December 18, 2003	Thursday	Shawwal 23, 1424

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KARACHI, Dec 17: Pakistan’s most gifted snooker player Saleh Mohammad saved the blushes of the home team, by snatching four points to help Pakistan take a slender 6-5 lead on th opening day of the Indo-Pak Peace Snooker Series 2003, which got under way on Wednesday afternoon at the Karachi Club.

Two doubles and one singles were played. In the first match Mohammad Yousuf and Khurram Hussain Agha seemed to be a formidable pair against the Indian pair of Alok Kumar and Mannan Chandra, who had the mortification of losing his cue on the air flight from Mumbai-Dubai and Karachi and was forced to play with a borrowed cue.

Alok won the toss and asked Pakistan to break for the match. After all the four players had their turn at the table, Khurram broke the ice with 13 points which increased to 17 when Alok inoffed with his cue ball.

Soon Alok got the Indians motivated with 13 points, but two more errors on the cue ball, one from Mannan and the other from Alok, helped Pakistan stay ahead and with Yousuf joining the fray Pakistan picked up the first frame 79/29, to grab the first point in the tournament.

The home team took a narrow 8-4 lead in the next frame, but soon Mannan potting excellently put India ahead with 17 points. Yousuf tried to get Pakistan closer to the Indian total, but Alok with 25 points on the trot saw India bag the frame 70/30 to draw abreast 1-1.

In the decider, Alok continuing to pot fluently chalked up 29 points. Yousuf played safe and Mannan after potting a difficult red, missed an easy yellow.

With Khurram scoring eight points and Yousuf 12, Pakistan closed the gap 20-30. But Mannan with another 12 points saw India move further ahead 42/30, before Khurram snookered Alok behind the brown ball. Alok with a another fluent break of 22, grabbed the frame 66/24 as India went into the lead for the first time 2-1 as the Indians won the first match 2-1.

In the next match comprised of the Pakistan skipper Naveen Perwani and Saleh Mohammad versus the reigning world amateur champion 18-year-old Punkaj Advani and Yasin Merchant.

India won the toss and Yasin potting to perfection scored 19 points. But Saleh soon put Pakistan ahead with 36 points on the trot. With the pink and black balls to play for India managed to get in front 37-36. Yasin potted the pink but blundered on he black. Saleh potting black helped Pakistan draw abreast 43-43. But it was Punkaj who potted the final black ball as India with another point increased their lead 3-1.

But with a magnificent break of 103 in the second frame, Saleh stunned the Indian pair by grabbing three points, one for winning the frame and two for the century break as Pakistan took over the lead once again 4-3.

Settling down Punkaj began the final frame with a fluent break of 51 points, and with Yasin getting into the act India won the frame and were home and dry 99/13 to draw level 4-4.

The last match on first day was the singles encounter between Saleh and Punkaj Advani.

Punkaj began with a fine break of 24 but gave away eight points after being snookered behind the yellow. Saleh in his turn scored 25 points and earned eight more by snookering the world champion behind the brown twice. Saleh was leading 52/30, but Punkaj clawed his way closer 51-52 and then sunk yellow to blue, moving ahead 65/52. Going for the pink, Saleh not only missed a sitter, but also gave away six points on an inoff and with Punkaj making no mistake with the pink, won the frame 52/77 as India stole the points lead again 5-4.

Stung into action came back strongly with a quick break of 55, winning the frame 74/32 and with another smashing break of 44 followed with another 34 points on the trot, won two more points for Pakistan as Punkaj surrended the final frame 78/0 with two reds and the coloured balls still to pot. The second day’s play will continue on the same venue on Thursday morning, with the home team in front 6-5.