Das put himself in the frame for a Test spot at Headingley next week with his second highest career score, made off 380 balls, including 32 fours and four sixes.

In response, Essex made 173 for three at the close thanks to a fifty from Darren Robinson and 45 not out from Andy Flower.

The tourists resumed on 331 for six and immediately began piling up the runs, with captain Sourav Ganguly smashing eight from the first four balls.

Das also got in on the act and was particularly savage on off-spinner James Middlebrook as he launched successive sixes over long on, while Ganguly also hit Joe Grant and then Middlebrook for six as the Essex bowlers struggled to put any pressure on the duo.

Middlebrook eventually made a breakthrough when Ganguly went looking for another boundary but failed to make contact and was stumped by Barry Hyam, although the damage had already been done with Ganguly making 74 from just 57 balls as he shared a 105-run stand with Das for the seventh wicket.

Essex failed to build on Ganguly's departure and a 78-run partnership followed between Das and Ajit Agarkar, with the latter making 20 before he was also stumped coming forward to left-armer Tim Phillips.

Harbhajan Singh made a third-ball duck in the same over before Das' marathon 380-ball innings, which included 32 fours and four sixes, was finally ended when he skied a catch to Mark Ilott at long off to give Phillips his third victim.

Essex openers Robinson and Richard Clinton immediately went on the attack. Agarkar struggled to find his rythym and the pair smashed 46 from the first six overs before Clinton was deceived by a good-length ball by Tinu Yohannan and was bowled for 23.

Flower was given a let-off early in his innings when his square cut off Sanjay Bangar was put down by Singh at point and he went on to share a 53-run stand with Robinson until the opener was caught by Wasim Jaffer at short leg off Singh for 59.

Singh carried out the majority of the bowling duties in preparation for the third Test and he claimed a second wicket late in the penultimate over of the day, with Jaffer pouncing again to dismiss Rav Bopara for 29.