Live Test Match Blogging / Jaymes Monte / 22 August 2011 /

England are just seven wickets away from victory and a 4-0 series whitewash over India. Can they finish the job or will India salvage something from a dreadful summer?

WICKET Sreesanth b Swann 6
GAME, SET AND MATCH. England win by an innings and 8 runs and take the series whitewash. Well done Graeme Swann, well done Andrew Strauss, well done Andy Flower, well done England. They've been brilliant since the opening day of the first Test and deservedly take the 4-0 win. India slip to third in the Test rankings, England reaffirm their status as the best Test team in the world.

WICKET Gambhir c Pietersen b Swann 3
Graeme Swann gets his fifth, and there is nobody out there who deserves it more. Brilliant from Swann. He celebrates by mocking Andrew Flintoff, arms spread and chewing gum.

India trail by 12 runs.

15:22 India 274/8
England thought they had their man as Rod Tucker raises his finger. But Ishant is quick to review and replays confirm that there was no inside edge on the bat-pad jusgement; the decision is overturned. We are now out to [2.4] for the match to end in this session.

WICKET Singh c Prior b Broad 0
AND ANOTHER!!! RP Singh's stand lasts just 3 runs. Broad finds another outside edge and this time Prior takes the catch. England are into [1.04], it is surely a matter of when, not if now. You can get [1.6] that England sew this one up before Tea.

WICKET Dhoni c Swann b Broad 3
Dhoni edges one to Swann in the slips. No mistake from England and that wicket takes Strauss and co. into [1.22] in the Match Odds betting. India have lost four wickets for just seven runs and still trail England by 22 runs. RP Singh put up some stubborn resistance in the first innings, can he do so again here?

14:50 India 268/6
A little update on the odds after that flurry of wickets. With the new ball in hand and Gautum Gambhir apparently not 100% England are now in to [1.7] - although drifting at an alarming rate having touched [1.4] - and the draw is [2.4]. Ishant, Sreesanth and RP singh are the only men left in the hut for India. One more wicket before tea and England are all over this.

WICKET Raina lbw Swann 0
Suresh Raina has faced 44 deliveries in this match without scoring a run as Swann traps him lbw to seal the lefthander's pair. India are teetering here. Replays show that there was an inside edge and Raina was a little unlucky. Still don't want reviews on lbws Mr India?

England take the new ball straight away.

WICKET Tendulkar lbw Bresnan 91
Gone!!!!! Umpire Rod Tucker makes a HUGE call. Tendulkar is gone in the 90s. Hawkeye suggests that it was going to clip the top of leg stump. It is now very much game on. England are in to [2.0], the same price as the draw. How are your nerves Messrs Raina and Dhoni?

WICKET Mishra b Swann 84
BOOM! That is the breakthrough! Is that the turning point in this match? Swann gets reward for what has been a brilliant spell of bowling since lunch. With the new ball pending this could be the wicket that puts England back in the game. Suresh Raina comes to the crease on a pair.

14:18 India 258/3
If Sachin Tendulkar doesn't get his century today then he might never. Following on from that lbw shout Prior drops an edge that took a big deviation before another lbw appeal - this one not as good as the last one. How many lives does this man have? He's into the 'nervous nineties'.

14:05 India 241/3
Amid all the talk of Tendulkar's century Mishra is playing an absolute gem of an innings. He's already way past his previous Test match high score and could beat Sachin to his century at this rate. He is now a [2.0] shot to get to three figures.

Meanwhile Tendulkar survives a very confident and strong lbw appeal. Hawkeye suggests it would have gone on to hit leg stump. He's got away with another one.

13:45 India 218/3
An action-packed opening over of the session from Swann. A massive lbw appeal, one that beats Amit Mishra's outside edge and, in the end, a 100 partnership for the pair.

13:40 India 216/3
Literally hundreds of fans line-up with cameras to get a picture of Tendulkar coming out into the middle. He needs 28 more runs to get that 100th century. Forget about the match result, the next hour or so is all about the Little Master - he's [1.5] to get his ton.

LUNCH India 216-3
That's lunch and despite a couple of nervy moments in the last few overs India, and Tendulkar, make it through the session. That's the first session of the series in which India have not lost a wicket. Mishra also made his FIFTY in that final over and has looked just as comfortable and classy as his partner at the other end. England are out to [4.4] and the draw is [1.28].

12:48 India 202/3
Cook has dropped Tendulkar on 70. It was a tricky one to be fair as it comes to him quickly off the inside edge then pad and he just can't adjust his hands quickly enough. Next ball beats the bat and Prior - perhaps in light of yesterday's non-appeal that would have got Sachin - makes the appeal, but this time the Little Master has kept his foot grounded.

12:40 India 198/3
Swann's back on and Tim Bresnan gets his first workout of the day - starting with a tight maiden. He's been good at building pressure throughout this series. Can England nick one before lunch?

Tendulkar is now on 69 and can be backed at [1.55] to get his century.

12:28 India 187/3
India are closing in on England's total and now trail by 104 runs. As a result punters are losing faith in the hosts who are out to [3.0] for the win.

In the innings runs market '350 runs or more' is being backed at [1.8], and, depending how slowly they get them, that would set up a thrilling finale. It looks as though England will need to bat again if they are going to win this Test match.

12:19 India 176/3
Still nothing much doing for England. Ravi Bopara is brought on to give Swann a bit of a rest; perhaps Pietersen would have been a better option. Maybe this is all part of the master plan: let Tendulkar get his century then, while they celebrate, get in amongst them. The new ball isn't due for another 25 overs or so, Strauss will want a few more wickets in the bag before then.

DRINKS India 173/3
The first hour of play has belonged to India. Tendulkar looks focussed on that century and Mishra looks to have gained confidence from his first innings stand. Do England need to keep probing as they are? Or try something different? Let us know your thoughts on betfairliveblogger@hotmail.co.uk

11:49 India 166/3
England are probing away but without a great deal of success. A couple of lbw shouts but nothing too worrying for Tendulkar or Mishra, these are valuable runs for India. England continue to drift and are out to [2.1] in the Match Odds. It's the sort of wicket that could bring a couple or few quick wickets, but they could do with that breakthrough soon.

11:34 India 151/3
David Lloyd, Ian Botham, Shane Warne and co. are going apoplectic as around 5 minutes are taken out of the game when Amit Mishra calls for the physio..... after being hit on the pads. England have drifted out to [1.9] in the Match Odds, and are well worth backing at that price.

FIFTY
Tendulkar gets his fifty. A little raise of the bat, but very little emotion shown. He want's the big one - which can now be backed at [2.0].

11:16 India 147/3
A confident start from India, and particularly Sachin Tendulkar as he moves on to 46 - the price on him getting his century has shortened to [2.4]. Jimmy Anderson is having a bit of a hissy fit about the footholes at the end of his run up but Graeme Swann is getting some turn. India trail by 144.

11:00 India 129/3
The players walk out to a sold out Oval. The atmosphere is electric as Jerusalem belts out from the tannoy system. I'll nail my colours to the mast here and say that England look an outstanding bet at odds of [1.5]. Do you agree?

10:30
Good morning and welcome back to The Oval. Two questions to be answered today. Can England take the seven wickets? And can Sachin Tendulkar get his 100th first-class century?

The weather is set fine for most of the day: with a chance of some rain later in the afternoon. England are priced at [1.46] for the win and the Little Master is [3.0] to make his century.

I'll be here to talk you through the day's play. Do stay in touch by dropping us an e-mail on betfairliveblogger@hotmail.co.uk or via the comments section at the bottom.

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