Strauss hits century but India claw back in last session

R Eswar

Chennai, Dec 11 (PTI) Andrew Strauss cracked a composed
123 but England squandered a solid start to allow India claw
back into the game with four wickets in the last session and
wrest the initiative in the first cricket Test here Thursday.

Strauss, who was not part of the one-day squad, notched
up his 13th Test century but his sheet-anchoring role was
somewhat neutralised as the visitors lost quick wickets in the
last session to be reduced to 229 for five at close on the
opening day.

Electing to bat, Strauss and his opening partner Alastair
Cook (52) provided a solid launch pad with a 118-run
partnership but the cheap dismissals of Ian Bell (17), Kevin
Pietersen (4) and Paul Collingwood (9) helped the hosts to
tilt the balance slightly in their favour on a placid track at
the M A Chidambaram stadium.

Andrew Flintoff (18) and night watchman James Anderson
(2) were at the crease at stumps in a match held under extra
ordinary circumstances after the recent terror attacks in
Mumbai had thrown the series into jeopardy.

But England returned with a full strength team to stand
"shoulder-to-shoulder" with the Indian people in their hour of
grief.

The Chidambaram stadium, however, wore a deserted look as
few spectators turned up to watch the opening day's
proceedings, just a fortnight after the terror strikes in
Mumbai.

England, who agreed to play the two-Test series after
security checks and a shift in venues, joined the Indian
players in wearing black bands and observing a minute's
silence for the victims before play began.

The visitors were cruising along comfortably at 164 for
one at one stage but suddenly lost the plot to be gasping at
221 for five, losing four wickets in the span of 57 runs to
fritter away a good position.

The dismissal of Strauss late in the day came as a big
blow for the tourists who now have only Flintoff and Matt
Prior as the two recognised batsmen to steer the team to a
decent total.

Anderson, who was sent in as the night watchman, played
out a few anxious overs to ensure that England did not lose
more wickets before stumps.

England openers Cook and Strauss adapted to the slow
track which offered little for the fast bowlers in the morning
session as the duo went for lunch at 63 without being
separated.

The two openers made their intentions clear by not taking
any risk and rarely stepping out to both new ball bowlers,
Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.

Zaheer and Ishant could not extract any swing and
movement in the air on the placid track in the morning even
though they made the England openers hard to score runs.

Even the two spinners -- Harbhajan Singh and Amit Sharma
-- got little help from the Chepauk pitch. Harbhajan, who was
brought in for Zaheer in the ninth over of the innings, gave
fours runs in his first over.

Strauss and Cook were cautious in their approach. The duo
could not score more than two runs an over in the first hour
which saw only one hit to the boundary.

The England openers pushed up the pace of scoring a
bit in the later half of morning session but they took 88
minutes and 19 overs to reach their 50 partnership. Both
miscued their pull shots on few occasions but no damage was
done.

Harbhajan Singh provided the breakthrough midway through
the post lunch session by getting the scalp of Cook much to
the delight of his teammates.

Cook came up with a determined batting display before
losing his composure to a tossed up delivery from Harbhajan
Singh and return to the hut.

Before his departure, however, Cook had added 118 runs
off 40 overs with his opening partner Strauss.

Cook was out while playing across a spinning delivery to
hole out to Zaheer at mid on region two overs before drinks
break. Cook had faced 116 balls for his 15th Test fifty and
stayed at the crease for 157 minutes.

Strauss did not allow the fall of Cook's wicket to
distract his focus and with Bell kept the scoreboard ticking,
often deploying the sweep shot against the spinners.

Barring a couple of bat-pad appeals, which were turned
down by umpire Daryl Harper, the proceedings were bereft of
any action in the second half of the post-lunch session as
England hoisted 150 in 51.4 overs with Strauss moving into the
90s.

The complexion of the game changed in the last session
with Zaheer and Ishant managing to get the reverse swing
going. The Indians claimed four wickets for 65 runs in the
session.

The pitch also started to give some assistance to the
spinners in the last session, which means that India will have
to ensure that the visitors do not get a big first innings
total.

The dismissal of Bell started the slide for England as
Zaheer trapped him leg before wicket. He then scalped the
prized wicket of captain Pietersen with a short-pitched
delivery.

Pietersen attempted to hook Zaheer's bouncer but mistimed
the shot completely and the bowler made no mistake with the
return catch.

Paul Collingwood fell victim to a dubious decision by
umpire Billy Bowden as television replays showed that the bat
was nowhere near the ball as Gautam Gambhir took the catch off
Harbhajan Singh.

Leg spinner Amit Mishra then did his bit for the team
when he got rid of the well-settled Strauss late in the day.