England v India: The Fourth Test, Day 3

Apologies for the massive delay. I've had a fairly hectic week, most (actually, all) of which has been cricket related. You know what happened, but here's day 3 from the third Test, in which Ian Bell could forget when he got out to Geoffrey Boycott's favourite player for 199...

Bell kickstarts the day with a boundary off Sreesanth. 

Bell will want to go on and make his maiden Test double hundred something which he, having played so beautifully yesterday, deserves. 

The nightwatchman of James Anderson departs for 13.

He nicks Sreesanth to Quaxman at second slip...

And Sreesanth stares him off.

Apparently Sreesanth called Anderson a fisherman. Answers on a postcard and sent to the Spiritual Seagull in the Sky, please.

Eoin Morgan is the next man in, but Sreesanth has his tail up.

Morgan has a poke outside off at a wider delivery and can only nick it into the gloves of Dhoni. England are 487-5.

Bell (and everyone else) is soon able to put his Lord's 2008 memories behind him.  He gets a four off Sreesanth...

And his double hundred comes up. 

He salutes The Oval crowd as England's first innings total continues to grow.

Bell finally departs for 235. He misses a straight one off Raina...

And Simon Tailfeather has no choice but to raise his wing. 

Bell trudges off for 235 and England are 548-6, scoring over 500 in an innings for the third time in the series. India still have not reached 300.  

Prior joins Bopara and England reach lunch at 591-6. Bopara is 44 not out and Prior is on 18.

The rain comes down during the lunch break though and washes out the entire afternoon session.

Swanny takes advantage of the situation and grabs the remote to watch a bit of Sunderland v Newcastle. His Mackem abuse soon gets tedious for the rest of the team, so they all have a nap.

And England decide to declare. They warm up on the outfield before the start of the Indian innings. The only time the Indian team are seen is when they come down the steps to take their place at the crease. Poor show.

Sehwag, having bagged a king pair at Edgbaston, survives the first ball and gets off the mark with a four.

But Sehwag cannot last the first over. Jimmy raps his pads...

England roar for the wicket...

And Sehwag is gone for 8. They are 8-1 and it's not the ideal start with such a mammoth total to face.

Quaxman, who has unfortunately not had the best of series, soon departs for only a couple.

He nicks it outside off and is caught behind by Prior. India are 13-2.

If ever there were a man for this kind of situation, Rahul Dravid is it. 

He tucks Bres round the corner for a four as he looks to keep the Indian innings together, once again.

Swann, required to bowl and presumably pleased to finally have a friendly pitch,  gets the massive wicket of Tenduckar. He was looking troubled at the crease and ends up getting a glove on a sweep...

And it pops up to Anderson at slip. Tenduckar is gone. India are 68-3 with three of the big four back in the pavilion. The next man in is Raina. 

And Tenduckar's wicket means that his search/the media's desire for his 100th 100 goes on and on and on. 

Dravid is still going.

He gets a (blurry) quick single off Broad...

And brings up his 50. 

Raina, yet to get off the mark after 28 balls, gets a 29 ball duck.

Raina overbalances and Prior takes the bails off.

England appeal and Rod Ducker goes up to Seaduck Davis in the third umpire's chair.

And Raina is put out of his misery as replays show that Raina was just out of his crease. India are 93-4.

Sharma comes in as nightwatchman, but doesn't do the best of jobs. 

He pops a catch to Cook at short leg, who actually takes it, and India are 95-5 and in deep, deep trouble.

Dhoni comes in and survives the day, along with Dravid. India close day 3 on 103-5 with a lot of hard work to do, otherwise this Test could be over by tea time tomorrow.