Tendulkar's wicket key to ensuring whitewash: Swann

England off-spinner Graeme Swann feels his team needs to dismiss Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar early to stay on course for victory in the Oval Test.

England needs only seven wickets to win the series 4-0 on Monday's final day after India finished the fourth day at 129-3, still trailing by 162.

Swann said that Tendulkar was the only man who could deny them the chances of a series whitewash.

"We need to try to get the wickets early. It would help if we could get three or four before lunch, especially get rid of Tendulkar. We don't want him sticking around too long," Swann said while addressing a post match news conference.

He further admitted he was feeling the effects of a tough day, but believes that England should be satisfied with their work.

"It was our first real day slogging away in the sun, to be honest - Jimmy and Broady and Bresser have been doing all the damage. It was a long, tough day, but we knew that going into the day," Swann said.

"I was fairly happy with the way I bowled all day. My body is aching like it hasn't all summer, but it's a nice ache," he added.

England's progress towards a series whitewash was delayed on Sunday due to another monumental performance from Rahul Dravid.

Dravid became the third Indian batsman to carry his bat in a Test with an unbeaten 146 compiled in six hours 19 minutes in his team's 300 all out in reply to England's 591-6 declared.

The 38-year-old scored 103 not out in the first Test at Lord's, and 117 in the second at Trent Bridge and is the only Indian to reach three figures in a miserable series for the visitors.

He completed his 35th Test century to move ahead of his boyhood hero Sunil Gavaskar and West Indian Brian Lara in the all-time list behind Tendulkar (51), South Africa's Jacques Kallis (40) and Australian Ricky Ponting (39).