Sehwag, Gambhir off to solid start

Finally, India owned a session in the Eden Gardens Test, but they still had some way to go to safety. They got rid of the last four England wickets in just 4.3 overs, limiting the visitors' innings to 523, and their openers then saw them through to lunch without damage. They didn't just seem them through, Virender Sehwag, dropped early in the piece by Graeme Swann, was aggressive towards the break. With five sessions to go, India needed 121 to make England bat again.

India tried three bowlers on the day, and all of them got wickets with their second balls. Pragyan Ojha got Swann to drive in the first over, and Virender Sehwag swallowed an easy catch at first slip. Matt Prior edged Zaheer Khan when cutting in the second over. James Anderson played two lovely shots off Zaheer before R Ashwin made him edge one in the fifth over. Monty Panesar got a rough one next ball, given lbw off an inside edge.

That, though, was a relatively insignificant spell of play, although England failed to completely bat India out. The real interesting bit began about 35 minutes into the day's play as Sehwag and Gambhir came out to bat. England continued with their ploy of not attacking Sehwag too much, almost waiting for him to get out before they began controlling the game. They attacked Gambhir more, but he left well except on two occasions.

Gambhir began with a clipped four off Anderson first ball. Sehwag steered Steven Finn for four in the first over he bowled. England slowed things down then. The quicks used the bouncer well. One Finn bouncer followed by a full ball beat Sehwag in the fourth over. Sehwag remained a little edgy, nicking an outswinger from Anderson, but Swann at second slip couldn't grab it low to his left. Sehwag had reached only seven then, and India were 13.

After the quicks were taken off - Panesar and Swann were bowling in tandem by the 11th over - the openers settled down better. In the 12th over, Sehwag seemed to begin cramping. As England tried a change of ends by giving Samit Patel an over, Sehwag went on a rampage. He was 25 off 36 when Patel was brought on; by lunch he had raced to 49 off 56.

Sehwag then swept the first ball off Swann's next over four four. A little later, he cut his away for four through a deep-set field before sweeping him for four again. Gambhir didn't want to be left out; he lofted Panesar for six and four in the last over before lunch.