India in driver's seat at Mohali There are syndromes and syndromes. The latest one to hit the Indian team is the 80s syndrome. On a perfectly good batting strip at Mohali, against some English bowling that was less than impressive, two big boys of Indian cricket - Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar - both fell in the eighties. Dravid, who was his usual dour self made 86 (301 mins, 206 balls, 10 fours). The little man from Mumbai got off to a flying start, striking boundaries with ease, before he went into his shell, pottered around for a while and then on 88 (229 mins, 144 balls, 13 fours) nicked one from Matthew Hoggard through to the 'keeper. Despite the many dropped chances, no one could add to yesterday's century by Deep Dasgupta (100). VVS Laxman was restrained in the course of his 28. India then managed 469. A healthy if not mammoth lead of 231 puts immense pressure on the visitors going into the fourth day. Having resisted a lively opening spell England were 34 for no loss.

India finds a 'keeper batsman! If there was still any residual doubt about his belonging at the highest level, Deep Dasgupta erased it at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium at Mohali. With patience that would have put a Trappist monk to shame, Dasgupta ducked, weaved and left the ball more times than the English bowlers could tolerate, on the way to exactly 100. The sixth Indian stumper to achieve the feat, Dasgupta has done a lot towards cementing his place in the Indian team. With his batting on the rise, surely he can only improve behind the stumps too. "It still hasn't sunk in, the fact that I've got a Test hundred," said an excited Dasgupta to pressmen soon after the end of the day's play. "I didn't really think much about opening the innings. I had a job to do, went in there, and batted as well as I could. It turned out that I got a hundred," he continued. Although reaching the three-figure mark is a dream for every batsman who plays Test cricket, Dasgupta let on that he valued his match-saving contribution in South Africa more. "This is a very important innings for me, but I feel that the innings in South Africa gave me more satisfaction. It was a completely different ball game, with us needing to save that game," said Dasgupta, showing he was a team man to the core - just what the doctor ordered!

Ganguly gags his men Sourav Ganguly was welcomed to the helm of affairs in Indian cricket by the whole of the press corps for one reason if nothing else. After Mohammed Azharuddin, who mumbled his way through all press conferences, and Sachin Tendulkar, who squeaked sweet nothings, it was a pleasure to have a straight talking captain. Providing reams of good copy, Ganguly kept the pressmen happy. However, it seems like the pressmen have not kept the captain in similar spirits. Only recently, he was quoted as having said he was unhappy with the team the selectors handed him for the first Test against England. After firmly denying that in the first press conference, Ganguly went one step further and issued a blanket gag order for all his players. "Thou shalt not talk to pressmen!" is the current situation. All on account of one mischievous report!

Deep Dasgupta is not too impressed with the batting display that saw him notch his maiden Test hundred at Mohali. Click Here Were the Indian selectors right in capping three new medium-pacers? Be the third umpire and judge the five wise men. Click Here Not yet a member of the CricInfo elite? Join Stumped, CricInfo's brand-new online cricket club, and catch your share of the excitement. Click Here