India lose at Lord's despite tailend ton

VVS Laxman takes evasive action: India are on the back foot in the series after losing at Lord's

LONDON, England -- A desperate rearguard action by India's tailend batsmen was not enough to avert yet another overseas loss, this time against England in the First Test at Lord's by 170 runs.

India, yet to win a series on overseas soil for 15 years, were bowled out after lunch on the final day of the Test despite the heroics of tailender Agit Agarkar, who completed his maiden Test century in nail-biting fashion.

Resuming the day on six for 232 and needing to bat out 90 overs to salvage a draw, India lost three wickets before the interval.

When England looked like wrapping up the game before lunch, before number 11 batsman Ashish Nehra joined Agarkar and guided him to an unlikely ton.

Their defiance followed Venkatsai Laxman, 74 runs in three hours, and Agarkar sharing 126 runs for the seventh wicket.

The pair had come together on the fourth day after Hoggard had taken three wickets in a 32-ball spell to break the back of the Indian second innings.

For Agarkar, who was controversially picked for the test ahead of offspinner Harbhajan Singh, it was an unbeaten century (109 not out) punctuated by 16 boundaries.

England had earlier set the tourists an unlikely target of 568 to win the four-match series opener.

Laxman and Agarkar lifted India to 296 when debutante fast bowler Simon Jones, 2-56, provided England with the first breakthrough of the day.

Laxman followed up his 38 not out in the first innings with another impressive three-hour innings that included nine boundaries.

Hussain had tried six bowlers in the first hour as he tried to separate the stand which was delaying the inevitable.

With the second new ball just 5.2 overs old, Jones forced Laxman to drive a catch to Michael Vaughan at point.

Hoggard then removed Anil Kumble for 15 while Craig White accounted for No.10 Zaheer Khan before Nehra arrived.

From there, the end was almost inevitable, with the tension hinging on Agarkar reaching his ton before the English struck.

Nehra was last man out, falling to a good Graham Thorpe catch.

Nehra had played some unorthodox but effective and entertaining cricket in making before England wrapped up the Test match in the second session of the final day.

The Second Test will be played at Trent Bridge, starting August 8.