LONDON (AP) — Anil Kumble scored his first Test century and India amassed their biggest ever Test score against England yesterday, reaching 664 to virtually ensure it will win the three-match series.

At stumps on the second day at The Oval, England were 24-1 in reply, having lost Andrew Strauss for six.

Leading 1-0 after last week's victory at Trent Bridge, India need only a draw and their batsmen punished the England bowlers for the second day in a row to make almost certain they won't lose this match.

Kumble, a specialist leg-spinner, reached his first century in his 118th Test and finished unbeaten on 110, which included 16 fours and a six. Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit 92 runs off 81 balls after Dinesh Karthik made 91, Sachin Tendulkar scored 82 and Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman also reached half-centuries.

The total beat the 628-8 India hit against England at Headingley in 2002 and 664 is also the biggest score between the two teams, beating England's 653-4 at Lord's in 1990.

India started the day already in command at 316-4 and continued to punish the England bowlers in sunny conditions on a batting track and fast outfield which helped the batsmen.

Laxman scored quickly but was lucky on 41 when he was dropped by wicketkeeper Matt Prior off Ryan Sidebottom.

Prior, who had dropped Tendulkar on 20 on Thursday, dived in front of first slip Andrew Strauss who would have had a much easier chance to take the catch. The wicketkeeper got his fingertips to the ball but it went down and also went for four for the second boundary in a row.

Laxman reached his 29th Test 50 off 65 balls when he pushed a ball from Chris Tremlett through the onside for four before he departed for 51. Tremlett found the edge and this time Prior took a simple catch and the fifth wicket went down at 354.

Tendulkar hit two fours in a row off Anderson but was out in the same over when the paceman found the outside edge and Strauss took the catch at first slip. Tendulkar's 82 came off 192 balls and included 11 boundaries.

Kumble and Dhoni, who hit four 6s and nine 4s, were next to revel in the feast of runs. Dhoni hit Monty Panesar for two sixes and raced to his 50 off 65 balls with a boundary off the leftarm spinner.

He then hit part-time spinner Kevin Pietersen for two sixes in a row and was out going for a third, top edging a catch to Alastair Cook, running in from deep midwicket. Zaheer Khan scooped a catch to Anderson off Panesar and was out for 11 and Anderson then removed Rudra Pratap Singh for 11 with a smart take off his own bowling. That brought Sree Santh to join Kumble for the final wicket at 591-9 and he helped the leg spinner compile the eighth half-century partnership of a remarkable innings.

Kumble hit a straight six off Panesar to send India past 600 and reached his century with a lucky boundary off Pietersen.

He stretched to reach a delivery and the ball hit the bottom edge, deflected through the legs of wicketkeeper Prior and, while Kumble was tumbling to the ground, rolled all the way to the boundary at fine leg.

Santh hit three 4s in a row off Anderson and scored 35 before he lofted a catch to England captain Michael Vaughan to give Panesar his second wicket for 159 runs.

Anderson was the most successful bowler with 4-182 but England was hampered by the loss of swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom who was off the field for the last two sessions with a side strain.

Strauss and Cook had eight overs to face before stumps and India captured a wicket. Khan tempted Strauss to hook and the lefthander lobbed a catch down to Santh at deep long leg to depart for six.

England promoted Anderson up the order to protect the specialist batsmen and he survived with five runs, Cook finishing the day with 12.