They added just 47 runs in the second session, and just after Sehwag ran himself out while going for a suicidal single, underestimating Ian Bell’s penchant for diving at the stumps from close-in, the Indian innings came to a virtual halt.

First-innings centurion Rahul Dravid played, missed and was cleaned up for a prolonged, 19-ball duck. Sachin Tendulkar, who started the year raising his bat to the Sydney grandstand, left with his head bowed after a 40-minute struggle against Broad and James Anderson. And VVS Laxman remained tentative in his footwork for a 15 before losing the race against Andrew Flintoff’s arm. The English seamers earned appreciable reverse swing, finding the right length perhaps a trifle too late in the two-Test series.

Tail cut off

But, earlier in the day, Zaheer Khan didn’t have to use his expertise with the old ball to dismantle England’s lower order after Harbhajan Singh bagged three wickets in a curtailed one-hour opening session to terminate the visitors’ first innings with only 20 runs added to their overnight score.

It seemed a perfect platform for India with England all out for 302. The hosts had two overs before lunch and the remaining four hours to go for the kill, to set up a typical fifth-day sub-continental finish. But it wasn’t to be, and watching Dhoni & Co having a six-hitting competition after stumps was almost ironic.