When Liam Dawson was handed his Test debut in this match against India his biggest claim to fame was that he was the first person from Swindon to achieve the feat.

The left-arm spinner’s selection for this squad, as an injury replacement for Zafar Ansari before the fourth Test in Mumbai, was also questionable given his lack of wickets (20 at an average of 43.85) for Hampshire last summer.

However, Dawson’s unbeaten 66 was the highest-ever score by an England debutant from No8 in the order or lower, beating the 65 made by Darren Gough against New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1994.

It was an innings that helped lift England’s first-innings total up to 477 to give Alastair Cook’s side a shot at achieving a consolation victory in this fifth and final Test.

By the end of the second day, the hosts, already 3-0 up after convincing wins in the past three Tests, had reached 60 without loss after 20 overs of their reply.

The ability of England’s bowlers – in particular Dawson as the third spinner – will prove key to the outcome of this contest.

India's morning started off brightly with the dismissal of Stokes (Reuters)

For now, though, Dawson is in credit after showing the kind of all-round ability that England coach Trevor Bayliss is so fond of and for which he was summoned from the Lions tour of the UAE ahead of Somerset’s Jack Leach, a far more able spinner.

The 26-year-old was first spotted by Bayliss last winter during the tour of the UAE when as part of the Lions programme he bowled at England’s senior batsmen during the series against Pakistan.

Bayliss praised Dawson’s character and temperament when explaining his selection for the World T20 in India earlier this year. He did not play during England’s run to the final but had made his one-day and T20 international debuts by the end of the summer.

The character Bayliss cited was in evidence today as Dawson recovered from two blows by Ishant Sharma – hit on the helmet second ball and then in the midriff afterwards – to score an impressive half-century on debut.

Dawson and Rashid shared a much-needed eighth-wicket stand of 108 (AP)

Indeed, it was his 108 stand with Adil Rashid that rebuilt his side’s innings after the tourists had slipped to 321 for seven following three wickets in the first hour this morning.

England had been buoyed by a first day that had seen them finish on 284 for four thanks to Moeen Ali’s fifth Test hundred and 89 from Joe Root.

The second, though, started badly as Ben Stokes, unbeaten on five overnight, departed to the fifth ball of the day, the Durham all-rounder caught behind pushing forward to Ravichandran Ashwin as England slipped to 287 for five.

Two more wickets fell in the first hour, Jos Buttler trapped lbw on five by a straight ball from seamer Ishant Sharma, and Moeen, who hooked a short ball from Umesh Yadav to deep square leg on 146.

Both dismissals, which left England on 321 for seven and threatening to throw away all their good work from the previous day, were frustrating for differing reasons. If Buttler has pretensions of remaining in the team as a specialist batsman beyond this series he cannot be dismissed in a manner such as this.

Moeen must improve his technique despite his scoring a century here (AP)

Moeen, too, really should have a word with himself despite a fine hundred. Too often he is tempted into the loose shot -particularly the hook – and too often it is his downfall. As well as he has batted here, his technique needs tightening up if he to become a genuine top-six batsman.

Just when things started to turn against England, Rashid and Dawson began the recovery. The eighth-wicket pair had put on 31 together by lunch, which England entered on 352 for seven.

That partnership then passed 50 and then 100 during an afternoon session that saw both bring up half-centuries. Rashid got there first, driving Ravindra Jadeja through the covers to reach 50 for the second time in Tests.

The hundred stand then came in 235 balls before Rashid edged Umesh Yadav behind on 60, falling one short of his Test-best score against Pakistan at Dubai in October last year. England were 429 for eight following the Yorkshire leg-spinner’s departure.

Dawson, though, was still going strong and brought up his maiden half-century in 121 balls with a single down the ground to Ashwin. By tea England had moved their total past 450, Dawson, on 55, now being supported by Stuart Broad.

Buttler's stay at the crease was as short-lived as it was disappointing (Reuters)

But the ninth-wicket pair’s partnership was terminated on 26 when Broad, being turned back by Dawson after wanting to go for a third run, was run out on 19.

England, though, managed to get their total close to 500 after Jake Ball, eventually bowled by Amit Mishra on 12, helped add 22 for the last wicket. Dawson remained unbeaten on 66, a fine entrance to international cricket.

What he is able to do with the ball, though, promises to be of more significance in this match. India reached stumps unscathed but they did suffer a blow when a shoulder injury meant Murali Vijay was unable to open, Parthiv Patel joining Lokesh Rahul at the top of the innings.