforts laid the foundations of the world-class side that England are now becoming. To judge from recent history, his calm and considered manner will fit well with an Indian dressing room that prefers its coaches in the John Wright/Gary Kirsten backroom mould, even if Dravid admitted they are still getting to grips with his well-disguised sense of humour.

Nevertheless, his credentials as a pure batting coach are not in doubt, with Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen among his keenest disciples in the England team. With that in mind, the insider knowledge he can impart to India's attack could have more bearing on the series than any nuggets of wisdom he can pass on to the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and VVS Laxman. A trio with 99 Test centuries between them are a bit long in the tooth to learn the merits of the forward press.

It will not have escaped Fletcher's attention that India is the one Test nation that he never managed to beat during his days with England, so it would doubtless grate if Flower were to put that record straight at the first attempt. But despite their common heritage and studious demeanours, the nature of their rivalry is very much a theoretical one. As Flower showed by ducking the victory podium in Sydney back in January, he too prefers his players to hog the limelight.

The key head-to-heads will be on-field ones. Andrew Strauss's twin innings of 78 and 109 not out at Taunton took some of the edge off his duel with Zaheer Khan, even if another cheap left-arm dismissal at Lord's will reawaken the clamour in double-quick time. James Anderson's lateral movement will be starkly complemented by the steepling bounce of Chris Tremlett - two bowlers who have matured beyond recognition since their fitfully impressive performances in 2007, and whose efforts against India's senior batsmen could define the shape of the series.

And then there's England's own run-machines - Alastair Cook, a centurion on debut against India in 2006, and the possessor of six hundreds in his last ten Tests, and Jonathan Trott, whose average after 21 appearances (62.23) exceeds even that of Tendulkar. With Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell in exquisite form in the third Test against Sri Lanka, there's no reason for England to question their right to challenge the world's best - especially given the size of the hole left by Virender Sehwag at the top of India's order. More than any other batsman, his ability and willingness to batter good bowling sets him apart from his peers, and therefore his absence for one, maybe two, Tests is hugely significant.

The restrictions on DRS could also be a major factor, not so much for the decisions that go one way or the other, but for the friction that could be created between two sides that will not need much invitation to get feisty with one another. As England discovered to their cost at Trent Bridge four years ago, when a misplaced jelly bean sparked a diplomatic incident, India's players know how to fight - not only their corner, but their opponent's as well. That Calypso tendency is a thing of the dim and distant past. When battle commences on Thursday, neither side will have any doubt as to the intensity.

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

DRS to be used, but not for lbw decisions

	The ICC announced that infra-red technology and stump microphones will be part of the DRS - though not for lbw decisions - but not ball-tracking © Getty Images

A watered-down version of the Decision Review System (DRS) will be used in the England-India series with both sides agreeing to not use the system for lbw decisions. A day before the first Test starts at Lord's, the ICC announced that infra-red technology and stump microphones will be part of the DRS - though not for lbw decisions - but not ball-tracking.

This meets the minimum standards for DRS usage stipulated by the ICC at its annual conference last month but the decision to do away with reviews of lbw decisions could lead to anomalies. For example, if a batsman is given out to a bat-pad catch, he can get the verdict reviewed and if it is overturned because there is no bat involved, the fielding side has no recourse to an lbw appeal.

An ICC statement said the ECB wanted to include ball-tracking technology (such as Hawk-Eye or Virtual Eye) but the Indian board didn't.

"While we are disappointed that the full DRS will not be used to support the umpires, we are pleased that the ECB and BCCI have worked hard to ensure the minimum DRS is used in this much anticipated series," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said.

"It is common knowledge that the ICC and ECB would have liked ball tracking to have been included so that LBW decisions could have also been reviewed, but the last Chief Executives Committee and Board meeting in Hong Kong agreed to independently confirm the accuracy of ball-tracking technology. This will now take place as a matter of urgency."

The Indian board has long been averse to the DRS and had announced last month that it didn't want the system to be used in the England series. A compromise on the DRS was thrashed out at the ICC's annual conference later in the month. The series against England will be the first time India will be using the review system in Tests since 2008. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Strauss shines as Somerset dominate in draw

Somerset 425 for 3 dec (Suppiah 156, Compton 88, Strauss 78) and 260 for 2 dec (Strauss 109*, Trego 85*) drew with Indians 224 (Raina 103*, Willoughby 6-76) and 69 for 0

	Suresh Raina's sparkling ton was the only bright spot for India in Taunton © Getty Images

If the forthcoming Test series goes well for Andrew Strauss and England, Somerset should be top of his Christmas card list. After finding form in the first innings, he made the most of his second knock with an unbeaten 109 as India were left with precious little to take from the match other than Suresh Raina's 103 earlier on the final day.

However, like in the first innings where Arul Suppiah outshone the England captain with a career-best 156, the limelight was taken away by another Somerset batsman as Peter Trego hammered a 57-ball 85 off the struggling Indian attack before the home side, somewhat sympathetically, declared at tea to allow the visitors another brief innings. At least Gautam Gambhir and Abhinav Mukund eased themselves to an unbroken 69 before another shower ended the match, and India headed to London with their tail between their legs.

Trego arrived with Amit Mishra on a hat-trick but wickets were soon a long way from the legspinner's mind as he was left watching the ball sail regularly into the stands. Trego's half-century came up with the third of four consecutive leg-side sixes, and the umpires twice needed to find replacement balls. At one stage Mishra had bowled three overs for 61 and it went from a being a tough warm-up for the tourists to something of an embarrassment, although they will try to play down the significance.

It was no surprise that the home side didn't enforce the follow-on after the Indians were bowled out and the Somerset opening pair again made comfortable progress. Zaheer Khan didn't take the field - and neither did Sachin Tendulkar - but the team manager insisted he was purely resting which seemed an odd decision after a wicketless first innings where Zaheer looked in far from peak form. And if he didn't want to show himself to Strauss again, that suggests the pressure has shifted.

The remaining Indian bowlers went through the motions and the pattern was similar to the first innings. Munaf Patel was steady but unthreatening while Sreesanth was expensive. Strauss dominated the scoring, although not quite in the fashion of the opening day as Suppiah rode on the confidence of his first-innings hundred.

Strauss had barely an alarm as he cruised past fifty and tucked into some friendly bowling. He took three consecutive boundaries off Sreesanth, who kept dropping short, and also came down the pitch at Mishra to drive him for a straight six - many more of those would follow. Trego's onslaught meant he was quickly catching Strauss, but the England captain went to his hundred from 122 balls with a late cut shortly before tea.

Mishra had provided the Indians with momentary relief when he claimed two wickets in two balls but they were costly successes. His figures would soon take an even greater hammering, probably leaving him wishing he hadn't broken the opening stand. Suppiah lost his shape when he came down the pitch and got an outside edge to backward point then James Hildreth edged a legbreak behind first ball.

Earlier, Raina gave the Indians their one bright spot for the match as he raced to an unbeaten century to lift the visitors to 224. He added a final-wicket stand of 84 in 12 overs with Munaf of which the No. 11 contributed six. Raina needed just 37 balls to go from his fifty to a hundred as he cut loose after Sreesanth had lost his off stump to become Charl Willoughby's sixth wicket.

Rania drove, pulled and flicked five sixes which damaged Willoughby's figures while Alfonso Thomas also took some punishment. His hundred arrived from 110 balls courtesy of a misfield at mid-off but he didn't have the chance to add many more as Munaf was lbw to legspinner Max Waller soon after.

Raina's innings - and Yuvraj's duck on the second day - will have sealed the debate over India's No. 6 spot for Lord's. Strauss probably would not have minded having an extended look at Raina, someone England haven't faced before in Tests. He has gained more than he may have expected from his brief stint in the south-west. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Vilasrao Deshmukh is new MCA president

Dilip Vengsarkar is an asset to the Mumbai Cricket Association, according to Vilasrao Deshmukh © AFP

Vilasrao Deshmukh, the former Maharashtra chief minister, has defeated Dilip Vengsarkar, the former India captain, in the 77th presidential elections of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), continuing the two-decade long trend of a politician heading the body. Deshmukh's margin of victory was 47 votes; he received 182 to Vengsarkar's 135.

Of the 329 members supposed to vote in the secret ballot, six did not turn up, three others did not vote and three votes were invalid. Deshmukh arrived at the Wankhede Stadium late in the evening, after the result had been announced. Vengsarkar, who had spoken at the MCA's annual general meeting ahead of the polls, was not to be seen after his defeat. The result was in contrast to the outcome of the Karnataka State Cricket Association election in 2010, when a player-dominated group led by Anil Kumbleswept the polls.

Deshmukh said later that he would use the experience of Vengsarkar, who is part of the MCA's cricket improvement committee. "We will try to use him [Vengsarkar] in the best possible manner. He is an asset to the association," he said. "He is a very senior cricketer. With his help we can develop more cricketers for Mumbai."

Both Vengsarkar and Deshmukh were MCA vice-presidents for eight years and their agendas were similar: the upgradation of maidan cricket and the development of university, college and school cricket. Deshmukh contested the presidency as an independent candidate, but received support from the formidable alliance of the Sharad Pawar and Bal Mahaddalkar group.

Pawar, who was the MCA president from 2001, had intended to run for re-election but was ineligible because his permanent address is in Baramati, a town near Pune. Clause 17 of the MCA constitution states that only a resident of Mumbai or Thane is eligible to be president. Pawar attended the annual general meeting but left mid-way because he had to attend a federal government meeting in Delhi on Saturday. Before his departure, he asked Vengsarkar, "the senior vice-president", to take charge of the rest of the AGM.

Though Pawar wasn't present during the voting, his influence was. The events at the BCCI headquarters, which is in the same complex as the MCA, resembled a political rally instead of a cricket body's elections. Even the monsoon did not dissuade the politically inclined from wearing their white, starched cotton attire.

As the evening lengthened, supporters started speaking in hushed tones about Deshmukh's lead and soon those voices grew louder. Mammoth garlands were brought out of the boots of cars in anticipation of Deshmukh's arrival.

The first cheers, however, were heard from Vijay Patil's camp. Patil, an independent candidate, had contested for one of the two vice-president's posts. He runs the DY Patil Sports Academy and Stadium, which hosted the IPL finals in 2008 and 2010.

BCCI's chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty, an MCA office-bearer for 25 years and part of the Pawar panel, was elected as the second vice-president. Ravi Savant won the treasurer's post, while Nitin Dalal and PV Shetty were elected joint secretaries, replacing former India opener Lalchand Rajput, who ran for vice-president, and Hemant Waingankar.

Rajput was one of the prominent losers, having served as secretary thrice, but none of his terms were consecutive. Former India players Balwinder Singh Sandhu and Karsan Ghavri contested for posts on the managing committee as part of Vengsarkar's panel but failed to get sufficient votes.

Only three members of Vengsarkar's panel - Chandrakant Pandit (former India wicketkeeper), Nadim Memon (a prominent maidan curator, who had looked after the Wankhede for three Tests) and Mayank Khandwala - were elected to the managing committee. "It is a defeat for sportsmen," Memon said. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.