Fletcher

Birmingham: While the wait for one team continues, the other is possibly within days of ending theirs.

In the tale of two teams, India’s been relegated to footnote status, with the positive headlines monopolised by a high-on-intensity England.

India are still waiting to touch 300 in this four-Test series, waiting to last a 100 overs in a single innings. England, on the other hand, have taken another giant stride towards claiming the No.1 ranking.

If the climb of one team has been stunning, no less dramatic has been the decline of the other.

On Wednesday, Edgbaston saw a full house, despite the rioting and looting in Birmingham, and the crowd deserved far better than what India offered.

As for England, they had another excellent day in the office, with all the worrying left for India.

At stumps on Day I of the third Test, England were 84 for no loss, pushing to quickly overtake India’s 224 (62.2 overs).

Indeed, it was another day for guest appearances from India’s batsmen. But there had been hope early on, in conditions which were definitely not as hostile as Trent Bridge.

With India just one wicket down till 32 minutes before lunch, it seemed Andrew Strauss’s decision to field had backfired. That’s when wreckers-in-arms Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad struck to leave India gasping.

Three wickets fell in 31 minutes. Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid went in that period, adding to the problem which began with Virender Sehwag’s first-ball departure (to Broad).

Dravid, who began the Test with hundreds in each of the previous two matches, fell to arguably the delivery of the series, from Bresnan. Surely, even Sir Donald Bradman would’ve been flummoxed.

Carrying the expectations of a billion and many more, Sachin managed one and, being anchored on 99 International hundreds, is telling on him.

“I guess it’s weighing Sachin down... He needs to be clear in the mind,” former India captain Ravi Shastri told The Telegraph.

Soon after lunch, England’s attack reduced India to 111 for seven before captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Praveen Kumar added 84 for the eighth wicket — the most productive partnership.

Dhoni eventually went for 77 (121 minutes, 96 balls, 10x4, 3x6), a feature of his innings being the way he counter-attacked in Praveen’s presence. Briefly, Dhoni played his natural game and got rewarded.

Broad and Bresnan finished with four wickets apiece and, then, Strauss registered his maiden fifty of the series (52 not out).

Strauss’s captaincy late in the afternoon, though, left one baffled. He actually went on the defensive when Dhoni was going for his shots!

“It could have been a different story had we gone to lunch one down... Those three wickets... Never before have I seen so much swing and seam over three consecutive Tests... Today, the wicket did flatten out, but the first session had been crucial...

“One can’t do more than practice on how to handle the swinging deliveries... It’s a matter of trying to adapt quickly to conditions in England... This attack hunts in a pack and has the intensity... I’m sure, as coach, I’ll be facing more difficult days,” is what India coach Duncan Fletcher said.

Fletcher insisted that the door hadn’t been shut on India’s face. “We’re not out of this Test... The first session (on Day II) is going to be important.”

Of course, yes.