England take firm control at The Oval on first day

London, Aug 16 (IANS) England took firm control of the fifth cricket Test right on the first day by bundling out India for 148 runs in the first innings and then scored 62 runs quickly without any loss at The Oval here Friday.

Skipper Alastair Cook was batting on 24 and Sam Robson 33 as England reduced the first innings deficit to just 86 runs.

But all thanks to their pace attack, England, who lead the series 2-1, once again dominated the proceedings.

Indian batsmen put on a horrendous show but thanks to a captain's knock of 82 from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, they were able to put 148 runs on board.

England pacers -- Chris Jordan (3/32) and Chris Woakes (3/30) were the chief destructors while James Anderson (2/51) and a fit-again Broad (2/27) put on a spirited performance to blow away the top Indian batting order.

Indian batsmen were done in by swing the England bowlers got under overcast conditions.

Besides Dhoni, only Murali Vijay (18) and Ravichandran Ashwin (13) could get to double figures.

Put in, after a delayed start due to a heavy outfield, India found themselves at the receiving end of the fury of English pacers as half the side was back in the pavilion for 36 runs in the 19th over and struggling at 43 for five at lunch.

Dhoni waged a lone battle and his valiant 82 was studded with 15 fours and a six. The India captain got support from No.11 Ishant Sharma (7 not out) as they added 58 runs for the last wicket.

Anderson removed Gautam Gambhir in the first over of the day for a duck. Gambhir decided against playing the delivery at the last moment but the ball kissed the hanging, open face and sailed through to wicket-keeper Jos Butler.

Broad, who appeared in no discomfort playing with a broken nose, struck in the next over to get rid of Cheteshwar Pujara (4) as the ball sneaked through the gap between bat and pad and clipped the top flap of his pad and kissed his arm before rattling the timber.

Chris Jordan struck in his successive overs to remove Virat Kohli (6) and Ajinkya Rahane to leave India at 28 for four.

Murali Vijay finally ran out of patience in the 19th over and fell to Chris Woakes after Joe Root took a good juggling catch at gully.

Stuart Binny (5) fell soon after the lunch break as he edged Broad to Cook in first slip.

Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5) departed in quick succession before Varun Aaron (1) became Woakes' third victim of the day.