Email Us Forum Mail Article Print Article

Pakistan level series in style

Saturday, April 10 2004

Pakistan lost little time in bagging the second test at the start of Day 4, thanks largely to Danish Kaneria who wrapped up the tail with some haste, leaving the home side with the formality of knocking off 40 for victory.

As the second test between Pakistan and India entered the fourth day, the visitors' second innings stood at a shaky 149-5, still the small matter of 53 in arrears. The not out batsmen, Virender Sehwag on 86 and Parthiv Patel with 13 to his name had added 44 the previous evening, but if India were to have anything other than the most remote change of victory, at least one of the pair was going to have to play an innings of epic proportions.

Shoaib Akhtar commenced proceedings bowling to Sehwag and the reluctant opener lost little time in advancing his own account with a sharp single, raising the Indian 150 in the process. Patel too plundered a single of the speedster's first over, then Sami started his day’s work with a tight over of his own.

The Indians were finding runs difficult to come by, so much so that a mere seven came from the first five overs before Patel found the ropes for the first time, clipping a short delivery from Sami through fine leg for four. Shoaib Akhtar struck in his next over, and it was Sehwag, triple centurion at Multan, who left the arena, caught behind by Kamran Akmal off a thickish edge for 90.

Four balls later and 160-6 had become 160-7 as new batsman Irfan Pathan failed to negotiate a snorting, spitting Shoaib bouncer and the young all-rounder could only pop the ball up to Taufeeq Umar at second slip for an ignominious duck.

Enter Ajit Agarkar into the fray and he was soon into free flow, smacking a ball from first innings hero Umar Gul to the extra cover boundary. Patel too found short, wide balls to his liking as he too penetrated the packed off side field behind square. Another great shot by Patel off the bowling of Shoaib took his own contribution to 40, then more fun and games by Agarkar, swinging lustily, took the Indian total past 200 and into credit.

As Sami erred in length once more to Parthiv Patel, the Indian wicket-keeper smeared the ball square of cover point to register a fine fifty - a shot which heralded the introduction of spin for the first time in the day. Ajit Agarkar came down the track to Danish Kaneria twice in the leg-spinner's second over with good clean hits to the fence, but when Agarkar tried to defend, he was immediately undone, edging to Taufeeq Umar at slip. Agarkar had contributed a fine 36 out of a valuable 75 partnership.

There was time for Patel to pelt Sami past gulley for yet another boundary but he was unable to retain the strike. New batsman Anil Kumble looked awkward in defence, jabbing down on two deliveries from Kaneria, but when he tried to repeat the exercise a third time, Kumble seemed to overbalance slightly. A loud appeal for a stumping looked far from a formality but India had lost their ninth second innings wicket courtesy of the third umpire. One ball later and Balaji had perished for a duck of his own, leg before wicket.

India's resistance had lasted all but two hours, in the process thay had added 92 for their last 5 wickets. There was time for just one over before lunch, Imran Farhat cracking a wide delivery from Irfan Pathan through the off side for four.

The afternoon session was short and very sweet indeed for Pakistan's supporters. Taufeeq Umar plundered three boundaries in a bright and breezy knock, but Imran Farhat perished courtesy of a fabulous catch by Yuvraj Singh, leaping salmon-like to clutch the ball at point to give Balaji a brief moment of joy in an otherwise barren day for India.

Yasir Hameed found the fence three times in quick time and that was that. Pakistan, the victors by the comfortable margin of 9 wickets, had levelled the series in fine fashion. The series is now nicely poised with one to play. Umar Gul deservedly picked up the Man of the Match award for his brilliant first innings salvo of 5-31 which had put India behind the eight ball as early as the first morning, a position they never successfully extricated themselves from at any time over the next three days.

Pakistan 489 (Inzamam-ul-Haq 118, Imran Farhat 101, Asim Kamal 73, Yousuf Youhana 72, Balaji 3-81, Pathan 3-107)
and 40-1
beat
India 287 (Yuvraj Singh 112, Umar Gul 5-31)
And
241 (Sehwag 90, Patel 62, Danish Kaneria 3-14, Shoaib Akhtar 3-62)
by 9 wickets



Posted by Eddie