Cricket latest: Bresnan helps England take control against India at Edgbaston

While India were finally able to call upon the services of dangerous opener Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni’s side were unable to improve upon their disappointing performance with the bat so far this series. After returning from injury, Sehwag himself was out for a golden duck, caught behind off the gloves following a snorting delivery by the in-form Stuart Broad. Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid then appeared to steady the ship with a second-wicket stand of 51, before Yorkshire’s Tim Bresnan claimed the wicket of opener Gambhir with a full delivery which drew an inside edge onto the stumps.

Sachin Tendulkar’s poor form in the series continued as a Broad away-swinger induced an outside edge which Jimmy Anderson pouched in the slips, the Little Master having added a solitary run to his world-record total.

However, it was not until Bresnan returned to take the prized wicket of Dravid, who already has two centuries to his name in this series, that India looked truly exposed.

VVS Laxman looked in decent touch when playing for his 30, until he was once again caught out when attempting to pull, Bresnan taking the wicket.

Suresh Raina, meanwhile, looked helpless throughout his drawn-out innings of four as he was peppered with short balls by Anderson, before finally playing all around a trademark inswinger.

Following Amit Mishra’s dismissal to Anderson, Praveen Kumar and Dhoni rallied somewhat with a dynamic stand of 84. While The Indian captain finally looked to be back to his best, snatching the initiative with a slew of boundaries and two huge sixes, the doughty number nine joined in, hitting Graeme Swann for successive fours and an impressive six before being adjudged caught behind following a review.

Kumar was late on the hook and Prior took a regulation catch to give Bresnan his fourth wicket of the day.

At tea, Dhoni is unbeaten on 61 alongside Ishant Sharma (4), and he may feel that he did well to avert a full-scale collapse following the earlier failures of his senior batsmen.