December 12, 2001	Wednesday	Ramazan 26, 1422

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AHMEDABAD (India), Dec 11: Anil Kumble returned to torment England with another five-wicket haul on an opening day of fluctuating fortunes at the second Test Tuesday.

The tall leg-spinner, who set up India’s victory in the first Test, grabbed his second successive five-wicket haul — and the 18th of his Test career — including the wicket of Marcus Trescothick for 99 as England slumped from 124 without loss to 180 for five.

But the touring side, seemingly set to repeat their collapse of the first Test, showed steel to recover to 277 for six at stumps and keep the three-Test series alive.

All-rounder Craig White held the innings together as he ended on 42 not out, with wicket-keeper James Foster (15) at the other end.

Trescothick and fellow left-hander Mark Butcher (51) had dominated India’s pace and spin bowlers in a 124-run opening stand after skipper Nasser Hussain chose to bat on a pitch expected to deteriorate rapidly in favour of the spinners.

It was just the start England needed after the side’s leading batsman Graham Thorpe pulled out of the tour just before the start, citing personal reasons.

The in-form Trescothick, strong on the sweep and the drive, hit 11 fours and a six in his 156-ball knock lasting just over four hours.

But Kumble finally broke the opening stand and quickly caused a huge turnaround, claiming the first five wickets in a marathon opening spell of 25 overs.

He sent down 30 overs in all, the Indian spinners sharing 60 of the 90 overs bowled.

Kumble, his top-spinners so effective on home pitches, first had Butcher caught behind in the afternoon for a 130-ball effort that included nine fours before sending back Hussain (1) and Michael Vaughan (11) close to tea.

He then completed Trescothick’s heartbreak by having him caught behind, shaping to steer the ball to third man, with his fifth ball after the break.

All-rounder Andrew Flintoff followed almost immediately for a duck, caught off bat and pad, as five wickets tumbled for 56 runs.

But Mark Ramprakash, who made a 49-ball 37 which included six fours and six over midwicket off Kumble, and White stemmed the rot with a 59-run sixth-wicket stand to lift England to their best total of the series.

Ramprakash was the one player not to fall to Kumble, bowled between bat and pad by occasional spinner Sachin Tendulkar as he played back to a ball which rushed through.

An absorbing day’s play was marred only by two questionable decisions, television replays suggesting both Hussain and Vaughan were unlucky to be given out.

Hussain was trapped lbw on his front pad, playing well forward to a googly which seemed to be going down the leg side while Vaughan, drafted in to replace Thorpe, was given out caught at forward short-leg despite not appearing to get a nick.

England at least had the consolation of batting throughout the day’s 90 overs, a feat they failed to manage in the first Test.

That was largely thanks to Trescothick.

He underlined his fine form on tour to score his second fifty in three Test innings.

The 25-year-old played himself in before opening out to play some fine shots either side of the wicket, sweeping and pulling off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Harbhajan, a major threat in Mohali a week ago, toiled without success, giving away 54 runs in 23 overs.

Trescothick flicked Kumble to midwicket for his seventh four to reach his ninth Test fifty and celebrated that mark by pulling Harbhajan Singh over midwicket for six and hitting Kumble twice in succession through the off-side for fours.

To his credit, the Somerset batsman managed to raise his bat and acknowledge the applause of the crowd after his disappointing dismissal.