Supporters arrived at Lord's on day three in the hope of seeing Sachin Tendulkar score his 100th Test century - instead they got a typically resilient ton from Rahul Dravid and a relentless performance from England's bowling attack. Unquestionably, England finished the day in the driving seat after dismissing India for 286 and then extending their lead to 193 runs by the close.
But for Dravid's masterclass in concentration and shot selection, India would find themselves in an even bigger hole. In Tendulkar's shadow throughout his career, this was truly his day. The Wall's 33th Test hundred - his first at Lord's - brought a huge ovation from the crowd and he finished unbeaten on 103 from 220 balls. Tendulkar, meanwhile, began brightly before edging the excellent Stuart Broad to Graeme Swann in the slips for 34. The wait for his century of centuries goes on.
For Broad, day three was the perfect response to the raised eyebrows over his selection for this game. Finally returning to a fuller length, he finished with 4-37 from 22 overs. Chris Tremlett chipped in with three important scalps as India sweated in their pursuit of 275 to avoid the follow-on. Even a few dropped catches could not dampen England's spirits.
But Dravid would not throw in the towel, pulling his team past the follow-on target before stroking Broad into the offside to complete his ton. Just as Kevin Pietersen had celebrated jubilantly the previous day, the Indian number three soaked up the moment. After all, this will be his final Test at Lord's.
Despite Dravid's heroics, England remain in the box seat. Ahead by almost 200 and with ten wickets in hand, an aggressive approach with the bat on day four should leave ample time for the seamers and key man Swann to chase the victory. With Zaheer Khan not expected to bowl, the Indians face an uphill battle to save this Test.
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