However one shouldn't forget that some important umpiring decisions went against Indians
As they went against Pakistan in the first test.
The game was lost when UMAR gul took 5 quick wkt, and don't forget Umar got injured and didn't bowled after that.India were 7 down at 150 then, had Umar gul continued India would have certainly bowled out to a csore less than 200!!
I don't think so. The wicket had eased up considerably and I don't think Umer Gul's viles would have been enough to restrict India under 200. This could have been done by sheer pace and toe-crushing yorkers, which Pakistanies failed to do.
I personally think that the wicket played well throughout the test match with the exception of the usual first two hours.
As for Sachin choking, I find the notion ridiculus. If Sehwag had failed to score considerably in the second match, would he have been termed as a choker too?
Pathan bowled really well, and since It isnt often that Pakistanies play left arm fasties, they usually struggle against the indippers bowled from round the wicket. [A thing often commented upon by the experts]. I wasn't too impressed with Kumble though. I agree with Arjun [Who in other thread pointed out] that Pakistanies are compartively weaker against the spinners then right hand fasties, and the inclusion of Powar or Karthik in place of Agarkar wouldn't be a bad idea. I personally don't think that Agarkar is a test class player.
If the Indians can get Inzamam and Taufeeq Umer out cheaply, they'll have the Pakistan team firmly by the balls. [Other players, with the exception of Yohanna cannot be relied upon].
I can't find any fault with Dravid decision of going out to bat. There wasn't anything very extraordinarily bad with the wicket. India had a decidedly better line-up and Pakistani wickets are known to play bad on the fifth/fourth day. On the other hand they aren't known for huge amount of lateral movement [Which I never saw in Lahore]. The decision of batting first had worked earlier and no wonder they hoped to more or less repeat their earlier performance.
Also remember that the bulk of wickets fell after the first hour, when Umer Gul came to bat. They were more the result of some careless swishing outside the off-stump [by the somewhat over-confident Indian outfit] then the result of sensational bowling.
If Pakistan has to win the Rawalpindi game, Shoaib and Sami have to deliver. Umer Gul can come up with a sinsilating performance once in a while, but he cannot be backed the repeat the same feat over and again. The only problem is that unlike Wasim and Waqar, where Waqar was the allout attacker, and Wasim the threatening defender, all Sami and Shoaib do is attack. They don't worry about the concension and accumulation of runs, which after a while began's to tell. I would dearly love to have Shabbir back in the team, he is a much better and threatening bowler then Umer Gul IMO and extract more out of a pitch then him and besides, can do the donkey work if required. [The fatigue of Umer Gul was clearly evident after bowling a horde of overs on the first day].
