Close India 291 and 198 for 3 (Dasgupta 60, Das 58, Dawson 2-72) drew with England 407 and 257
scorecard

In the end neither side came close to forcing a result and India, who are now assured at least a share of the series, take their 1-0 lead to Bangalore on Wednesday. A pitch that was as docile as a sedated sloth - and even slower - proved too much for England's bowlers, although Richard Dawson made up for a disappointing first-innings performance by finding regular turn and bounce - and dismissing Sachin Tendulkar. India, who made 181 runs in the day, made absolutely no effort to go for the runs; England drew their first Test in 13.

At the start of the day England needed ten wickets, India 357 more runs. It soon became clear that neither was likely, as Deep Dasgupta and Shiv Sunder Das, cautious at the best of times, defended grimly in the morning session. Nasser Hussain juggled his bowlers gamely, but all life had disappeared from the pitch. The result was stalemate, a no-contest within a contest.

The morning session brought 75 runs in 31 overs, but that was made to look positively reckless by events in the afternoon, when India inched their way to 48 runs in 36 overs. The draw that had looked likely at the start of play was now a stone-cold certainty.

England finally ended an opening partnership of 119 in the 54th over of the innings when Das was run out for 58 by Ashley Giles's exocet throw from long leg as he tried to turn a single into two.

Six overs later, Dawson, who had settled into a testing groove and was turning the ball sharply into the right-hander, had Dasgupta caught at the second attempt by Mark Butcher at silly point for a 225-minute 60 (124 for 2). There were still 12 overs to go until tea, and England had a glimmer of a chance, but Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who knows a thing or two about the art of stonewalling, were in no mood to ruin their averages.

The session just after tea brought the first run-spurt of the innings. Tendulkar gratefully accepted four overthrows from Dawson and Dravid crashed Giles through the covers off the back foot in the same over. Tendulkar hit Dawson for consecutive boundaries - a stinging cut followed by a mouthwatering cover-drive - and suddenly 17 runs had come in two overs, which was utter mayhem in the context of a day when the run-rate hovered apologetically below two an over.

Ashley Giles had already left the field after bowling 31 overs for 57, and Dawson enjoyed the challenge of being England's No. 1 spinner in his absence. The odd ball was spitting into the right-hander, and it was with one of these that he got rid of Tendulkar, who lobbed to Michael Vaughan at the squarer of two short legs for 26 (168 for 3) - and walked almost immediately. It was the last action of any note.

So what have both sides learned? India will know not to underestimate England at Bangalore; and England have overcome a huge mental obstacle simply by giving India a scare. Hussain's tactics yesterday may have been overcautious, but at least England had ended a run of four defeats in India. At Bangalore they have to go one better.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com

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