Proving the theory that runs are much easier with the newer, harder ball, Sehwag reached his 17th Test fifty with his sixth four.
The Edgbaston crowd were finally given something to celebrate in the second over after lunch when Cook brought up his 13th Test fifty with a neat flick off his body.
He put another ball in that road off the bowling of Kaushalya Weeraratne and kept his team up with the required rate by bringing up the fifty in the seventh over with his third six, this time off Sanath Jayasuriya.
The batsmen took India's lead past 300 before Yuvraj recorded his fifth Test fifty with a cut single and Gambhir his ninth by working Stuart Broad into the leg side.
Sharma came within inches of winning the match with a six, reaching his fifty from 44 balls, as the victory was reached with heavy rain about to descend, and while this match may not have tested India, their rivals will know there is much more to come from them.
McMurran, on the bawdier side, said of his brush with "Fifty:" ''It was just an absolute ball for us to write it.
The new ball was taken at the first available opportunity but New Zealand were unable to make a further breakthrough, Mushfiqur completing his fifty with a straight drive for four off O'Brien.
Bravo kept up the momentum in persistent drizzle, and after Murali dropped a top-edge, recorded his fifty with a six, only to depart next ball when another skyer was this time taken.
He came within inches of reaching his fifty with a lofted straight six - the hit off Kumble landing just inside the ropes and going for four - but calmly recorded it next ball with a single.
Out-of-form Sehwag, with only one fifty in his last 13 innings, tried to cut a ball that seamed back from Mortaza and edged into his stumps.
That meant Pietersen had to consolidate in the middle overs, patiently rebuilding with only four fours in his first fifty of the series.
Tendulkar, displaying vintage ingenuity, raced to his 83rd ODI fifty with three successive fours and was in complete command before the dreaded cramp afflicted him.
Brad Haddin hit some lusty blows, reaching his fourth Test fifty with a six over mid-wicket off Benn, but called Doug Bollinger for a second and Benn's throw to Roach saw the number 11 short of his ground.
Yuvraj reached his 30th ODI fifty from 46 balls with a huge six over square-leg as Panesar tried a quicker ball, and Gambhir completed his second ODI fifty before holing out to substitute fielder Andrew Gale at deep mid-wicket.
Flower was in excellent touch, his fifty taking just 32 balls with five boundaries, as Essex passed 200 in the 33rd over.
It got even more exciting when Tamim slog-swept two sixes in an over off Swann, and as he eyed his third Test century Kayes reached his first fifty at this level with a well-executed sweep shot for four off the expensive Swann.
He ended his Presidency with an approval rating of more than fifty-five per cent.
By a twist of fate, he stays frozen for over fifty years, emerging with enough of his Dudley Do-Right manliness intact to impress single mom Jamie Lee Curtis, her young son Elijah Wood, and even her dull suitor Nicholas Surovy.
After the onslaught from Tamim it was inevitable that runs would not flow as freely, but the 200 still arrived in reasonable time in the 49th over and Madmudullah completed an assured fourth Test fifty in only his seventh match with an elegant drive to the cover boundary off Swann.
The visitors will resume play on the third day 354 runs behind, with skipper Graeme Smith one run short of his sixth Test fifty and Jacques Kallis unbeaten on four.
Having played an accompanying role to the bold Uthappa, Gambhir completed his fifty from 76 balls and started to play with more freedom.
He reached fifty from 80 balls with a pull for four, and his eighth boundary signalled the hundred partnership with Kallis from 160 balls, his contribution 57.
Yet again Collingwood was the ideal foil, confidently pushing through the covers to the boundary early in his innings, and recording the fifty stand from 66 balls with Flintoff with a deft sweep off Botha.
The big winner is William Shakespeare, with four hundred and fifty-five, topping even the Yahwist and his co-authors, the wordsmiths who churned out the Bible but managed to come up with only four hundred quotable passages.
On the ground where he spent his formative years in English cricket with Nottinghamshire, he had previously failed to reach fifty in six Test innings.
Strauss brought up the fifty in the 14th over with a pull for four, but with his confidence increasing he attempted a reverse sweep off super sub Brad Hogg and was expertly caught by Gilchrist.
But the captain then swiped three successive fours off Jacques Kallis and Shah brought up the fifty partnership from 39 balls with a 90m six as Kallis conceded 20 from his over.
Anderson's dream day began with his highest Test score (28) in a 76 stand with Stuart Broad, who hit a first Test fifty as England added 91 to reach 364.
Anderson had earlier hit his highest Test score (28) in a 76 stand with Stuart Broad, who hit a first Test fifty as England, who lead the three-match series 1-0, added 91 to reach 364.
Gambhir recorded the fifty stand with Yuvraj from 43 balls with a six over long-off against Paul Hoffman, playing his final match for Scotland.
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