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Live Commentary: India vs. England - Second Test, day four - as it happened

:Headline: Live Commentary: India vs. England - Second Test, day four - as it happened: ID:56389: from db_amp
Sports Mole brings you live text commentary as England look to level the Test series with India in Mumbai.

England started day four of the second Test on the brink of securing a victory which would level the Test series with India.

Resuming on 117-7, the hosts once again struggled against the spin of Monty Panesar (6-81) and Graeme Swann (4-43), who shared all 10 wickets as India quickly collapsed to 142 all out.

Chasing 57 to win the match, Alastair Cook (18*) and Nick Compton (30*) played confidently to reach the target in 9.4 overs to record a comfortable 10-wicket triumph at the Wankhede Stadium.

Find out how the fourth day's play unfolded below.

It's very quiet at the Wankhede Stadium, with the home supporters sensing that their team could be heading for an early defeat today. England still have work to do, stay with Sports Mole as we talk you through the events of day four.
England probably haven't had many better days in India than they enjoyed on Saturday. Panesar was quite brilliant on his way to collecting 10 wickets in the match while Cook and Pietersen put on a batting masterclass earlier in the morning. India only hold a lead of 31 which means they are effectively 31-7.
If England do indeed secure victory today, the rest of the series looks incredibly exciting.
Following their partnership of 206 yesterday, this is what Pietersen had to say about Cook to BBC Sport: "Alastair Cook will comfortably surpass any hundred [total] that anybody else who plays for England [gets]. He is a super player, he is a super guy. He should go on to score thousands and thousands of more runs."
Cook leads his players out to begin day four and they're followed by Harbhajan and Gambhir. It looks as though Panesar will bowl the first over of the day.
Well, Harbhajan has shown us already just how he is going to play. Panesar's first ball is lofted down the ground for four runs. Great reply from England's spinner as he beats the outside edge before Harbhajan gets off strike with a push to cover. Panesar strays onto the pads and Gambhir tickles the ball to fine leg for his first boundary of the day. Important runs for India, 10 of them scored in the over.
Predictably, it's Swann who will bowl in tandem with Panesar.
Swann starts well but he offers some room on the leg-side and Gambhir is off strike with a single.
Wicket! Harbhajan (6) c Trott b Swann
Just what England needed as Swann makes an early breakthrough. Harbhajan is surprised by the bounce with a delivery that comes back into him and he offers a simple chance off his glove to Trott at slip. Vital wicket in the second over of the day, Zaheer in next.
Zaheer manages to survive the over but there's even more pressure heaped on Gambhir's shoulders now.
Better start for Panesar and he won't be too disappointed with Gambhir giving the strike to Zaheer. Textbook defence from Zaheer though and he survives the over.
Once again, Gambhir is happy to give Zaheer the strike at the start of a new Swann over but the tail-ender is more than happy to give it back to his partner with an inside edge to square leg. Another good over from Swann.
Panesar begins a new over with a beauty to beat Zaheer's outside edge with plenty of bounce.
Wicket! Zaheer (1) c Prior b Panesar
Zaheer was struggling to put bat on ball and he attempts to relieve some pressure with a big shot. However, he can only sky the slog-sweep straight in the air, allowing Prior to take a simple catch. Panesar has his sixth victim of the innings and England are close to chasing. Ojha is the last batsman in.
Ojha survives but it's a wicket maiden for Panesar, who now has 11 wickets in the match.
Swann thinks he has Ojha lbw but Tony Hill quickly shakes his head with the ball appearing to be missing off-stump. It's another maiden but Ojha does survive.
Strange decision from Gambhir to take a single at the start of Panesar's over, needlessly exposing Ojha. An inside edge onto the pad almost brings a chance but the ball drops wide of Cook at short leg and Ojha then survives a big lbw appeal. Good effort from the number 11, who stands tall to smash four straight down the ground. Wow, England are left completely bemused when it appears as though Ojha has edged the ball to Swann at leg slip and Aleem Dar shakes his head. Oh dear, the replay shows us that Ojha almost middles the ball to Swann! Awful, awful decision from Dar.
Swann continues and he rushes through another maiden over to Gambhir to ensure Ojha remains on strike to Panesar.
A wild heave is miscued to square leg and that allows Ojha to get off strike with a single. Gambhir then blocks before just sneaking a single, with Ojha just making his ground in time.
Former Australian spinner Shane Warne on Twitter: "Players get dropped if they have poor form, Aleem Dar has had 2 shockers in India & always has been a bad decision maker ! Poor umpire." Disappointingly, Ojha appeared to begin walking off before Dar shook his head. He should have kept going.
These two are not confident when calling for singles as Ojha scurries through to get off strike. Swann beats Gambhir with a gorgeous delivery that bounces and spins past the outside edge.
Ojha is doing his best to keep out England's spinners and he is off strike from the fourth ball of Panesar's over with a leg bye. Gambhir then takes a single to leave Ojha with one ball to survive in the over, he does.
Wicket! Gambhir (65) lbw b Swann
It's another bad decision, this time from Tony Hill. Gambhir gets an inside edge on Swann's delivery but Hill raises his finger to wrap up the innings. Why on earth do India not want to use DRS?
England need 57 runs to win the second Test
England have never won a Test match with Panesar and Swann playing in the same side. Six second innings wickets for the former and four for the latter should be enough to end that run.
Very good from England this morning to avoid a more tricky target. The ball is spinning but England should easily record victory from here.
It's a quick turnaround. Cook and Compton are ready to begin the chase and Ashwin will bowl the first over.
Things get worse for captain Dhoni when he lets Ashwin's first ball through his legs to gift four byes to England. Cook survives an lbw appeal before slicing the ball through the two slips to pick up four runs to third man. Good start for England.
Rush of blood from Compton first ball as he tries to hit Ojha out of the ground and slices the ball to short leg for a dot ball. He goes again next ball and finds the middle this time, smashing four runs past mid-off. Compton then gives the strike to his skipper with a single but it's just the five from the over.
Superb shot from Compton as he flicks Ashwin through mid-wicket for his second boundary. A reverse sweep follows and Compton has four more runs, great entertainment from England's new opener.
Cook and Compton trade singles at the beginning of Ojha's over before the captain misses two attempts at the sweep shot. Two runs are on offer for Cook with a nudge to deep mid-wicket and England now need 32 to win.
India can't stem the flow of singles as the England duo collect three more at the start of Ashwin's over. Three for Cook with a back foot cut backward of point, six runs from the over.
Cook misses the chance to cut Ojha to the boundary from a short ball but then gets off strike with a single behind square on the off-side. Runs for Compton as he skips down the track to launch the ball for a flat six straight down the ground.
Harbhajan comes into the attack to replace Ashwin but he immediately concedes three runs courtesy of a punch past mid-on from Cook. Compton moves to 23 with a single to bring his partner back on strike, who survives an lbw appeal. Not much happening for Harbhajan, England need 14 more to win
Ojha continues and England are awarded a leg bye with Cook once again failing to middle a sweep shot. Single for Compton with a flick just behind square on the leg-side. Three come from the over.
Compton really does use his feet well and he rocks back to earn a single to deep square leg. Cook takes two more runs off the total with a nudge to mid-wicket before sneaking a single with a push to point. One more run follows and England are edging closer to the finish line.
Ashwin is back once again and he's immediately met with a cut shot from Compton for four runs. Three more for victory.
England win the second Test Cheers from Compton and Cook as the ball races away past Dhoni for four byes. The series are level and what a response from England following that demoralising defeat in Ahmedabad. England win by 10 wickets.
Compton has impressed there with a superb cameo to end 30 not out. Cook deserves credit for his superb century and he has captained this side very well over the past four days.
Monty Panesar has justified his selection with 11 wickets on his return to the team and what about Kevin Pietersen? A magnificent innings of 186 set up this victory and his 'reintegration' is finally complete.
There's a break of 10 days between this match and the third Test in Kolkata. England will head into that match with renewed confidence while India will have some serious questions to answer following this defeat. What a series this is turning out to be!
Thank you very much for joining me for these four days. It's been a remarkable Test match and we hope you've enjoyed our coverage. Make sure to join Sports Mole for that crucial third Test in Kolkata.

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last updated article - 2012-11-27 01:58:38:
html db last update - 2021-03-11 18:28:45 :

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