Wasim Jaffer hit a brisk half-century as India kept alive their hopes of forcing a win in the second Test against Pakistan here on Monday. The opener followed his first-innings 202 with 56 to help the hosts reach 141-2 in their second innings for an overall lead of 301 at stumps on the penultimate day.
India, leading 1-0 in the three-Test series, shuffled their batting order to gather quick runs in a bid to set a testing fourth-innings target for Pakistan on the fifth and final day. Hard-hitting Mahendra Singh Dhoni (28) and Sourav Ganguly (24), who were promoted in the batting order, were at the crease when bad light stopped play. Pakistan will need to bat more than two sessions on a last-day pitch on Tuesday if India declare their second innings closed during the morning session.
Misbah-ul-Haq earlier gave Pakistan a lifeline when he remained unbeaten with a gutsy 161 to help his side avoid a follow-on. The middle-order batsman showed remarkable determination and concentration under pressure, forcing India to bat again in the match when he had only tailenders to give him company. Pakistan were bowled out for 456 in the afternoon in reply to India's first-innings total of 616-5 declared, with Misbah and Sami adding 91 crucial runs for the seventh wicket.
Skipper Anil Kumble kept rotating his bowlers to break the Misbah-Sami stand, but it was part-time spinner Venkatsai Laxman who provided the breakthrough. When Laxman had Sami (38) caught by Jaffer at mid-off, Pakistan had already averted the follow-on. Sami struck a six off leg-spinner Kumble and two fours. Harbhajan finished with 5-122, his 20th haul of five or more wickets in a Test innings. Kumble took three wickets.
West Indies umpire Billy Doctrove was off the field for an hour in the morning after feeling unwell. He was replaced with third-umpire Amish Saheba of India.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Akmal, Misbah star in Pakistan's fightback – Day 3
Kamran Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq cracked impressive centuries under pressure to sustain Pakistan's hopes of avoiding the follow-on in the second Test against India here on Sunday. Akmal scored a solid 119 for his fifth hundred and Misbah 108 not out for his maiden ton, as Pakistan recovered from 150-5 to post 358-6 in their first innings at stumps on the third day in reply to India's 616-5 declared.
The tourists, trailing 1-0 in the three-Test series, now require 59 more runs with four wickets in hand to make India bat again in the match. They were in trouble in the morning after losing four big wickets in the space of 73 runs in a poor batting display on a good track.
Pakistan's batting problems continued as stand-in captain Younis Khan (43) and Faisal Iqbal fell in the space of 16 runs to leave their team wobbling at 150-5. Younis, leading the side in the absence of unfit Shoaib Malik, hit a six off Harbhajan and five fours before falling to a rash stroke. He was caught behind trying to drive an away-going delivery from Patel.
Shoaib Malik, who was injured playing football after the first Test, is doubtful for the third and final match starting in Bangalore on December 8.
The tourists, trailing 1-0 in the three-Test series, now require 59 more runs with four wickets in hand to make India bat again in the match. They were in trouble in the morning after losing four big wickets in the space of 73 runs in a poor batting display on a good track.
Pakistan's batting problems continued as stand-in captain Younis Khan (43) and Faisal Iqbal fell in the space of 16 runs to leave their team wobbling at 150-5. Younis, leading the side in the absence of unfit Shoaib Malik, hit a six off Harbhajan and five fours before falling to a rash stroke. He was caught behind trying to drive an away-going delivery from Patel.
Shoaib Malik, who was injured playing football after the first Test, is doubtful for the third and final match starting in Bangalore on December 8.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
India on a strong position on Day 2
VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly completed their centuries to take India to a formidable total against Pakistan in the second Test on Saturday. Laxman scored an unbeaten 112 for his 11th Test hundred and left-handed Ganguly a solid 102 for his 14th, as India posted a mammoth 616-5 declared in their first innings after resuming at 352-3.
Under-pressure Pakistan lost Yasir Hameed (21) in leg-spinner Anil Kumble's opening over before reaching 50-1 on the second day. Salman Butt (26) and Younis Khan (three) were at the crease when bad light stopped play.
Laxman and Ganguly were not the only batsmen to reach the three-figure mark against a hapless Pakistani attack on a flat track as opener Wasim Jaffer (202) earlier completed his second double-century. Mahendra Singh Dhoni also joined the party, smashing one six and six fours in his unbeaten 50. India's total was their highest against Pakistan at home, surpassing the previous best of 539-9 declared at Chennai in 1961.
Nearly 60,000 spectators enjoyed the run feast at Eden Gardens as Ganguly scored his first Test hundred on his home ground before Laxman completed his century with a string of elegant strokes. "It feels nice to get a hundred anywhere, but at Eden Gardens it feels a bit different because I've played all my life in this ground and to have ended without a Test hundred here would have been disappointing," said Ganguly.
Under-pressure Pakistan lost Yasir Hameed (21) in leg-spinner Anil Kumble's opening over before reaching 50-1 on the second day. Salman Butt (26) and Younis Khan (three) were at the crease when bad light stopped play.
Laxman and Ganguly were not the only batsmen to reach the three-figure mark against a hapless Pakistani attack on a flat track as opener Wasim Jaffer (202) earlier completed his second double-century. Mahendra Singh Dhoni also joined the party, smashing one six and six fours in his unbeaten 50. India's total was their highest against Pakistan at home, surpassing the previous best of 539-9 declared at Chennai in 1961.
Nearly 60,000 spectators enjoyed the run feast at Eden Gardens as Ganguly scored his first Test hundred on his home ground before Laxman completed his century with a string of elegant strokes. "It feels nice to get a hundred anywhere, but at Eden Gardens it feels a bit different because I've played all my life in this ground and to have ended without a Test hundred here would have been disappointing," said Ganguly.
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