Dravid comes unstuck as pressure ploy tells

It has been a long time since England's bowlers have exerted quite such an apprehensive attitude in two world-class batsmen. India would have felt bruised after losing two wickets in the closing stages on Friday, but would have been happy to think that players of the ability of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid would have made amends on the third day.

There is something compelling about Tendulkar's short striding walk, his shirt sleeves buttoned beguilingly to his wrists and the atmosphere of calm control which exudes from his every move. Tendulkar, the master strokemaker, was accompanied by Dravid who nowadays seems an old-fashioned batsman.

Dravid is one who provides the glue around which the Indian innings is built. He plays the role that opening batsman, Conrad Hunte, performed so admirably for that great West Indies side in the Sixties. Ken Barrington, in the middle order, did something similar for England a year or two later.

Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor, at the top of the order, did much the same for Australia as did Allan Border before that. There is a lot to be said for a batsman in the top five who is known as much as anything for his adhesive qualities. These are the guys who prevent an innings from falling apart or enable it to be rebuilt after an early collapse.

But these days they have been forgotten as people like Australia's Adam Gilchrist and, now, England's Andrew Flintoff throw their bats around at No 7. The need for glue has disappeared thanks to this modern revisionism.

But Dravid has been an integral part of many recent Indian batting successes. It was he who kept V V S Laxman company when he made 281 at Calcutta and enabled India to beat Australia after they had first followed on. Dravid may not be the match winner that Tendulkar is, but he is still a crucially important player.

The stage was set for these two to put India back on course at Lord's yesterday. Instead, they found that the new boy, Simon Jones, and Andrew Flintoff produced first spells which were as hostile as anything they could have faced. Both were distinctly uneasy, not to say, queasy.

In the first hour, Tendulkar, the best batsman in the world, allowed himself one stroke off his legs for four against Jones. Dravid then dispatched Matthew Hoggard's first ball, an amiable half-volley, to the cover boundary.

But before Tendulkar had scored, a short ball from Jones had almost bowled him off his arm. When on 10 he presented a fiendishly difficult catch to Graham Thorpe at first slip which he just failed to get his hands under. As the pressure built, one could see their mental approach changing.

This was enhanced when the second string, Hoggard and Craig White, took over and kept up the same relentless bombardment. An element of panic set in and these two began to play desperate strokes. A half-cut half-force by Tendulkar almost found gully and Dravid cut and drove a trifle recklessly.

In the end, the pressure told and both batsmen were dismissed because of it. With Tendulkar and Dravid gone, India had become an emperor with precious few clothes. Bowling like England's yesterday, frustrates even the greatest.