Hussain, Stewart offer
stubborn resistance

England vs India: 3rd Test: Day 4 Headingley, Leeds, England Report status: Stumps

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"We will have to bat exceptionally," skipper Nasser Hussain had said at the end of day three. Twenty-four hours later, his 90 runs, which came with fine support from veteran Alec Stewart, was the only exceptional batting display of the England second innings.

England scored a meager 73 runs in the last 35-over session of the day without losing a wicket, and ended the day on 239 for 4, still trailing by 116 runs.

The end seems near for England, though the Indian seamers' performance will decide the outcome of the Test. If Hussain and Stewart survive the morning session, India might find it difficult to wipe off the remaining six England wickets.

Morning session

Skipper Sourav Ganguly began the fourth morning with his spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in tandem, and in a matter of a few overs England's number eleven Matthew Hoggard was dismissed for an 18-ball duck, with Alec Stewart stranded on 78.

A ball from Anil Kumble brushed his arm-guard instead of the glove before it settled in the hands of short leg after ricocheting off the pads as the England innings was wrapped up for 273.

The hosts, trailing by 355 runs and asked to follow-on by India, had the onerous task of batting out another six sessions to save the Test.

51 overs of spin had sliced the England batting line-up like a loaf of bread, with Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble picking three wickets apiece.

England battled again and Robert Key stroked Zaheer Khan yet again through the covers to get the innings off the mark with a boundary.

The hosts were faced with a similar daunting task when Sri Lanka, in the first Test of the summer, asked them to follow-on. The England batsmen stood up to the challenge and eked out an appreciable draw. The Lord's wicket though was placid compared to the dual-paced Headingley strip under overcast conditions and with the Indian spinners spitting venom off the wicket.

The Indian seamers kept the pressure valve on the English openers and though this Test is one to be saved by the hosts they will realise the need to score runs as well.

England were pushed on the back-foot when Ajit Agarkar pitched one on length and swung the ball a shade into Michael Vaughan. The ball rapped Vaughan on his knee roll and England had lost their first wicket for 28.

At lunch they were 56 for 1, still 299 runs behind the Indian first innings total. 63 runs were scored in the first session of play for the loss of two wickets in 27 overs.

Post Lunch session

England lost three wickets in the post-lunch session for the addition of 110 runs and went to tea at 166 for 4.

With England 189 runs in arrears, India need another six wickets to break a 16-year jinx of not winning a Test in England.

"We certainly can't rely on the weather," said Hussain after the third day's play.

"We've dug ourselves into this hole, and it's only us who can dig ourselves out again. The pitch is deteriorating rapidly now, and we will have to bat exceptionally, but it's been done before -- particularly on this ground -- and we can do it again."

Inspirational words from the English skipper in the face of despondency, but if only his batsmen could match his words with their batting prowess.

Key resisted Kumble for 27 deliveries but was eventually done in by the flipper, which caught the Kent batsman with his feet stuck to the crease. His dogged innings of 34 gave India a tighter grip on the game. (76-2)

Ganguly brought Bangar back for his third spell and Butcher, who had negotiated the Indian spin attack by relaxing his arms and loosening his grip, slashed at the support seamer and was caught at first slip by Dravid. Bangar had slanted the ball across the southpaw and then swung it away, to bag his second Test wicket. Butcher failed to score a single run off the 15 balls he faced from the seamer.

Butcher was dismissed for 42 off 100 balls and was guilty of having thrown away his wicket away after getting into the twenties and thirties, like the openers. (116-3)

The English batters, Nasser Hussain and John Crawley, eschewed playing against the spin; not a single run was taken through the covers, mid-off and mid-on off Harbhajan, while Kumble gave only a single run through mid-wicket, mid-on and mid-off. The spinners stuck to an immaculate line and with the ball spitting at the batsmen, the hosts were facing a monumental task.

Bangar claimed his second wicket of the innings when he forced John Crawley to push at a harmless delivery off the back foot straight to Virender Sehwag in the covers. It was an irresponsible shot from Crawley at a time when staying at the wicket as the need of the hour. (148-4)

Hussain continued to play his strokes and reached 41 off 49 balls, though watchfully. First innings top-scorer Alec Stewart, at the other end, batted with the reflexes of a boxer, pouncing on anything that was short or wide. He seemed intent on taking the attack to the opposition, batting with a freedom not seen from any of the English batsmen.

Kumble, bowling with the lung capacity of a marathoner, kept attacking the batsmen. He was unfortunate when Patel dropped Hussain off the last ball before tea.

England went to tea at 166 for 4, trailing by another 189 runs. Stewart and Hussain were at the crease, batting for survival.

Post Tea session:

Hussain reached a scratchy half-century with his eighth boundary -- an airy cut past point -- as the last session of the day got under way.

The skipper's innings had more talismans than talent in his stay at the crease. Edges flew into vacant areas of the ground and the ball missed the edge by tiny fractions as Hussain hoped to register the first 50-run partnership of the innings. The situation though demanded that the hosts got together a hundred-plus partnership to save the Test.

Hussain survived an LBW appeal against Zaheer Khan, though the Hawk-eye replay suggested the ball would have crashed into the stumps.

The Indian bowlers plugged the run-scoring avenues for the batters. Nine maidens -- five of them consecutive -- were bowled in the period between over number 53 and 68. 29 runs were scored in the 16 overs as the run-rate fell from 3.5 to 2.8 runs per over.

The Hussain-Stewart combine crossed the 50-run partnership as the Sunday spectators at the Yorkshire ground cheered every run.

England's most experienced batting pair played with caution though occasionally throwing it to the wind whenever the bowlers strayed in line.

Ganguly's bowling changes failed to get the elusive first wicket of the session. The best chance came when, at 230 for 4, Hussain tried to sweep Kumble and was rapped on the pads bang in front of the stumps.

Hussain, as the captain of the sinking ship, battled along to a 171-ball 90. His innings never seemed to end and, hopefully, for England he might be the last straw of hope to salvage a draw.

Alec Stewart played another stoic innings, scoring 40 important runs in an innings dominated by on-side play -- a mere four runs were scored on the off-side.

England scored a meager 73 runs in the last 35-over session of the day without losing a wicket as they ended the day at 239-4 -- trailing by 116 runs.