By Jamie Lillywhite

Kumble's innings was the final straw for England's flagging attack

England hopes of victory to square the series evaporated as Anil Kumble hit a maiden century in a mammoth India total of 664 on day two of the final Test.

After Sachin Tendulkar struck 82 and Mahendra Dhoni fired four sixes in an 81-ball 92, Kumble took India to their highest score against England.

He and Sree Santh shared 73 for the last wicket - a record against England.

Needing 495 just to avoid the follow-on, England closed 24-1 after Andrew Strauss pulled to fine-leg.

With India resuming on 316-4 England needed to dismiss them quickly to have any chance of forcing the victory so badly needed to preserve a proud record of not losing a home series since 2001.

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But a breakthrough eluded them and, as on the first day, the atmosphere was often subdued.

Matt Prior, who dropped Tendulkar on 20 on day one, perhaps tried too hard to atone for that error when VVS Laxman edged the luckless Ryan Sidebottom, who had beaten the bat on several occasions.

He decided to leap in front of Strauss, who had the catch covered at first slip, but could only deflect the ball to the third man boundary.

A second dropped catch left Prior looking rather dejected

The error only cost 10 runs, but the effects on the Sussex gloveman, who looked a forlorn figure, were concerning.

Tendulkar continued to refuse the hook shot in his slowest Test half century for 10 years.

He was tempted by one short one from Sidebottom, and a lady of mature years showed admirable dexterity to take cover before the ball thudded into the wall above her head.

Some of the strokes were as good as ever, one exemplary punch off the back foot against Tremlett rocketing through mid-off to the boundary.

He surged into the 80s with successive boundaries off Anderson, one stylish push down the ground another exhibition of perfect timing, followed by a savage cut.

But the persistent Anderson, who managed to find swing on a regular basis, caught the edge outside off-stump and Strauss pouched safely at first slip.

Monty Panesar was introduced half an hour before lunch and began with a full toss that Dhoni smashed down the ground for four.

After lunch Dhoni played a series of strokes seldom witnessed at the famous old London ground.

He smashed Panesar out of the attack by stepping down the wicket to fire two sixes over long-on, and signalled his intentions for Kevin Pietersen by ordering a new bat when the Hampshire batsman was brought on for his occasional off-spin.

The new blade sent Pietersen's third delivery into the middle tier of the mammoth new grandstand, which brought up India's 500, and even a top edge next ball sailed over the ropes for six.

Dhoni hit some astonishing sixes off the England spinners

Gripped by the moment and perhaps unaware he was eight short of his second Test century, the showman tried to make it three in a row.

But this time he could not get properly under the ball and he sent a steepling chance to Alastair Cook, who held a well-judged catch at deep mid-wicket.

Kumble began to play shots more associated with Tendulkar or Dhoni, driving Tremlett's first ball of a new spell expansively through mid-off for four.

After tea, Panesar resorted to firing in at leg-stump from round the wicket in the spirit of recently retired Ashley Giles and it became a matter of whether Kumble could reach three figures and deprive India of the highest total not containing a century.

Last man Sree Santh played his part in the humiliation with three successive fours off Anderson.

In his 151st Test innings, the most taken by any batsman to record a century, Kumble reached the milestone in unusual fashion with a bottom-edge through Prior's legs off Pietersen for four.

With eight overs remaining before the close, England lost Strauss to a mindless lofted pull and though Cook played soundly and night-watchman Anderson somehow held out, they will be playing only for pride in the remainder of this match.