Slowly does it as Bell and Trott nudge England to historic win

There have been occasions in the past 28 years when it seemed this might never happen again. And if there was a time it looked certain for most of the 12 months leading to this tour that this was not it.

When England lost the opening Test by nine wickets, guilty of all their old failings and introducing some new ones to the charge sheet, their goose looked cooked and there were still 25 shopping days to Christmas.

The manner in which they proceeded to turn it round was as significant and laudable as the result itself. England went on to beat India at their own game.

Seizing the day on a bouncing, turning pitch in Mumbai, they engineered one of the greatest of all English Test victories on foreign soil. Their two spinners, Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, did everything that was expected of them and more.

Cook, who had launched the revival with a defiant second innings hundred in the opening Test, scored another of equal fortitude and this was probably the moment when the errant Kevin Pietersen was truly reintegrated to the side. India were crushed and England believed again.

In Kolkata they were irresistible, grinding their way to victory and having all the inspirational moments on which success in sport so often depends. Cook provided another tour de force and Jimmy Anderson ­buttressed his reputation as the cleverest fast bowler around. And so to

Nagpur for a kind of decider where a pitch of such dastardly traits was promised that batsmen must have woken up in cold sweats contemplating it. India needed to win the match to sustain an unbeaten run in home Test series which had lasted since 2004. England needed to avoid defeat to win their first series in the country since David Gower’s team prevailed early in 1985.

In the event the surface was too placid, creating a contest in which runs were difficult to score and wickets were all but impossible to take unless a batsman became bored or distracted.

England arrived at the fifth morning today on 161 for three, making their lead 165 with India having declared behind. The finishing tape was so close they could touch it. The strategy was simply one of survival because the circumstances did not permit a push for spectacular victory which had capped off their great triumph in Australia nearly two years ago.

Trott and Bell, colleagues at Warwickshire, went about their business in a businesslike way. The pitch, hard and dry, had refused to wear. There was no bounce, no turn, no pace. It gave the impression that the match would retain those traits for as long as England had failed to win in India.

But that period was rapidly drawing to a close. England actually enjoyed themselves after the initial playing in was done in the morning. Trott played a few leg side drives which are his hallmark, one of which took him to his century. Bell, in need of a score, was as relaxed as he has been for several innings.

Given his recent track record, there was always the scope for an inexplicable lapse of judgement but a beautiful cover drive in the third over with the second new ball ensured he was up and running.

By lunch England had put the match beyond India’s reach at 240 for three and the rest was for wallowing in the making of history.

PICTURE PROTEST

We apologise to all cricket fans as we are unable to print live pictures from today’s play. This paper, along with other British media groups, is not publishing any live pictures from the Fourth Test in protest at the Indian cricket board’s refusal to grant access to certain major picture agencies which we view as a restriction on the freedom of the press.