India removes England openers early on day 2

India salvaged some pride early on day two of the final test against England, removing openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook before lunch to restrict the home side to 126-2 on Friday.Sharma lured Cook into an attempted drive off the fifth ball of the day to edge to Virender Sehwag at slip for 34. Strauss added just two runs to his overnight score before he nicked a slightly wide delivery from the unthreatening Sreesanth to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain departing for 40. Ian Bell put on an untroubled 29 not out and Kevin Pietersen made an unbeaten 18, but the morning session belonged to India.Pietersen, who had just been hit on the right elbow by a throw while making his ground for a single, had a close call from the final delivery when he turned the ball to leg slip, only for replays to show the catch dropped just short of Suresh Raina.At least the session was competitive after a largely one-sided series. Only the arrival of heavy rain to wash out the final two sessions spared India further embarrassment on the opening day. England had progressed to 75-0 by lunch Thursday, with the tourists serving up some woeful bowling and disinterested fielding under gray south London skies.With a 3-0 series lead and top spot in the test rankings already in the bag, Cook and Strauss looked well set to continue the humiliation on a sunny Friday morning, but Sharma who smashed Strauss helmet on Thursday made the breakthrough before England could add a run.Sharma sent down four good-length deliveries before Cook misjudged a slightly fuller ball, sending it to second slip. The scoring slowed to a crawl, with only one run added from the first five overs before Bell plundered nine off a single over by RP Singh who had been the most wayward of the bowlers on Thursday.In a 22-run partnership, Bell added 20 and Strauss just 2 before the captain wafted at a delivery he should have left to give Dhoni a simple catch. Strauss and the injured Jonathan Trott are the only members of England top seven batsmen not to score a century in the series.With Bell and Pietersen looking well set, India must now refocus for the second session to press home any advantage.