Dhoni helps India save follow-on; 217 for 8 at tea

Mumbai, Mar 20 (UNI) Wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni struck a valuable 64 to save follow-on for india as England bowlers continued to torment hosts' batsmen on the third day of the third and final Test at the Wankhede stadium here today.

By tea-break, India had managed to avoid the ignominy of a follow-on, reaching 217 for eight, with Anil Kumble on nine and S Sreesanth without opening account at the crease.

Resuming on their lunch score of 253 for five, Irfan Pathan and Dhoni played sensibly as England stand-in captain Andrew Flintoff gave rest to his seamers and employed a double spin attack of Shaun Udal and Monty Panesar.

The two Indian batsmen had no problem in negotiating the spin duo and they were also helped by the English fielders as Dhoni got his second life with Shaun Udal dropping a sharp return catch when the batsman was on 44 and Indian score on 181 for five.

In Udal's next over, Pathan tried to sweep him but only managed to top-edge it and a diving Andrew Strauss at short fine leg could not reach the ball as Pathan, on 23 at that time, heaved a high of relief.

Pathan, however, fell soon after as he tried to clear the fielder at mid-off but only managed to give a simple catch to Matthew Hoggard stationed there, off the bowling of Udal for 26 with the team score on 186.

Flintoff then took the new ball and Dhoni, who had just reached his half century, took on the England all-rounder hitting him for three glorious fours in one over. But, the Indian wicketkeeper perished in a bid to retain strike by sneaking for a single. James Anderson's direct hit at the stumps saw Dhoni short of his ground.

His 64 had nine spanking boundaries in it.

Anderson then got Harbhajan with Geraint Jones taking his fifth catch of the innings to remove the offie, with India reeling at 217 for eight.

Earlier in the morning, seamers Flintoff and Anderson bowled with fire and purpose to put India under pressure. In the second over of the day, Flintoff had Yuvraj slashing at a wide delivery only to see wicketkeeper Geraint Jones bring of a stupendous catch, diving in front of first slip. Yuvraj could add just five runs to his overnight score of 32, with India slumping to 94 for four.

Flintoff and Hoggard then bowled an inspired spell of fast bowling as they made the ball rear from a short of the good length and the former's delivery also hitting Dhoni on the back of his head.

The Indian wicketkeeper, however, replied in the only way he could pulling the England captain to the mid-wicket fence for a boundary and then following it up with a smashing cover drive. Flintoff placed three fielders in the deep on the legside in a bid to trap Dhoni but he did not fall prey and played sensibly.

Anderson was then brought in and he immediately had the Indians in trouble and but for the butter-fingered English fielders, he could have had more wickets to his name.

Dhoni was first given a let-off when a powerful off-drive went uppishly to Monty Panesar at mid-off but the spinner could not latch on to the catch to give the Indian wicket keeper a reprieve. Dhoni was then on 23 and the Indian score on 137 for four.

Meanwhile, Indian captain Rahul Dravid, playing his hundredth Test match, soon completed his half century which was studded with six fours and looked set for a bigger score. Three balls after Dhoni was dropped, Dravid tried to cut Anderson and the ball went flying straight to gully where substitute fielder Matthew Prior was standing. The ball went straight into his hands only to be dropped down with the Indian captain on 52.

However, in next over, trying to leg-glance an Anderson delivery, Dravid got a faint tickle onto the bat and Jones completed his fourth catch of the innings diving to his left to bring off another spectacular catch. Dravid made 52 and India's score was then 142 for five.

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