Tendulkar puts India in driving seat

Tendulkar (94) and Sourav Ganguly (53) put their team on course to level the seven-match series at 3-3 with an opening stand of 150 in only 23 overs - on the way to 186 for two after 30.

England's innings had been eventful, to say the least. Captain Paul Collingwood's controversial dismissal for a single was one of three run-outs and had to share the attention with Owais Shah's maiden hundred in his 25th match, Luke Wright's blistering half-century on debut - and Dimitri Mascarenhas' feat of hitting the final five balls for sixes off Yuvraj Singh.

Tendulkar and Ganguly then quickly put England's total into context once they got their chance to bat on a run-laden pitch with predictable pace and bounce. The boundaries were vulnerable, whoever was bowling, and James Anderson came in for plenty of punishment with the new ball.

Ganguly engaged in an altercation with Stuart Broad, in a near run-a-ball half-century which was nonetheless overshadowed by Tendulkar's 16 fours and a six from just 81 deliveries. Broad was to have the last word with Ganguly when the left-hander holed out at extra-cover.

When Tendulkar - limping after a bout of cramp - was then well-caught in the off-side ring by Collingwood off Monty Panesar, two new batsmen had to start again together.

After the early departures of Alastair Cook - for a second-ball duck - and Matt Prior while the white ball swung under cloud cover, England's total got moving thanks to Kevin Pietersen (53) and Ian Bell in a stand of 59 which began to justify Collingwood's decision to bat first.

Once Bell was bowled sweeping at Piyush Chawla one short of his half-century, trouble was in store - for Collingwood and umpire Peter Hartley, standing in his first one-day international.

Responding to a call from Pietersen for a single to cover, the England captain was just short of his ground yet appeared to have survived when Hartley indicated no third-umpire ruling would be required. As Collingwood sighed with relief, however, a glance up at the big screen was enough to tell everyone in a packed Oval that he should have been given out.

Hartley hastily revised his decision to refer, several seconds late, and third official Ian Gould had to give Collingwood out - when strictly speaking, because of the on-field umpire's first reaction, he should not have been.