First Test remains in the balance
England struggled to break through India's talented top order as both sides battled to claim a crucial victory on a tense final day to the opening Test.
Both sides began the day with hopes of forcing home the win with India resuming on 131 for one needing a further 256 runs to reach their target of 387, which would be the fourth-highest successful run chase in Test history and the highest fourth innings total at the Chepauk Stadium.
But after the first session, both sides remained positive they could both still win with England claiming two wickets but India adding 82 runs to leave them on 213 for three needing a further 174 runs off a minimum of 66 overs.
The tourists were given a flying start to the decisive day with Rahul Dravid falling in the third over to continue his dismal recent run of form. Former India captain Dravid added just two runs to his overnight score of two when he pushed forward outside off-stump to fired up all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and edged behind to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
It continued Dravid's desperate run of form having scored only one half-century in his past 19 Test innings, which is likely to increase the pressure for him to be dropped for the second Test in Mohali in four days time.
His demise brought Sachin Tendulkar to the crease, who was given a testing introduction with Flintoff examining his technique with a number of short balls before he demonstrated his class by cutting his first boundary.
Opener Gautam Gambhir, who resumed overnight on 41, reached his half-century in the sixth over of the day with a clipped single off Graeme Swann after two and a half hours at the crease.
Gambhir was fortunate to survive after being surprised by Flintoff bowling with just one arm, getting an inside edge to his front-foot drive which just missed his leg stump and flew for four. It took a bowling change, bringing James Anderson into the attack as a replacement for Lancashire team-mate Flintoff, to end Gambhir's threatening 42-run stand with Tendulkar.
Hammered for 15 runs in just two overs the previous evening, this time Anderson provided greater control and finally tempted Gambhir into a loose shot outside off-stump which was superbly caught by a diving Paul Collingwood in the gully.
That brought VVS Laxman to the crease for the remaining nine overs of the session, but despite recalling Flintoff, England were unable to make the breakthrough to leave the outcome of the match still in the balance.
