White spirit leaves England's mark

India have made a solid start in reply to England's unlikely first innings total of 407 on the second day of the second Test in Ahmedabad. After 20 overs they were 45 without loss.

India really should be at least a wicket down however, as the fielding faults which ruined England's chances in Mohali returned early here. Mark Ramprakash clumsily spilled a dolly of a catch at square leg off the bowling of the unfortunate Richard Dawson.

Earlier, a marvellous maiden Test century from Craig White rescued an England innings which had faltered to 180-5 at one stage yesterday to give his team a real chance of levelling the series.

The Yorkshire all-rounder, who reached his half-century with a towering six over long-on off Harbhajan Singh in the sixth over of the morning, clenched his fist as he tickled Anil Kumble around the corner for his 100th run in a total of 374 for eight.

White, 32 next Sunday, made the most of the celebrations after withstanding pressure in the nervous 90s from Kumble, not to mention a crowd baying for the bowler's second dismissal of an England batsman on 99 in this Test. Marcus Trescothick was yesterday's nearly man.

That White managed to reach the landmark was down to a combination of adventure and fortune, and it was England's first century from a lower order batsman since Jack Russell's ton, also against India, in 1996. White found support at the crease in the form of young wicketkeeper James Foster, and the pairing put on 105, England's best ever seventh-wicket stand in India.

Essex's Foster, in only his second Test, finally fell for 40 to a fantastic catch by Sachin Tendulkar, diving full length to his left at midwicket off the bowling of Kumble.

White and Foster, resuming on 277 for six, found their positive approach rewarded with some luck - in a direct contrast to yesterday when some poor umpiring from Zimbabwean Ian Robinson pre-empted a five-wicket folding.

With hopes of a challenging first-innings total resting heavily on their partnership - Foster began today on 15 not out - the duo played some exquisite strokes to push the tourists quickly past 300.

Foster added some quality to his determination this morning with a classical clip off his pads to the midwicket boundary from a Kumble delivery, and a neat leg glance for four off Javagal Srinath which took Nasser Hussain's men past 300.

Prepared to play cross-bat shots when the seamers dropped short and driving with precision, White nudged passed his Test-best score of 93 - made against Pakistan last winter - shortly after Ashley Giles departed.

But England's No7 made the most of his luck as the match started to turn in England's favour. First White was provided with a let-off on 44 when Deep Dasgupta fumbled a stumping opportunity off Harbhajan. And Srinath was unlucky not to remove him with one of three clear chances.

First, the ball rolled back into his stumps from a defensive jab only for the bails to stay intact. Then, in the 15th over of the morning White twice gave relatively simple chances but was reprieved. Dasgupta spilled a regulation edge with White on 63. And, frustratingly for the home side, Kumble later failed to hold on to a hook at deep-square leg.

White was fortified with strong support from the rest of the tail. Giles, who dug in for just short of half-an-hour, misread a googly which bowled him through the gate to provide Kumble with a seventh victim, his 15th of the series. Richard Dawson was a dogged replacement who remained resolute for his nine off 61 balls, allowing White to concentrate on getting his hundred. And Matthew Hoggard's brief display of stoicism allowed England to ease safely past 400.

White went to 121 with an enormous six off Harbhajan Singh but was bowled by the same bowler immediately afterwards playing an expansive drive.