Defiant India salvage Test draw

INDIA’S determined batting line-up prevented England claiming a fourth successive Test win and spared them the embarrassment of narrowly missing out on victory because of their reluctance to play on two nights earlier.

Heavily criticised for accepting an offer for bad light late on Saturday evening in anything but murky conditions and losing nine overs as a result, for long periods on the final day at Trent Bridge it appeared that decision would come back to haunt them.

The tourists had made good progress after resuming 161 runs adrift on 99 for two with Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly narrowly missing out on centuries while Rahul Dravid reached three figures to put them on course to salvage a second Test draw.

The loss of Dravid with a possible 47 overs remaining, prompted a mini-collapse of five wickets for 87 runs in 24 overs, which almost set up a run chase for England when those lost nine overs would have been absolutely crucial.

Just as another England victory chase similar to Old Trafford appeared to be a possibility when they successfully scored 50 runs in six overs to complete a 10-wickets win over Sri Lanka seven weeks ago India found a defiant tail and reached 424 for eight when stumps were called.

Meanwhile, conditions have decreed that Ireland's leading players have been deprived of much competitive cricket during this so-called summer. So, with the Cheltenham & Gloucester (C &G) first round away match against Berkshire looming large later this month, the three-day game which starts this morning at The Mardyke in Cork will be some sort of practice, even if the confrontation itself is hardly vital.

Coach Adi Birrell and his fellow selectors have been obliged to make three changes as the injured Jason Molins and Derek Heasley dropped out, while Peter Davy cried off because of business commitments. This has meant a recall for Conor Armstrong and John Mooney, both of North County, a first cap for the Ballymena batsman David Kennedy, who performed well in the inter-regional challenge series, while Kyle McCallan takes over as captain in the absence of Molins.

Peter Such of Essex and England is included in today's MCC side, which is captained by David Ward (Surrey). Alastair Fraser (Middlesex and Essex), Tom Harrison (Derbyshire) and Neil Hartley, the former Yorkshire captain, are the other first class players in the team which also includes Danny Waugh, a brother of Steve and Mark Waugh, both of whom played for Ireland in recent years.

Play begins this morning at 11.00 and the game will finish on Thursday.

IRELAND: K McCallan (Cliftonville, capt), C Armstrong (North County), P Gillespie (Strabane), D Joyce (Merrion), D Kennedy (Ballymena), J McGonigle (Donemana), J Mooney (North County), P Mooney (North County), G Neely (Glendermott), N O'Brien (Railway Union), A White (North Down). MCC: D Ward (capt), L Bouter), M Cowell, A Fraser, N Hartley, T Harrison, M Harrison, R Lynch, G Prince, P Such, D Waugh.