First Test - India 155/6 At Stumps On Day Two

Chennai: Debutant off-spinner Graeme Swann had a dream start to his career when he struck a double blow in his very first over, getting rid of both Gambhir and Dravid to push India on the backfoot.

India lost 3 wickets in 14 overs before tea in their first innings on Day 2 of the first Test against England. Debutant Swann took two wickets in his first over

After a steady partnership between Laxman and Tendulkar, England’s bowlers struck a double blow with Panesar taking the wicket of Laxman and Flintoff getting rid of Tendulkar.

Sachin followed him back to the pavilion in the very next over as he also gave a return catch to Flintoff. Graeme Swann had a dream debut as he scalped Gautam Gambhir (19) and Rahul Dravid (3) to put India in early trouble. India lost three quick wickets at the score 37.

England's day. They crossed 300 thanks to a dour nightwatchman's innings from James Anderson and a half-century from Matt Prior in his comeback innings. The bowlers then took six Indian wickets to put England in charge of this Test.

There were successful and tense spells of fast bowling from James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff as India crashed to 137 for 6, but it was that stunning first over in Test cricket from Graeme Swann, just before tea, that will hog the headlines. Swann removed Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid and India were stunned.

Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman put on 61, but their departure in consecutive overs to Monty Panesar and Flintoff hurt India plenty. To ice off the cake, Steve Harmison dismissed Yuvraj Singh just before stumps.

Reports by session
1st Session: Runs 65, Wkt 3, Overs 29
2nd Session: Runs 59, Wkt 5, Overs 23.4
3rd Session: Runs 118, Wkt 3, Overs 31

Highlights of day 2

• The Indian bowlers did well to restict England to 316, but the visitors did even better, reducing careless India to 155 for six by close. All the English bowlers took wickets to round off a perfect day for them.
• Second bowlers who have claimed two wickets in their first over in Tests. The latest being England's Graeme Swann, who dismissed Gautam Gambhir on third ball and Rahuld Dravid on last ball. England's Richard Johnson had dismissed mark Vermeulen and Stuart Carlisle of Zimbabwe in 2003.
• Second players from sub-continent who have scored more than 2000 runs against England. Sachin Tendulkar joined Sunil Gavaskar in this elite list during his 37-run knock.
• 28.9 batting average recorded by Rahul Dravid this year, making 665 runs in 14 Tests, including one hundred and four fifties.
  

Brief Score: India 155 for six (Sachin 37, Swann 2/35) trail England 316 by 161 runs.
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