LANCASHIRE'S James Anderson struck twice as England fought back on the first day of the must-win third npower Test against India at the Brit Oval.

England, needing to record a victory in south London to avoid a first home series defeat since 2001, were asked to field first by India captain Rahul Dravid.

And the tourists dominated the first two sessions, despite Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom clawing their team back into contention with two wickets in the second half of the afternoon session.

At tea, the Indians were 211 for three after Dravid and Dinesh Karthik were dismissed in the space of three overs.

Dravid hit his first half-century of the series, from 82 balls, but was prised out by a yorker from Anderson which shaped away slightly in the air.

That halted a 127-run stand for the second wicket and left-armer Ryan Sidebottom followed up to have Karthik fortuitously adjudged caught behind, chasing a delivery which angled across him.

New-ball pair Sidebottom and Anderson both beat the bat in the opening couple of overs - Anderson was only an inch or so away from bowling Wasim Jaffer in fact with his second delivery of the day - but it proved a false dawn in a run-heavy first session.

India’s innings began with three maidens and the first scoring stroke came off the 21st delivery when Jaffer punished Anderson for straying wide by executing a powerful cut for four.

Another boundary in the same over, an off-drive, doubled the score and emphasised a fine surface and fast outfield.

Edge

Jaffer made the most of Anderson’s early waywardness when, having gained four from a genuine edge earlier in the over, he uppercut a six into the crowd at third man.

Anderson made way for giant fast bowler Chris Tremlett, who was declared fit after suffering from a sore shoulder on the eve of the match.

With Tremlett given the all-clear, neither team showed any alterations from India’s seven-wicket win at Trent Bridge last week.

Karthik, on five, survived a very confident leg before appeal from the 6ft 7ins Tremlett when a fullish delivery struck just above the knee roll of the pads.

That came in the 12th over but Karthik soon prospered with drives down the ground.

England changed tactics after the drinks break, however, and gained immediate reward for bowling short with an initial breakthrough as Jaffer guided a cut off Anderson, back on at the Vauxhall end, straight to third man.

Number three Dravid was soon into his stride, however, as he forced a four through the covers to get off the mark in an Anderson over which cost 10 runs.

Second-wicket partner Karthik got to his 77-ball 50 shortly before lunch, by which time left-arm spinner Monty Panesar was bowling in defensive manner over the wicket.

India were certainly full of intent - Dravid insisted they would play for a victory rather than settle for a draw - and Karthik emphasised it when he caressed the first ball of the afternoon session, from Sidebottom, for four through extra cover.

Dravid replicated the stroke in the same over and found the boundary eight times in his 55.

England were desperate for further inroads into India’s batting but the closest they came before Anderson’s dismissal of Dravid was when a drive off Panesar by Karthik, on 58, fizzed low to short extra-cover, where Andrew Strauss failed to cling on to a low half-chance.

Karthik was then denied a hundred when South African umpire Ian Howell upheld English appeals for a Matt Prior catch.