Birmingham: England enjoyed an excellent opening day in the third Test against India as they pursued a win that would see them replace the tourists at the head of the ICC's Test Championship table.
They closed on 84 without loss in reply to India's modest first innings 224, a deficit of 140 runs, at Edgbaston on Wednesday.
England captain Andrew Strauss was 52 not out and fellow left-handed opener Alastair Cook 27 not out in front of a sell-out 25,000 crowd at Warwickshire's headquarters, redeveloped at a cost of £32 million.
Their unbroken stand rounded off a good day for England, already 2-0 up, as they pursued a victory that see them take the four-match series and go to the top of the Test standings.
Strauss, in what was his best Test score this season, set the seal on a fine first day for England shortly before stumps by completing a 76-ball fifty including 10 fours.
Earlier seamers Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan, England's heroes with both bat and ball during their crushing 319-run second Test win at Trent Bridge, shared eight wickets after Strauss won the toss in overcast conditions.
Broad took four for 53 in 17 overs, with the fast-medium bowler dismissing both Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar as the India stars managed just one run between them.
Meanwhile Bresnan, recalled at Trent Bridge in place of the still-injured Chris Tremlett, had four for 62 in 20 overs.
"It was a very good day for us, we would have taken that bowling in these sort of conditions and being none down as well is fantastic," Bresnan told reporters at the close of play.
"It is a collective effort really, it doesn't really matter who gets the wickets as long as we take the wickets and we did that today (Wednesday)."
India coach Duncan Fletcher was left rueing his side's failure to be only one wicket down at lunch.
"We looked to be going all right at one down (for 59) but then England really put us on the back foot," said the former England boss.
The Zimbabwean added conditions this series were unlike any he'd previously experienced.
"I haven't played on three wickets, even when I was with England, where the ball has swung around so much for three Tests in a row.
"We haven't been able to post a score that gives our bowlers something to bowl at."
India have yet to make 300 this series but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni prevented total embarrassment with a swashbuckling 77, featuring three sixes and 10 fours, after a top-order collapse reduced his side to 111 for seven.
Together with the resourceful Praveen Kumar, he added a run-a-ball 84 for the eighth wicket.
Kumar was no silent partner, hitting a six and four fours in his 26 before, trying to hook Bresnan, he was caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Dhoni was eventually out when an edged drive off Broad was held by first slip Strauss to end a 96-ball knock featuring three sixes and 10 fours.
Injury-hit India slumped to 75 for four at lunch with Rahul Dravid, a century-maker at Trent Bridge, brilliantly bowled by Bresnan for 22 off the last ball before the interval.
Upon the resumption India's collapse continued, with Bresnan again exposing Venkatsai Laxman's vulnerability against the short delivery when he didn't get over a pull short and holed out straight to Broad at long leg for 30.
Broad had previously struck first ball to remove dynamic opening batsman Sehwag for a golden duck.
Sehwag, playing his first match of the series after shoulder surgery, tried to sway out of the way of a short ball but gloved to Prior, with a review overturning Davis's initial verdict as it also did when Kumar was dismissed.
Tendulkar received a standing ovation as he walked out in pursuit of an unprecedented 100th international hundred with India 59 for two following the loss of Gautam Gambhir for 38.
But Tendulkar made just one before he was lured into playing a Broad delivery outside off-stump he might have left and edged to third slip Anderson.
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AFP
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