Cricket: New boy has 'crazy' debut; Swann stars as visitors dominate on second day.

Byline: MYLES HODGSON

GRAEME Swann savoured a memorable second day as a Test cricketer after playing a leading role in helping England seize control of the opening match in the series against India, writes MYLES HODGSON.

Told he would be making his debut just 48 hours earlier, the 29-year-old Nottinghamshire off-spinner could not possibly have dreamed up a better start to his Test career.

He became only the second player in Test history to claim two wickets in their maiden over, and his efforts helped England, written off by many after a disrupted build-up to the series following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, dominate the second day at the Chepauk Stadium. India, at stumps, were trailing by 161 runs on 155-6.

Swann was called on for the final over before tea by captain Kevin Pietersen, with England searching for a breakthrough, and he did not make the best of starts with his first ball being forcefully cut for four by opener Gautam Gambhir.

It was the start of an eventful over which included a rejected appeal for a bat-pad catch off the next ball and two successful lbw appeals against Gambhir and Rahul Dravid which sent Swann running towards cover in delight only to be stopped by a big bear-hug from all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.

"The first ball felt like I had a ping-pong ball in my hand and I didn't know where it was going to land and that went for four and it just went a bit crazy really," said a grinning Swann.

"I thought I had a bat-pad which wasn't given and wasn't out and then I got a couple of lbws so it couldn't have started any better really."

Swann's triumph, which followed the identical achievement of England's Richard Johnson against Zimbabwe at Chester-le-Street in 2003, was made all the sweeter coming just 24 hours after Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh had claimed only Flintoff was a threat to their batting line-up.

Harbhajan was right to an extent in that Flintoff played a key role in ensuring England built on Swann's double strike, firstly dismissing Sachin Tendulkar and then winning a psychological battle with Yuvraj Singh which contributed to his dismissal just 10 balls before the close. Having slumped to 37-3 at tea in reply to England's 316, India recovered with a 61- run stand between Tendulkar and VVS Laxman which was threatening the tourists' domination of the day.

But just as the pair were beginning to look composed at the crease, Laxman drilled a straight drive back down the pitch and Monty Panesar held on to a sharp return catch, prompting captain Kevin Pietersen to recall Flintoff to test Yuvraj's ability against the short ball.

But before that, Flintoff claimed an unexpected bonus with Tendulkar for once mis-timing a shot and giving a return catch to the Lancashire all-rounder.

The battle with Yuvraj remained intense and led to the batsman's downfall as he drove loosely at a Steve Harmison delivery and Flintoff took the catch at second slip.

CAPTION(S):

DREAM START England's Graeme Swann, centre with glasses, is congratulated after taking the wicket of Gautam Gambhir on his Test debut.