LONDON: Mahendra Singh Dhoni was caught at long leg by Chris Woakes off the bowling of Stuart Broad as England bowled India out for 148 on day one of the fifth test at the Oval on Friday.
With India resuming after tea on 125-9, captain Dhoni put on a 10th-wicket stand of 58 alongside Ishant Sharma, who was unbeaten on 7, before hooking the ball to Woakes on the boundary for 82.
Woakes was England's leading wicket taker with 3-30, with Chris Jordan close behind on 3-32.
India will need to make early inroads into England's top order to defend its fragile first innings total. It needs to win this match to tie the five-test series 2-2.
England had earlier failed to wrap up India's first innings before tea, with the tourists limping to 125-9 before the break.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's solo fightback was on 65 not out, his 33rd test half century providing more than half of his team's total. Ishant Sharma was with him on 2 off 27 balls.
India's ninth wicket fell on 90, but Dhoni ensured India didn't fall to its worst score at the Oval, which was still 98 in 1952.
Also see: India vs England: Scoreboard 5th test, Day 1
Resuming after lunch on 43-5, Stuart Binny added one to his total before picking out England captain Alastair Cook at first slip with an outside edge off James Anderson for 5.
Ravichandran Ashwin then became Chris Woakes' second wicket thanks to a brilliant low catch from Joe Root, which needed confirmation that it had not hit the ground first from the video umpire. Ashwin made 13.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar swiped at a short and wide delivery from Chris Jordan, but managed to only edge it behind to Jos Buttler for 5.
Woakes then caught an outside edge from Varun Aaron for 1 that looped back up towards him off his own bowling, to join Jordan on three wickets for the day. It was yet another session that belonged to England, which picked up where it left off in the fourth test as it looked to seal a series victory.
The only disappointing moment for England was when Sharma was dropped by Ian Bell at second slip off Jordan with India 95-9. India has made 30 extra runs since that reprieve, 29 coming from Dhoni.
Play began after a delay of 30 minutes due to rain, and Gautam Gambhir fell for a golden duck to the fourth ball. He was too slow to change his mind at a bouncer from Anderson and edged behind to Buttler. Anderson, leading wicket-taker in the series, needs five more to match Ian Botham as England's most prolific wicket-taker in tests.
Stuart Broad, passed fit to play as expected with a nose broken in the fourth test, bowled Cheteshwar Pujara for 4 to leave India on 10-2. His delivery went up into Pujara's arm guard after coming off his pads, before crashing into the stumps.
Broad had been unfortunate not to remove Pujara in his previous over when he edged to Cook, but the ball just fell short.
Jordan then bowled Virat Kohli lbw for 6 with his fourth ball. Kohli left a ball that brushed his pads, and umpire Kumar Dharmasena awarded him out after a long pause.
Jordon struck again in his second over, taking a superb reaction catch from his own bowling to remove Ajinkya Rahane for a duck.
Murali Vijay, who offered light resistance for India with a stubborn 18 from 64 balls, edged Woakes to Root at gully, giving all four fast bowlers a wicket in the first session.
