Test heads for draw
after Dravid double ton
England reached 114 for no wicket, a lead of 121 runs, as the fourth and deciding Test against India looked to be heading for a draw at the close of play on the fourth day on Sunday.
Marcus Trescothick was unbeaten on 58 and Michael Vaughan on 47, after Rahul Dravid's marathon knock of 217 led India to a first-innings total of 508, in reply to the hosts' 515.
Morning session
Rahul Dravid continued to frustrate England's bowlers as he moved on to 184 to lead his side to 403 for five at lunch on the fourth day of the deciding fourth Test on Sunday.
Vangipurappu Laxman was the only wicket to fall during the morning session when he was caught at gully by Ashley Giles off fast bowler Andrew Caddick for 40 shortly before the break.
All-rounder Ajit Agarkar, who was three not out at the interval, joined Dravid, who brought up the 400 when he nicked Caddick through the slips.
Dravid, who became the first player in 2002 to score 1000 Test runs when he reached 139, also notched up his highest Test score against England.
The 29-year-old right hander, who made 115 in the second Test and 148 in the third, has now set the record for most runs (602) by an Indian batsman in a series in England, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar's 542 in 1979.
Prior to his Oval innings he was averaging 77 in the series. He did give a sharp chance when Giles dropped him in the gully on 168.
OVERNIGHT SCORE
Resuming on 315 for four, India avoided the follow-on in the second over when a ball glanced off Dravid's thigh pad for a leg bye to take his side to 316 in reply to England's 515.
England's bowlers, who had adopted a run-denying tactic of short-pitched bowling in the final session on Saturday, pinned Dravid and Laxman down for the first half hour, though on Sunday they were prepared to pitch the ball up more.
The 50-run partnership, achieved when Laxman drove pace bowler Matthew Hoggard for three through the covers, took 172 balls.
The pair began to up the run rate shortly afterwards and showed they were prepared to hook, spurring on the loud Indian contingent of fans who banged drums, blew whistles and horns and cheered every shot.
Laxman brought up India's 350 when he tucked Caddick to square leg for a single, while Dravid passed his 150 when he hooked Cork for a single.
Post-lunch session
Dravid, who has scored three successive centuries, was run-out after a mix-up with wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra shortly before tea, but the tourists finished just seven runs short of England's first innings total of 515.
Dravid, whose previous best Test score was 200 not out against Zimbabwe in Delhi in 2000, batted for almost 10 1/2 hours and faced 468 balls.
He just missed the record for the highest innings by an Indian batsman overseas which remained Sunil Gavaskar's 221 against England at The Oval in 1979.
The 29-year-old right-hander received a standing ovation from the crowd and was applauded by the England team as he left The Oval arena.
Averaging just over 100 for the series, he also scored 115 at Nottingham and 148 at Leeds.
Post-tea session
India resumed after tea on 486 for eight and England wrapped up the innings when Anil Kumble was caught by Nasser Hussain at slip for seven off left-arm spinner Ashley Giles and Harbhajan Singh was bowled by Giles for 17.
Fast bowler Andrew Caddick was the most successful England bowler with figures of four for 114 from 43 overs, while Giles took two for 98 in 49 tidy overs.
Trescothick and Vaughan began England's second innings in typically breezy fashion, scoring at a run a ball in the first five overs before Ganguly introduced leg-spinner Anil Kumble.
But neither his introduction, nor off-spinner Harbhajan Singh's four overs later, did much to slow the run-rate as the England openers scored freely.
Trescothick brought up his 14th Test half century and England's 100 with a hook for four off Ajit Agarkar, the century partnership coming off just 143 balls.
Vaughan became the second batsman to score 1000 Test runs in 2002 when he reached 16 after Dravid had achieved the feat earlier in the day.
Earlier in the final session, England finally wrapped up India's innings when Kumble was caught by captain Nasser Hussain at slip for seven off left-arm spinner Ashley Giles and Harbhajan was bowled by Giles for 17.
Andrew Caddick was the most successful England bowler with figures of four for 114 from 43 overs, while Giles took two for 98 in 49 tidy overs.
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