Jardine was the architect of Bodyline

Nottinghamshire fast bowlers Harold Larwood and Bill Voce had enjoyed success in county cricket by pitching short at batsmen, with a cluster of fielders behind square on the leg side.

With the ball aimed at his head, the batsman had little option but to take evasive action.

But fielders were in place to snaffle any edge resulting from a rash hook.

It was never intended that cricket should be played this way and it goes against the whole spirit of the game

Commentator Henry Blofeld

Flintoff bowled short down the leg side to Tendulkar

England began the series against India adopting an 8-1 off-side field to Tendulkar - a man Bradman once described as being "a little like myself".

And that tactic was criticised by India coach John Wright, even after his side's 10-wicket victory in Mohali.

But the Little Master found the solution in Ahmedabad, when he was able to whip the ball from outside off stump to the leg-side boundary on the way to the 27th century of his Test career.

"People will adapt. Nothing is going to work for long periods, you have a window of time where they will have to work out how to play," Hussain admitted.

"When they have worked it out, you have to move on to something else."

Hussain asked Giles to bowl negatively

But they chose not to, and were forced to step in when Tendulkar's complaining found Hussain unsympathetic.

The tactic did not find favour in all quarters, even among English onlookers.

"A slow left-hander bowling into the rough outside the right hander's off-stump produces a situation which is as near to stalemate as cricket gets," complained Henry Blofeld in the Independent.

"By adopting these tactics which are an innate admission of weakness, the captain is effectively saying to the batsmen: 'Look, we are not a good enough attack to get you out, but we are most generously going to give you the chance to commit suicide.'

"Why should the batsmen oblige? It was never intended that cricket should be played this way and it goes against the whole spirit of the game."

But the counter argument has been that England feel they have identified the best way to prevent Tendulkar from scoring quickly, and to take his wicket.

They suceeded in the first innings, when Tendulkar was stumped for the first time in his career, stepping wide of leg-stump in an attempt to drive Giles.

But the real test of the tactic will come if England need to bowl India out in their fourth innings.

If the tourists use containing tactics again, India could easily bat out a draw, and thus win the series.