India began steadily but with little urgency against tight bowling from Andrew Caddick and Matthew Hoggard with a near-new ball on the fourth morning of the final npower Test at The AMP Oval. 37 runs were added in the first hour as Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman dealt a further blow to England's already dented victory hopes.

When Dravid reached 139 he became the first batsman to reach 1,000 for the 2002 calendar year in his 17th innings. A firm cover drive for three by Laxman brought up the 50 partnership (172 balls), and when Cork replaced Hoggard he was immediately dispatched to the rope at long leg by Dravid. A single into the same zone raised his first 150 against England (360 balls, 19 fours).

Ashley Giles replaced Caddick for the fifteenth over of the morning, as Nasser Hussain shuffled his pack in search of the all-important but elusive first breakthrough of the day.

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