The wheels come off as Kumble humbles England with sizzling century

This truly was the day when England's wheels came off for the first time under Michael Vaughan's captaincy.

The sight of Kumble inside-edging Kevin Pietersen through the legs of Matt Prior to reach three figures and record, incredibly, the first hundred by an Indian in this series, summed up England's plight.

It was also when Vaughan must have known that his proud record of never having lost a home series was coming to a brutal end.

England's only real bad times in the past four years, remember, have come when the captain has been injured. This, though, was utter carnage and, as India moved relentlessly to 664 all out, in a minute short of 12 hours.

Then, just to make matters worse, England lost Andrew Strauss to a sucker punch before the close.

It was always likely one of India's greats would bow out in England with a hundred, but you could have got long odds against it being Kumble rather than Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid or Sourav Ganguly.

The great leg-spinner had never surpassed 88, but not one of his 561 Test wickets can have given him greater pleasure than the scruffy boundary which took him to a landmark joyfully acclaimed by both Kumble and his team-mates. They knew that a momentous series triumph is now sure to be theirs.

The hundred being completed during a last-wicket stand of 73 with Sri Sreesanth that lifted India beyond the 628 they scored at Headingley five years ago only served to complete England's misery.

Kumble said: 'I always believed it was possible to score a Test century but I never thought it would take 118 matches.'

India, of course, only need a draw in this third npower Test at The Oval to earn their third series victory in England to add to those in 1971 and 1986. But such was their mastery yesterday that a win, which would take them level with England at second place in the world Test rankings, is the likeliest outcome.

England coach Peter Moores refused to write England off, however, saying: 'There are nine sessions left and realistically we have to win all nine but all three results are still possible.'

It would have helped England's survival hopes if they could have got through the eight overs at the end of the second day unbeaten but Strauss pulled Zaheer Khan mindlessly down deep backward square's throat as England stuttered to 24 for one in reply.

It should have been worse but umpire Ian Howell inexplicably turned down Sreesanth's appeal when nightwatchman Jimmy Anderson was trapped plumb in front.

All 11 of India's batsmen reached double figures while three of England's four frontline bowlers conceded more than a hundred. Monty Panesar, at times, looked totally bemused as India thrashed him to all parts, Anderson took four wickets but at a cost of 182 runs from his 40 overs and Chris Tremlett, possibly feeling his shoulder injury, failed to make the most of the undoubted bounce during 40 overs of toil.

Ryan Sidebottom was again the best England bowler and deserved far better than to take just the wicket of Dinesh Karthik, Prior hardly helping yesterday by diving in front of slip to drop VVS Laxman off him to add to his miss of Tendulkar on Thursday. Sidebottom then ended the day in hospital having a scan on a sore left side which threatens to cost England his services.

Moores said: 'Matt had a tough day at the office but I thought he kept pretty well. He dropped that catch but I thought his footwork was better.'

In all, India struck 81 fours and nine sixes off England's hapless attack on a perfect pitch.

They started the day in a strong, but far from formidable, position but slowly and surely put the match and the series out of England's reach, Tendulkar being watchful, Laxman occasionally sublime and Mahendra Singh Dhoni destructive in hitting 92 off 81 balls with four sixes.

Yet it looked as though Kumble, on 76, would be denied the hundred he craved - and India stopped from registering the quirky record of the highest Test score without an individual hundred - when he was left with only the eccentric Sreesanth for company.

Kumble clearly had no need to worry. Sreesanth, who insisted on punching gloves with Kumble three times at the end of each over, was inspired in taking the initiative in hitting 35 from 32 balls.

The veteran duly did the rest, even though he would have been stumped had he not made minimal contact with the ball that brought up his hundred, and England were left to score 465 to avoid the follow-on.

Vaughan will have to be at his best today if England are to have any chance of avoiding a 2-0 defeat and stop India consigning their traditional travel sickness to history.