WHITEWASH: England complete rout as India collapse again

10 April 2012

England wrapped up a 4-0 Test series whitewash for the first time since 2004 and ensured India's series would end in misery by denying Sachin Tendulkar his 100th international century.

In their first Test match after replacing India at the top of the ICC Test rankings, Andrew Strauss's side produced another ruthless performance to complete victory by an innings and eight runs - and disappoint Indian cricket fans everywhere by removing Tendulkar for 91.

The Little Master enjoyed plenty of luck as he was dropped twice off Graeme Swann and should have been stumped once during his innings, only for his good fortune to run out when he was trapped in front by Tim Bresnan and umpire Rod Tucker raised his index finger.

Tendulkar was almost disbelieving when he was given out, hanging his head before turning for the pavilion.

But Swann was the star for England, finishing with figures of 106 for six. Nightwatchman Amit Mishra had been bowled by Swann in the previous over for a Test-best 84, and when he and Tendulkar had departed, England homed in on their target.

Suresh Raina was unlucky to be given out lbw to Swann after he inside-edged the ball into his pad, but it was India - not England - who vetoed the use of the Decision Review System to review leg-before verdicts in this series. For Raina, it was a pair lasting 42 balls, which summed up his miserable series.

When captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and RP Singh gave Stuart Broad two wickets in a single over with the second new ball, India had collapsed from 262 for three to 269 for eight in a little more than eight overs. That was five wickets for seven runs in 51 deliveries, in the space of 45
minutes.

Gautam Gambhir, suffering from concussion, was next to go and when Swann took the final wicket of Sree Sreesanth, every England player raced towards him to start the celebrations.

It had been an afternoon to reflect England's total control of the series, which had already produced victories at Lord's, Trent Bridge and Edgbaston. Yet it all looked so different when Tendulkar and Mishra were dealing with the home attack with relative ease, and when England did trouble Tendulkar, they could not finish off the job.

Yesterday evening's escape was extraordinary.

Tendulkar had 34 when replays showed his back foot was not grounded when Matt Prior removed the bails, but the England wicketkeeper - who usually needs no invitation to raise his voice - did not appeal to square-leg umpire Simon Taufel.

And a little more than 10 minutes before lunch today, Tendulkar was on 70 when he reached forward to Swann and offered a bat-pad chance to Alastair Cook at forward short-leg. Cook clutched at the ball but could only parry it into his arm and watch as it dropped to the floor. It was a tough chance but highlighted once more that in a near-perfect series for England, their close catching has not always been up to scratch.

Tendulkar also survived two close lbw shouts off Swann and when Prior put down a thin edge with Sachin on 85, it appeared certain he would reach three figures, only for Bresnan, returning from the Vauxhall End, to produce the goods.

Swann has had a quiet series, due mainly to conditions that have favoured swing and seam rather than slow bowling. When the pitch is to his liking, though, Swann produces. He delivered in the second innings at Adelaide in the winter to put England 1-0 up in the Ashes, and after a quiet start, with guile and menace on the final afternoon here. India started the day 129 for three, still needing 162 more runs in their follow-on to force England into a second innings.

Their tour has been disrupted severely by injuries and there was more bad news on that front before play began, as opening batsman Virender Sehwag (shoulder) and pace bowler Ishant Sharma (ankle ligaments) were ruled out of the forthcoming Twenty20 match and five one-day internationals against England.

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