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Sehwag on Cloud 309

Tuesday, March 30 2004

The weather was hot today in Multan - and none felt it more than the home side as India batted Pakistan out of the game on day 2 of the historic first test match.

The paradise which was the batting strip in the middle of the Multan Cricket Stadium showed no sign of doing anything other than breaking the hearts of the Pakistani bowlers this morning as Shoaib Akhtar commenced proceedings with a well pitched-up delivery to Sachin Tendulkar, undefeated on 60. At the other end stood Virender Sehwag, the reluctant opener with the small matter of 228 against his name.

Tendulkar clipped the first delivery past square leg for a couple with the air of a man totally in control. Yesterday, he had nursed Sehwag through numerous crises as he made his way past 200 for the first time in his relatively short but already glittering test career. Sehwag opened his own account for the day with a neat single, then bludgeoned his first boundary backward of square as Mohammad Sami erred leg side. Two balls later, an over-adjustment by the bowler was simply smashed past point for four more to move past Sunil Gavaskar's best and elevated himself to third in the pecking-order.

Twenty minutes later, a circumspect Sehwag had inched past his current batting partner in the all-time list with a single, taking him to 242. The manic performance of yesterday had been tempered, and in its place an air of quiet confidence. Tendulkar stood tall and belted Sami through the covers as the partnership went past 200, but there were many, many more milestones to come.

A drive wide of mid-on took Sehwag beyond 250, then a nudged single off Shoaib Akhtar took India beyond 400 a moment before the first drinks interval. It was already looking hard going for the home side and the Indians, if not exactly making hay, were having little difficulty in keeping the scoreboard ticking over.

A double bowling change witnessed the introduction of Shabbir Ahmed and Abdul Razzaq and the pair kept matters tight awhile, but Sehwag broke the shackles with a blistering shot through midwicket to take the partnership beyond 250. Sehwag should have been run out as he scampered back in what looked a forlorn hope of giving Tendulkar the strike, but Abdul Razzaq somehow contrived to be just out of arms reach of the stumps with the non-striker a yard short of his ground. By the time he had spooned the ball on to the wicket, he was home. After the next ball, Tendulkar was celebrating his 33rd test hundred.

As Sehwag moved ever closer to Laxman's Indian record, he survived his third clear chance with a fortunate boundary through the slips off the bowling of the hapless Shabbir Ahmed. The next delivery was short and wide, smashed for four past point. The record belonged to Sehwag. Another edge, another chance, another four and he was in to the 290's when lunch interrupted proceedings.

For 20 minutes after the resumption, Sehwag bided his time, then he advanced down the track to launch Saqlain Mushtaq high over midwicket for a quite extraordinary six. India could celebrate their first triple-centurion. The 500 was raised with scarcely a murmur as we awaited an onslaught from Sehwag. Instead of an assault on Matthew Hayden’s world record, though, we were treated to something equally as unlikely in the context of this game - a Pakistani fielder holding a catch. Mohammad Sami found the edge of Sehwag's bat and Taufeeq Umar held the chance at first slip to dismiss Virender Sehwag for 309.

VVS Laxman played a surprisingly subdued innings under the circumstances, content to give the strike to Tendulkar as India marched ever onward. Laxman's innings should have been ended by Saqlain Mushtaq, but Imran Farhat was guilty of putting down an absolute dolly at midwicket. Instead, his blushes were spared moments later when a superb throw by Youhana left Laxman inches short of his ground.

Into the fray was thrust Yuvraj Singh, playing only his second test match, and until the tea interval he was content to knock the ball around for singles and watch the more flamboyant goings-on at the other end as Tendulkar crunched successive boundaries through the covers. Immediately after the interval, though, it was quite another matter as Yuvraj tore into the bowling of Mohammad Sami, plundering a brace of boundaries.

A series of singles took India past 600, then two more boundaries by Yuvraj left Saqlain Mushtaq scratching his ample beard in thought. More of the same took the partnership past 50, and in the process Yuvraj was outscoring his more illustrious partner by two to one. Tendulkar drove Saqlain straight back to the bowler, but the Pakistani generosity to their guests continued, the catch being spurned once more.

The return of Shoaib Akhtar into the attack heralded the approach of the second new ball, but more to the point it also presented Yuvraj Singh with his first test match fifty. A short ball on middle and leg was pulled with immense power, then Tendulkar repeated the treatment to the same bowler. The crowd were treated to a brief interlude of David Shepherd's antics when the score reached 666, each leap being greeted by cheers from the spectators.

Yuvraj tamely patted a slower ball back to Imran Farhat as India's fifth wicket went down on 675, and much to everyone's surprise Rahul Dravid declared the innings closed with Tendulkar stranded on 194 not out.

Sachin Tendulkar could console himself with the small matter of a world record - he has now scored 495 runs in test cricket since his last dismissal, when Brad Williams picked him up for 44 in Melbourne last December. Since then, Tendulkar has managed 241* and 60* in the Sydney test in January, followed by today's effort. What a start to 2004 for the Little Master, who ended 2003 in such scratchy form.

Faced with the daunting prospect of scoring 476 just to make India bat again, Pakistan were understandably watchful as they began their reply. Imran Farhat opened his account with a nudged couple of Zaheer Khan, then Taufeeq Umar registered a single with a gentle push to mid off. Irfan Pathan defeated the defensive push of Taufeeq Umar with an absolute beauty, but the batsman responded with a cracking drive through midwicket to register the first boundary.

Anil Kumble made his customary early entrance into the proceedings with a relatively unthreatening maiden to Taufeeq Umar, then Imran Farhat found the boundary for the first time with a flowing drive off Pathan. Chopra narrowly avoided being cleaned up at short leg as Taufeeq Umar swept Kumble to the midwicket boundary when the spinner gave the ball plenty of air, then Imran Farhat drove to the point boundary with some aplomb.

The man of the day, Virender Sehwag, was given the final over of the day and all but dismissed Taufeeq Umar, the Pakistani opener edging the ball just wide of first slip. At the end of the 16th and final over, Pakistan had successfully passed their first of many tests, closing with all wickets intact and with 42 of the deficit wiped away.

Close of play summary - Day 2

Pakistan 42-0 (Taufeeq Umar 20*, Imran Farhat 17*)
trail
India 675-5 dcl (Sehwag 309, Tendulkar 194*, Yuvraj Singh 59, Mohammad Sami 2-110)
by 633 runs with all 10 wickets in hand


Posted by Eddie