After rain, a run riot; England ends at 457/3

London: Virender Sehwag was on and off the field at The Oval on Friday. The word was that he was suffering from a headache. The India opener had the option of going back to the dressing room. MS Dhoni may have wished he, too, had a similar privilege.

After the incessant pounding India received from the England batsmen, no one would have felt more helpless than the skipper. Poor Mahi, he was a mute spectator to the carnage unleashed by the home team.

After every break, Dhoni tried to lift the morale of the side by giving a brief speech to the players, but there was no tangible impact. He would be wondering what could he do with a bunch of players who, as Nasser Hussain said, can't bat, can't bowl, can't field and can't catch.

With sloppy bowling and shoddy fielding helping their cause, England flourished to an impregnable position in the fourth Test. At stumps on Day Two, they were 457 for three, scoring at a rapid pace of close to four an over after Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell put on the highest partnership for England against India.

So poor was India's bowling that it made a batsman of modest abilities like Bell look like a Don Bradman. Short and sturdy, Bell had all the time to play his shots. He played his shots mostly on the off-side and some of his cover drives bore the class of a champion batsman.

Batting at No 3, Bell scored his second century of the series, sending across a message to his team management that the position would belong to him even Jonathan Trott were to return from injury. At close, he was unbeaten on 181 after having put 350 for the third wicket with Pietersen, which incidentally is the fourth highest stand by any team against India.

Pietersen was his usual bossy self. He batted with the aggression of a heavyweight boxer, going after the bowlers at every possible opportunity. With the balls coming mostly at gentle medium-pace, he would casually stroll out of the crease and dispatch the ball to the fence with contemptuous nonchalance.

One of his standout shots of the day was a switch-hit off Amit Mishra. It left the bowler numb and spectators spellbound. The bowlers were at his mercy.

There were a couple of chances on either side of his 19th century but the Indians did not show enough alacrity to accept those offerings. A lethargic RP Singh did not react in time to go for a skier.

And immediately after KP reached his century, Gautam Gambhir gave him a reprieve at mid-on, failing to take a fairly comfortable catch. He had his first reprieve at the stroke of lunch when Suresh Raina made an athletic effort but managed to pick it on first bounce.

A team cannot escape giving three chances to a player of Pietersen's calibre. India paid dearly as Pietersen went on to score 175 before Suresh Raina pounced on a low return shot from the batsman.

Earlier, India came charged up, Ishant Sharma and S Sreesanth bowling lively spells from the two ends. They got rid of openers Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss before England reached 100. The double breakthrough raised the hopes for India but Pietersen and Bell had other ideas. Singh and Mishra failed to compliment the efforts of Ishant and Sreesanth.

Singh continued to raise doubts over his fitness and worthiness to play the Test ahead of Munaf Patel. His fielding was hopeless and bowling ordinary. He's lucky to be playing the Test.