Andrew Flintoff talks about his success with the ball 28k

Bad light ended play early again at Bangalore, with India on 99 for three in reply to England's 336 after an intriguing second day's play in the final Test. Sachin Tendulkar was in prime form yet again, unbeaten on 50 at the close. Earlier James Foster had rallied the tourists' lower order with 48 before Anil Kumble finished the England innings with his 300th Test wicket. With three days to go, the game could hardly be more evenly poised.

India took the new ball at the start of play this morning, shared again by Srinath and his captain Sourav Ganguly. Foster was initially the more productive of the overnight batsmen, driving Srinath through cover and mid-off for two and three respectively as he went for seven runs in his second over of the day. The fifty partnership was handsomely posted as White took four through extra cover when Ganguly dropped short. But Srinath got his man when White was well caught by the diving Shiv Sunder Das at short leg as he fended off a short one.

When Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh were introduced in consecutive overs, Foster took four off Harbhajan with a sublime off drive. Ashley Giles was fortunate to survive an appeal for a catch at short leg off Kumble when an inside edge found its way to Das straight off his boot. Foster reached his highest Test score with another scorching drive to the long-off boundary. The morning session was emphatically England's: 325 for seven at lunch.

Srinath pulled Foster up just two short of his first Test 50 with an excellent delivery that held its own and found a thin outside edge on its way through to Deep Dasgupta. Giles was out the very next ball, sweeping at Sarandeep and adjudged lbw as the ball looked to be on or around off stump. Poor Sarandeep was then withdrawn from the attack after bowling a wicket maiden, to give Kumble the chance to take his 300th Test wicket. He duly obliged with his third ball, trapping Matthew Hoggard lbw to become the second Indian bowler after the legendary Kapil Dev to reach the landmark.

India's reply got off to a brisk start as Hoggard strayed to leg, allowing Das four behind square and two to midwicket off the first two balls of the innings. Andrew Flintoff began with a maiden, and found extra pace and lift to make the first breakthrough in the fourth over of India's innings as Dasgupta edged, firm-footed, to Marcus Trescothick at first slip. VVS Laxman announced himself with four through midwicket, but the Lancastrian's extra pace was too much for him as a scorching inswinger penetrated his defences to hit the top of his middle stump.

Sachin Tendulkar entered to his customary rapturous reception, and was soon timing both Flintoff and Hoggard sweetly off his legs. Tendulkar's mastery shone again as he steered a marginally short Flintoff delivery through point for four more, and when Yorkshire replaced Lancashire, White's first ball was glanced to fine leg with the same result. Three through extra cover off White brought up India's 50 (133 balls, 96 minutes) and four more followed, again through midwicket, as Tendulkar gave Giles the charge.

As Giles twice overpitched, Das swept him away behind square and then dispatched him through cover. The response from Giles was to pitch regularly outside leg stump, giving Tendulkar little opportunity to play him, and an exchange of words between Tendulkar and Nasser Hussain resulted. Flintoff achieved his best figures in Test cricket with the third ball after the drinks break, when Das played crookedly outside the off stump, dragging the ball back on to his wicket. Das had made 28 and Flintoff had taken all three Indian wickets.

Tendulkar went through to his 50 in style, advancing down the wicket to drive Giles through the covers. Immediately he was beaten by a turning ball that defeated everyone and went for four byes. Flintoff and Giles continued as the umpires regularly consulted their light meters, and their first offer to the batsmen took the players off, as it turned out for the rest of the day.

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