<b>Cricket</b>: India beat England by seven wickets

India today overcame minor hiccups before wrapping up the second cricket Test against England with a seven-wicket victory to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match rubber, and put themselves on course for a rare overseas series triumph.

Needing 63 runs to clinch the game on the final day, the Indians reached safe shores on a sunny morning at Trent Bridge to register only their fifth Test win on English soil.

It was a remarkable turnaround by Rahul Dravid's men after being thoroughly outplayed in the first Test at the Lord's, where the weather gods saved them from a certain defeat.

But the hosts had no such luck as the sun broke out in all its splendour in the morning to provide the perfect setting for the Indian batsmen to finish the match off.

Dinesh Kaarthick (22) and Wasim Jaffer (22) blunted a spirited bowling by England, and although Sachin Tendulkar (1) fell cheaply, India's victory was never in doubt.

The winning runs came from four byes off Chris Tremlett's bowling, symptomatic of England's luck in the match, triggering scenes of celebrations in the Indian dressing room.

The last time India won a Test match on English soil was at the Leeds in 2002 when they had defeated the hosts by an innings and 46 runs, riding on centuries from Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.

(Reporting by A V Nayadu from Nottingham)