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| January 24, 2006 | Tuesday | Zilhaj 23, 1426 |
India make fitting reply thanks to Dhoni, Dravid
FAISALABAD, Jan 23: Contrasting centuries by skipper Rahul Dravid and Mahendra Singh Dhoni inspired India make a fitting reply in the record-laden second Test against Pakistan at the Iqbal Stadium on Monday.
Dravid led the way with a rock-solid 103, his 22nd century in 96 Tests. The ebullient Dhoni then stole the limelight by a raising 93-ball maiden Test hundred as the tourists closed at 441 for five in reply to Pakistan’s 588.
Dhoni, who later admitted it was his best knock under pressure, increased the game’s tempo with an entertaining unbeaten 116 on a day when tempers flared and glares were exchanged whilst the players felt the frustration of going through the motions.
The wicket-keeper/batsman dominated the last three hours of play, cut short by six overs, as he and Irfan Pathan joined forces to notch up an Indian record sixth-wicket partnership of 160 against Pakistan, erasing the 143-run stand between Mohammad Azharuddin and Kapil Dev at Kolkata in 1986-87.
Irfan Pathan survived a close call, when Kamran Akmal dropped him off Mohammad Asif, to finish the day on a resolute 96-ball 49 and his team 147 runs behind Pakistan’s first innings total.
The docile nature of Faisalabad pitch is virtually bound to condemn this match into yet another tedious draw here unless something dramatic takes place in the remaining two days.
Not even Shoaib Akhtar’s thunderbolts created any sort of panic in the Indian dressing room while four wickets fell for 45 runs after a fruitless opening session.
The early dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar cheaply failed to allow the Indians get flustered either as they added 331 to the overnight total of 110 for one.
But at least 15 wickets have fallen in the match thus far in the three days of action since the sun has shone over the city, something which was a rarity in the series opener in Lahore.
With good weather and a result-oriented promised for Karachi, the series still stands a chance of being decided either way in the third and final Test, which starts at the National Stadium from Sunday.
Meanwhile, the teams have taken ample opportunity to cash in on the batsmen-friendly pitches. Until Monday a grand total of 10 centuries have been recorded in the series.
The struggling bowlers, in sharp contrast, have collectively toiled manfully to snare 20 wickets in the series while three batsmen were run out, including Younis Khan for 199 at Lahore.
The same fate befell Dravid soon after the 33-year-old had completed his second consecutive century as captain with a delicate late cut off Shahid Afridi.
Dravid’s fifth century in 10 appearances against Pakistan was memorable in one sense since it also made him the only the sixth Indian to accumulate 1,000 runs (when he reached 68) against the arch-rivals.
Dravid, aptly nicknamed as ‘The Wall’ was at his impregnable best during his 342-minute stay in the middle. After striking 17 boundaries, a large portion of them coming through the off-side, and having taken care of 208 deliveries he was gone.
Imran Farhat, substituting for the incapacitated Pakistan skipper Inzamamul Haq, scored a direct hit while swooping in from square-leg before Dravid could ground his bat at the striker’s end after Tendulkar called him for a non-existed run.
By then Laxman was already back in the hut, bottom edging a Danish Kaneria leg-break to wicket-keeper for 90, after he and Dravid had set a partnership record.
Their 197-run stand off 396 balls in 268 minutes is India’s best for the second-wicket against Pakistan, surpassing the 135 added by Navjot Singh Sidhu and Sanjay Manjrekar at Karachi in 1989-90.
Yuvraj Singh, promoted to No 5, never settled down. He perished for four to a well-judged catch on the long-leg boundary by Kaneria to Asif a well-deserved maiden Test wicket.
Tendulkar made only 13 before Shoaib Akhtar, armed with the second new ball, forced the little batsman to glove a leg-side catch to Kamran. Replays suggested some doubt as umpire Simon Taufel took a while to raise his finger, but Tendulkar had already started walking.
At 281 for five, Pakistan sensed more breakthroughs and the possibility of India being forced to follow-on. However, Dhoni and Pathan put an end to those aspirations.
Dhoni charged as Afridi does, heaving strokes all over the field. Early in his innings, he pulled Shoaib Akhtar over square-leg into the stands and brought up his half-century in 34 balls with two massive strikes off Kaneria in the midwicket direction. One shot sailed out of the stadium.
Kaneria conceded another six over long-off before Dhoni, playing only his fourth Test, got to the 100-run mark in 129 minutes with the aid of four sixes and 12 fours. The long-haired player, born in Ranchi 23 years ago, slammed two more boundaries before stumps.
Irfan Pathan was circumspect compared to his partner but again confirmed his emergence as an all-rounder.
The bowling was always going to be arduous task. However, Shoaib Akhtar struck his guns and crossed the 150kph mark a number of times as acting skipper Younis Khan rotated the bowlers.
Asif bowled impressively as he did on Sunday and was desperately unlucky not to pick up more wickets.
Kaneria extracted some sharp turns but Abdul Razzaq was erratic, going for over four runs an over and being clattered around for 17 boundaries.
Shahid Afridi was probably under-bowled by Younis, but whenever he was called upon, the crowd would go wild with excitement.
Scoreboard
Pakistan (1st innings) 588 (Younis Khan 83, Mohammad Yousuf 65, Inzamam-ul Haq 119, Shahid Afridi 156, R. Singh 4-89, Zaheer Khan 3-135, A. Kumble 3-150)
India (1st innings) (overnight 110-1):
V. Sehwag c sub (Farhat) b Razzaq 31
R. Dravid run out 103
V. Laxman c Akmal b Kaneria 90
S. Tendulkar c Akmal b Akhtar 14
Y. Singh c Kaneria b Asif 4
M. Dhoni not out 116
Irfan Pathan not out 49
Extras: (b2, lb12, w2, nb18) 34
Total (for five wkts, 121 overs) 441
Fall of wkts: 1-39, 2-236, 3-241, 4-258, 5-281
Bowling: Akhtar 22-7-73-1, Asif 27-4-89-1, Razzaq 23-1-109-1, Kaneria 32-3-94-1, Afridi 17-0-62-0
Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (RSA), Simon Taufel (AUS)
TV umpire: Zameer Haider (PAK)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)
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