Run-fest at Lahore

353 runs. 56.3 overs. Seems like a score from a one-day match (if you ignore the 6.3 extra overs, and muse over the run rate). But it isn’t. The stats show how Pakistani batsmen went about their business today at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. On the flattest of pitches, one that Navjot Singh Sidhu might refer to as “dead as a dodo”, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal took turns tormenting the Indian bowlers, before Inzamam-ul-Haq finally declared the Pakistan first innings at 679 for the loss of seven wickets.

India’s reply, before bad light stopped play well before the stipulated overs for the day has been bowled, was enough to show that the most likely result for the match is a draw. Despite being hurled short stuff consistently by the pacemen, the two openers, Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid managed to take India to 65 at five an over, seeming hardly troubled in the process. Although avoiding the follow-on is still a far way ahead, unless the home bowlers don’t do something out of the extraordinary, it looks as if it will be another run-riot tomorrow.

Indian bowlers had a torrid time in the middle, most of them going well above four and a half an over. While Younis Khan grafted through, Mohammad Yousuf decided to take the charge immediately after reaching his century. The pair put on 129 runs in 22.3 over in the morning session itself, before luck came India’s way as Yousuf misjudged Kumble’s flight and was found well short of his crease when Mahendra Singh Dhoni took the bails off. Yousuf ended his innings at a personal score of 173, the last 73 coming at more than a run a ball. Inzamam followed in succession though, his run of huge scores ending finally, trapped plumb in front off Kumble, with just a slimmer of hope for the visitors to avoid a huge score.

Younis continued on patiently meanwhile, progressing to another huge score against India, to follow up 147 and 267 he made last year. His knock came to an unfortunate end though, as he was run out off a direct hit from Harbhajan Singh, one short of a double hundred. Younis drove to mid on, and set off for a run, only to be sent back by Afridi, for Kumble had blocked him, and was found well short of his ground, despite a gallant dive. At this point, India had picked up three wickets for 22 runs in the last eight overs of so, but how they must be wishing now that they hadn’t! What followed was a massacre; Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal thrashed the bowlers all around the park much to the frenzy of the modest crowd.

Afridi targeted Harbhajan, as he smacked him for a six to inaugurate the proceedings. He was particularly slow to get to his fifty; it took him 55 balls which is uncharacteristic considering what came next. Harbhajan’s 34th over cost 27 runs, one short of a world record for most runs off an over in a Test match, as Afridi went berseck, hitting the first four balls all for mammoth sixes. Later in the day, in an interview, Afridi said he had already made up his mind to hit six sixes off that particular over, and couldn’t because the ball got wet and thus resulted in a miscued shot off the fifth ball. He brought up his century off only 78 balls, including seven sixes.

As if Afridi’s mauling of the bowlers wasn’t enough, Akmal was cracking boundaries at the other end as well, and within the blink of an eye brought up his own half century. Afridi notched up his hundred, with a daring boundary off Agarkar, but was out two balls later caught at long on. The partnership ended at 179 runs, but the key factor was that it had taken on 122 balls. Inzamam delayed the declaration, waiting for Akmal to get to his century. Another wicket fell by the time the small wicket-keeper moved into the nineties, that of Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, off a brilliant catch in the outfield by Sourav Ganguly that even brought a smile on the lips of Greg Chappell. But Akmal brought up the ton in 81 balls, the fastest ever by a wicket-keeper with a thumping pull of Kumble, signalling the end of the innings as well as the misery of the Indian bowlers.

Pakistan 679/7 (declared) in 143.3 overs
Younis Khan 199, Mohammad Yousuf 173, Shahid Afridi 103, Kamran Akmal 102
AB Agarkar 2/122, A Kumble 2/178

India 65/0 in 13.0 overs
V Sehwag 36*, R Dravid 22*

India trail by 614 runs, with 10 first innings wickets in hand