England rose to the pressure of a tiny bit of expectation by collapsing in a heap before anyone had even finished their first gin of the day.
Alastair Cook, eventually supported by Matt Prior, made England’s last stand in Ahmedabad as a heroic rearguard action took the Test into its final day.
Two more sessions of India crushing England into the dirt were followed by some actual sensible batting, giving everyone a smidgeon of hope, that most dreaded of emotions.
In perhaps the greatest sporting shock of modern times, England’s top order imploded in the face of some mild turn to virtually lose the game in the last hour.
Despite their best efforts to lose the game inside the first hour, England just about clung on to India’s coat tails thanks to a heroic performance from Graeme Swann.