London, August 9:

James Anderson led England’s fightback on the opening day of the third and final Test against India at The Oval on Thursday with two important wickets.

At tea series-leaders India were 211-3 with Anderson having taken 2-55. Sachin Tendulkar was two not out and Sourav Ganguly eight not out after opener Dinesh Karthik had made 91.

India resumed after lunch on 117-1 with opener Karthik 50 not out and Rahul Dravid, who’d opted to bat, unbeaten on 25.

Dravid went on to complete an 82-ball fifty. But a stand of 127 was ended when Dravid (55) was bowled by Anderson.

No India batsman has so far made a hundred this series. It seemed as if Karthik was about to end that sequence. But nine runs short of a century he played an airy shot outside off-stump against Ryan Sidebottom and edged to wicket-keeper Matt Prior. India had now seen 189-2 become 199-3.

Wasim Jaffer (35) was the only man out in the morning, caught by Kevin Pietersen off Anderson. The first wicket duo’s fifty partnership came up in 81 balls.

Both sides were unchanged from the teams that played the second Test where India won by seven wickets. England need to win this match to maintain their six-year unbeaten run in home Test series.