14 April 2004	Wednesday	23 Safar 1425

RAWALPINDI, April 13: As regular batsmen failed, tailenders Mohammad Sami and Fazle Akbar shared a record-equalling 70-run ninth wicket stand, their efforts giving an element of respectability to Pakistan's first innings total of 224 all out on the opening day of the third and final Test against India at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Sami was unlucky to miss what would have been his first Test half century, and was run out for 49 while Fazle, an lbw victim of Anil Kumble, made 25 as the two batsmen stemmed the rot after Pakistan had been reduced to 137 for eight.

When India batted, pace ace Shoaib Akhtar winged in to send back Virender Sehwag off the very first ball of the innings, Yasir Hameed taking a brilliant diving catch in the gully. The ball popped out of his hand twice before he was able to hold on to it.

In the 15 overs available before the close, India were 23 for one, Parthiv Patel, opening the innings in place of Akash Chopra, batting on 13, along with Rahul Dravid, who was not out 10.

Sami and Fazle, who came in for the injured seamer Umar Gul, batted confidently and equalled the ninth wicket record against India, set by Yousuf Youhana and Shoaib Akhtar in the first Test of the current series at Multan.

The Indian attack, spearheaded by seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji, made good use of a greenish pitch to destroy Pakistan's batting in which only Sami shone nice and bright.

For skipper Saurav Ganguly it was a good toss to win as he opted to field first and the result was there for all to see, his pace bowlers doing a fine job with Balaji snaring four for 63 followed by Irfan Pathan and Ashish Nehra who picked up two wickets each.

Pakistan had crawled to 96 for four at lunch on a greenish pitch that seemed to trouble the batsmen. In what was a poor start, the home side lost both openers Taufiq Umar and Imran Farhat by the 12th over with only 34 runs on the board.

Taufiq fell to the pace of Balaji who trapped him leg before for nine and then Imran went, also becoming a lbw victim, off the bowling of Nehra after scoring 16.

Yasir Hameed, who scored 26, appeared to be settling down well but played one into the safe hands of V. Laxman in the second slip to leave Pakistan in a difficult position at 77 for three.

The hosts plunged deeper into trouble once Nehra, coming in for Ajit Agarkar, took the prize scalp of captain Inzamamul Haq for 15, having him caught behind by Patel in over No 24.

In the 10 overs he bowled before the interval, Nehra had snapped up two for 38 while Pathan and Balaji had one each. The situation did not seem to get any better in the post-lunch session as Pathan picked up another wicket that of Pakistan vice-captain Yousuf Youhana, whom he bowled for 13, off an inside edge. His departure, at the total of 110 made things look really grim.

Asim Kamal, Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Akhtar, whose off stump was uprooted by Balaji for nought, could not put on the much needed runs. It was then left to Sami and Fazle to save Pakistan blushes in a fruitful partnership as the pair frustrated the bowlers.

At tea, Pakistan had reached 169 for eight, with Sami on 19 and Fazle eight. Paceman Sami, suffering from back pain in the run-up to the match, was declared fit while Fazle was inducted in place of the injured seamer Umar Gul.

Apart from Nehra's inclusion, India had Ganguly back in the side after missing the first two Tests because of a back injury. He replaced opener Akash Chopra.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN (1st Innings):

Imran Farhat lbw b Nehra 16

Taufiq Umar lbw b Balaji 9

Yasir Hameed c Laxman b Pathan 26

Inzamamul Haq c Patel b Nehra 15

Yousuf Youhana b Pathan 13

Asim Kamal lbw b Balaji 21

Kamran Akmal c Laxman b Balaji 17

Mohammad Sami run out 49

Shoaib Akhtar b Balaji 0

Fazle Akbar lbw b Kumble 25

Danish Kaneria not out 4

EXTRAS (B-14, LB-5, W-7, NB-3) 29

TOTAL (all out, 72.5 overs) 224

FALL OF WKTS: 1-34, 2-34, 3-77, 4-77, 5-110, 6-120, 7-137, 8-137, 9-207.

BOWLING: Irfan Pathan 22-7-49-2 (2nb, 1w); Balaji 19-4-63-4 (1nb, 3w); Nehra 21-4-60-2 (3w); Ganguly 2-0-9-0; Kumble 8.5-2-24-1.

INDIA (1st Innings):

V. Sehwag c Yasir b Shoaib 0

P.A. Patel not out 13

R. Dravid not out 10

EXTRAS 0

TOTAL (for one wkt, 15 overs) 23

FALL OF WKT: 1-0.

TO BAT: S.R. Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, S.C. Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, A. Kumble, L. Balaji, A. Nehra.

BOWLING (to-date): Shoaib Akhar 5-4-4-1; Fazle Akbar 5-0-14-0; Danish Kaneria 3-0-4-0; Mohammad Sami 2-1-1-0.

UMPIRES: R.E. Koertzen (South Africa) and D.R. Shepherd (England).

TV UMPIRE: Zamir Haider (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).