London - AFP
England captured the prize wicket of Rahul Dravid to make India's task of achieving a record-breaking run chase in the second Test at Trent Bridge all the more difficult here on Monday. India were eight for one at lunch on the fourth day, needing a further 470 runs to reach their victory target of 478 after bowling England out for 544 featuring 90 from number eight Tim Bresnan. No side has scored more runs to win in the fourth innings of a Test than the 418 for seven made by the West Indies against Australia at St John's, Antigua, in 2002/03. Their chase was almost made even harder when, to the first ball of their reply left-hander Mukund edged James Anderson outside off-stump only for second slip Bresnan, moving in front of England captain Andrew Strauss at first slip, to drop the chance. But England saw the back of star batsman Dravid, who made 117 in India's first innings, for just six when he edged a lifting delivery from Stuart Broad to wicketkeeper Matt Prior. Mukund was two not out at lunch with Venkatsai Laxman yet to score. England resumed Monday on 441 for six with Ian Bell having made 159 after being sportingly reprieved by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni following his run out for 137 on Sunday when incorrectly assuming the ball had gone dead. Prior, again frustrating India, was 64 not out with Bresnan, recalled in place of injured fast bowler Chris Tremlett, 47 not out. Monday's first over saw Bresnan complete his second Test fifty before driving fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth for four. Prior's entertaining innings of 73, and a seventh-wicket stand of 119 at nearly a run-a-ball, ended when he was caught behind by opposing wicketkeeper Dhoni off Praveen Kumar, who led the attack with four for 124. The England gloveman faced just 60 balls with a six and 10 fours. But Broad, who'd top-scored with 64 in England's first innings 221 and had then taken a hat-trick on his way to Test-best figures of six for 46 in India's 288, ensured the runs kept coming on his Nottinghamshire home ground. He struck two sixes in successive balls off part-time spinner Suresh Raina -- bowling Monday as off-spinner Harbhajan Singh continued to struggle with a stomach muscle injury. Broad made 44 before he was run out by substitute Wriddihiman Saha. And next ball Bresnan, for the second time, fell within sight of a maiden Test hundred when he fended at a lifting delivery from Kumar and saw the ball loop to Dravid in the gully. Bresnan, whose Test-best score remains the 91 he made against Bangladesh in Dhaka last year, faced 118 balls with 17 fours.