MOHALI: Gautam Gambhir hit a second successive half-century and Rahul Dravid finally returned to form Friday as India consolidated in the second Test against England.The pair put on 128 for the unbroken second wicket as India recovered from the early loss of Virender Sehwag to take their lunch score of 51-1 to 134 without further loss by tea on the opening day.
Left-handed Gambhir, who made 66 in the second innings of the first Test in Chennai which India won by six wickets, was unbeaten at the break on 78 with 10 boundaries.
Dravid overcame his recent poor run to make 50 not out, his first half-century in nine innings.
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India began slowly after electing to bat in overcast conditions, groping for the first 10 overs of the match to make 15 runs for the loss of the dangerous Sehwag.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad, returning to the England side in place of Steve Harmison after missing the first Test with a hamstring injury, struck with his sixth delivery.
Sehwag, man of the match in Chennai for his explosive 83 off 68 balls, failed to score as he edged Broad’s well-directed outswinger to wicket-keeper Matt Prior.
Dravid walked in at his usual number three position despite making just 342 runs in his last 10 Tests at an average of 19.
His lone four in the morning session, a pull off James Anderson off the 46th ball he faced, was his first boundary in five innings.
It was left to Gambhir to keep the scoreboard moving with six fours before lunch, including two in Monty Panesar’s first over.
India ended the morning session on 51-1 from 21 overs, 35 of those runs coming from Gambhir’s bat.
Dravid opened out after the break, driving Panesar through the covers for his second boundary, before two fluent on-drives off Andrew Flintoff and Broad showed he was finally middling the ball.
Another off-drive off Panesar brought up India’s 100 in which Dravid’s contribution was 39.
Gambhir stroked freely at the other end, but was lucky to escape twice after reaching 70, off-spinner Graeme Swann being the unlucky bowler both times.
Paul Collingwood failed to grasp a sharp chance in the slips as Gambhir edged Swann, before umpire Daryl Harper turned down the bowler’s loud shout for leg-before.
Television replays showed ball heading towards the middle stump.
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