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| January 15, 2006 | Sunday | Zilhaj 14, 1426 |
Pakistan run riot as India face uphill struggle
LAHORE, Jan 14: India survived a testing last hour without losing a wicket but still faced an uphill task to save the first Test after Pakistan batsmen ran riot on the second day at Qadhafi Stadium on Saturday.
On a day when records tumbled like nine pins, Pakistan having amassed 679 for seven declared, Indian skipper Rahul Dravid, surprisingly opening the innings, and Virender Sehwag safely negotiated 13 overs to reach 65 without loss when umpires abandoned the day’s proceedings with 19 overs remaining due to worsening light.
Sehwag, scoring freely at run-a-ball, and the more circumspect Dravid were untroubled in countering the new ball except for couple of express deliveries from Shoaib Akhtar that posed them problems. When play resumes on Sunday India will require a mammoth 415 runs to force Pakistan to bat again and avoid the humiliation of being followed on. Pakistan’s chances of putting Indians under pressure will depend on how well Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria bowl in next three days.
For the visitors it is going to be a daunting job but with the pitch being so placid they have the capacity and the capability to frustrate Pakistan from forcing a victory.
The pitch so far has been a paradise for batsmen and a nightmare for the bowlers but footmarks created by Irfan Pathan’s follow through at one end could cause concern for the batsmen especially on last two days.
Pakistan, 326 for two overnight, added an astonishing 353 runs off only 58.3 overs to advance to 679 with Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal joining Younis Khan in posting centuries as runs flowed from the willow at an amazing rate of almost six runs an over.
The real fireworks came during Afridi and Kamran’s sixth wicket stand that plundered a remarkable 170 off just 21.5 overs — an unbelievable rate of nearly eight runs an over.
The dynamic Afridi clubbed seven sixes — most of them would have comfortably cleared even the world’s biggest cricket grounds — and the same number of fours off just 80 balls. His second fifty came off less than 25 deliveries. It was Shahid’s fourth Test hundred and second against India.
The fiery all-rounder was exceptionally severe on off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for whom he clouted four successive sixes and took 27 runs in that unforgettable over.
Kamran, who celebrated his 25th birthday a day before, continued to grow in stature as a batsman took one ball more for his century and in the process hammered eleven fours and two sixes to complete his third Test hundred —- his second against India — before Inzamamul Haq applied the closure.
Earlier, overnight batsmen Younis ran himself out to become the seventh batsman on dreaded 199 having faced 336 balls. He hit 26 hits to the fence.
Yousuf needed five runs at the start of play to complete his 15th Test hundred, duly achieved the milestone and went on to score 173 off only 199 balls that included 22 boundaries and two sixes.
The two Ys added a monumental 319 runs for the third wicket.
For a change, Inzamam suffered a rare failure when he was lbw for one while trying to sweep Anil Kumble.
Indian frontline bowlers Kumble, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar and the luckless Harbhajan took heavy punishment and each passed the century mark.
Pakistan lost five wickets on Saturday, all gifted by the batsmen while attempting to accelerate the run rate. On such a dead strip the Indian bowlers made no impression on rampaging Pakistan batsmen.
The Indian ground fielding became ragged as the day progressed and some of the fielders seemed to be just going through the motion waiting for the declaration.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN (1st Innings, overnight 326-2):
Shoaib Malik c Harbhajan b Pathan 59
Salman Butt run out 6
Younis Khan run out 199
Mohammad Yousuf st Dhoni b Kumble 173
Inzamamul Haq lbw b Kumble 1
Shahid Afridi c Harbhajan b Agarkar 103
Kamran Akmal not out 102
Rana Navedul Hasan c Ganguly b Agarkar 9
Mohammad Sami not out 1
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-12, W-2, NB-8) 26
TOTAL (for seven wkts decl, 143.3 overs) 679
FALL OF WKTS: 1-12, 2-136, 3-455, 4-456, 5-477, 6-647, 7-668.
DID NOT BAT: Shoaib Akhtar, Danish Kaneria.
BOWLING: Irfan Pathan 32-4-133-1 (2nb); Agarkar 24-3-122-2 (2w); Ganguly 6-1-14-0 (3nb); Harbhajan Singh 34-5-176-0; Kumble 39.3-2-178-2 (3nb); Sehwag 6-0-24-0; Tendulkar 2-0-16-0.
INDIA (1st Innings):
V. Sehwag not out 36
R. Dravid not out 22
EXTRAS (LB-5, W-1, NB-1) 7
TOTAL (for no wkt, 13 overs) 65
TO BAT: V.V.S. Laxman, S.R. Tendulkar, S.C. Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, M.S. Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, A.B. Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, A. Kumble.
BOWLING (to-date): Shoaib Akhtar 5-2-14-0 (1w); Rana Navedul Hasan 4-0-23–0; Shahid Afridi 2-0-12-0 (1nb); Mohammad Sami 2-0-11-0.
Batsmen dismissed for 199 in Tests
Mudassar Nazar Pakistan v India Faisalabad 1984-85
M. Azharuddin India v Sri Lanka Kanpur 1986-87
S.T. Jayasuriya Sri Lanka v India Colombo (SSC) 1997-98
M.T.G. Elliott Australia v England Headingley 1997
S.R. Waugh Australia v West Indies Bridgetown 1998-99
A. Flower Zimbabwe v South Africa Harare 2001-02
Younis Khan Pakistan v India Lahore 2005-06
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