Resuming 335 runs adrift on 232 for six, India were expected to capitulate on the final morning and hand England an emphatic victory with most of the day to spare.

Instead, they battled beyond the lunch interval with VVS Laxman hitting a determined 74 while Ajit Agarkar hit a career best 109 not out before the innings finally ended for 397.

It was England's third successive Test victory, a sequence they have only achieved twice before in the last 10 years, and gives them an important early advantage in the four-Test series.

England's hopes of wrapping up the victory early were frustrated for 68 minutes by Laxman and Agarkar, who forged a 126-run partnership spanning 35 overs and was only broken five overs after taking the new ball.

Laxman was fortunate to survive with the second delivery with the new ball, Ashley Giles failing to make up the ground to take a catch from point after Matthew Hoggard's short delivery looped off the shoulder of his bat and fell to earth.

But England did not achieve the breakthrough until captain Nasser Hussain threw the ball to debutant Jones, who struck with his second ball when Laxman was caught at point by Michael Vaughan driving on the up for a determined 74.

Hoggard earned his reward for a tight new ball spell by claiming his fourth wicket of the innings five overs later when he caught a leading edge from Anil Kumble, who had made 15.

Zaheer Khan fell two overs later for seven, edging Craig White behind to wicketkeeper Alec Stewart.

But England could not claim the final wicket they needed for victory with Ashish Nehra successfully surviving the final 17 minutes until lunch.

That partnership continued until midway through the afternoon session, with the pair forging a 63-run stand, a record for the last wicket for India against England.

Nehra was finally dismissed for 19 when he edged a White delivery to Graham Thorpe at second slip.

The man-of-the-match was Nasser Hussain.