After winning the toss and deciding to bat first on a good pitch, India ended the first day on 316 for 4 with skipper Dravid scoring a timely half-century (55) and Tendulkar remaining unbeaten with a patient 48 scored off 132 balls after opener Dinesh Karthik had started the day with a quick 91.
Earlier on Thursday, paceman James Anderson checked Indian run spree with two important wickets in the pre-tea session.
At tea series-leaders India, who had been 189 for one and on the way to building a lead which would have made their 1-0 advantage all but impregnable, were 211-3 with Anderson having taken two for 55 in 15 overs. Tendulkar was two not out and Ganguly eight not out.
India resumed after lunch on 117 for one with Karthik 50 not out and Rahul Dravid unbeaten on 25.
In the second over after the break Karthik, on 58, gave a sharp chance when he was dropped at short extra-cover by Andrew Strauss following a powerfully-struck drive off left-arm spinner Monty Panesar.
Dravid then responded to England captain Michael Vaughan’s decision to post two fielders close in at short extra-cover by stylishly driving Panesar between the pair of them for four. Karthik then used his feet well to go down the pitch to drive Panesar for six over extra-cover.
Dravid, who in India’s last Test at The Oval five years ago scored 217, went on to complete an 82-ball fifty with eight fours. But a stand of 127 was ended when Dravid, on 55, was bowled by Anderson’s yorker.
Tendulkar, one of several India players who could be playing their last Test in England, walked out to an ovation from several sets of spectators.
He was still on nought when pace bowler Anderson let loose a huge appeal for a well-held ‘catch’ at leg slip by Ian Bell. But the ball had clearly come off Tendulkar’s chest and the unimpressed umpire Steve Bucknor turned down the appeal.
No India batsman has so far made a hundred in this series. It seemed as if Karthik, whose lone Test hundred came against minnows Bangladesh earlier this year, was about to end that sequence. But nine runs short of a century, he played an airy shot outside off-stump against left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom and edged to wicket-keeper Matt Prior.
India had now seen 189 for two become 199 for three.
In all, Karthik faced 151 balls with one six and 10 fours. Wasim Jaffer was the only man out in the morning, caught for a dashing 35 when going well by Kevin Pietersen off Anderson, having previously cut the bowler for six in the same region. The first wicket duo’s fifty partnership came up in 81 balls.
But soon afterwards Jaffer gave his wicket away when he cut a short ball from Anderson to Pietersen, standing several yards in from the boundary at third man. Jaffer’s innings also featured six fours.
Ganguly (37) was the last wicket of the day for the hosts when he was trapped in front of the stumps by Paul Collingwood with the total 276.
Scoreboard
India 1st Innings
D. Karthik c Prior b Sidebottom 91
W. Jaffer c Pietersen b Anderson 35
R. Dravid b Anderson 55
S. Tendulkar not out 48
S. Ganguly lbw Collingwood 37
VVS Laxman not out 20
EXTRAS (B-21, LB-2, W-2, NB-5) 30
TOTAL (For 4 wkts, 90 overs) 316
FALL OF WKTS: 1-62, 2-189, 3-199, 4-276.
TO BAT: MS Dhoni, A Kumble, Z Khan, RP Singh, S Sreesanth.
BOWLING: Sidebottom 25-5-75-1; Anderson 20-5-83-2 (1w); Tremlett 23-4-60-0 (4nb, 1w); Panesar 19-2-71-0; Collingwood 3-1-4-1 (1nb).
ENGLAND: Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Matt Prior (w/k), Chris Tremlett, Ryan Sidebottom, Monty Panesar, James Anderson.
UMPIRES: Steve Bucknor (WI), Ian Howell (RSA).
TV UMPIRE: Peter Hartley (ENG).
MATCH REFEREE: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI).—AFP