The Hindu : Sport : Kumble’s strikes give India a slight edge

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Sunday, Nov 25, 2007
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Kumble’s strikes give India a slight edge

S. Dinakar

Pakistan’s second innings effort leaves match tantalisingly poised

— Photo: S. Subramanium

PICTURE OF JOY: Anil Kumble gave India the first breakthrough, dismissing Yasir Hameed, after the Pakistan openers had made a godd start.

New Delhi: It’s time for the endgame in the cauldron. Strategic and technical skills apart, the situation calls for a calm head.

At stumps on another eventful day cut short by poor light, Pakistan was 212 for five in its second innings at Ferozeshah Kotla on Saturday. Pakistan, 45 adrift in the first innings, leads by 167.

Any target beyond 250 could make severe demands on India on a surface that could pose tougher questions for the batsmen on the last two days. India has a slight edge, but needs to dismiss Pakistan before lunch on Sunday.

Fluctuating fortunes

It’s winter here but the first IndianOil Test is on the boil. The tension was visible on the field of play as the match swung one way, then the other.

Misbah-ul-Haq was just one when Wasim Jaffer floored a chest-high offering at short-leg after the batsman pushed forward tentatively to Anil Kumble. India has already paid for the lapse.

Kamran Akmal (21 batting) and Misbah (29 batting) have added 51 in 12.3 overs. These are significant runs in a low-scoring game.

Under the weather, Misbah batted a slot below Akmal. During his 34-ball unbeaten blitz, Misbah twice smote Harbhajan Singh over the mid-wicket ropes, struck Kumble against the turn. The winter dew has prevented this otherwise dry pitch from breaking up, but there was some encouragement for the spinners. The bounce from the Old Pavilion end continues to be uneven. Kumble was a distinct threat.

The skipper had to be on the ball after the pacemen, Munaf Patel in particular, disappointed. The openers were provided width and Pakistan motored along to 71 in 25.1 overs.

Kumble achieved the breakthrough. Yasir Hameed has a rather jerky forward defence and a silly point was in place. Laxman plucked a catch that was anticipation first and reflexes next.

Salman Butt (67, 140b, 11 x 4) tends to be flashy on the off-side and Kumble posted a slip and gully with a vacant deep point and third man. The plan was to tempt the batsman to doom. The left-hander survived, even profited, against the pacemen with a stream of boundaries. Kumble, who intelligently went round the wicket, lured Butt into an attempted glide with a googly. Dravid held a smart catch at slip.

Kumble was crafty, mixing his leg-spinners, top spinners and googlies. He varied his pace and changed the angle. It was the use of the crease that led to Younis Khan misreading a straighter delivery that skidded through.

Harbhajan strikes

Harbhajan improved in the last session. It was his flight that led to Mohammad Yousuf miscuing an intended drive back to the bowler. This was a prize scalp.

Pakistan lost its fourth wicket after tea when skipper Shoaib Malik played on, after making room to crash a Harbhajan off-spinner through cover.

In the morning, Danish Kaneria consumed Anil Kumble with a perfect leg-spinner and finished with four wickets. Laxman remained unbeaten with a timely unbeaten 72 (135b, 8x4). However, he could have dominated the bowling towards the end.

SCOREBOARD

Pakistan — 1st innings: 231.

India — 1st innings: W. Jaffer lbw b Akhtar 32, D. Karthik c Akmal b Akhtar 9, R. Dravid b Tanvir 38, S. Tendulkar (run out) 1, S. Ganguly b Tanvir 8, V.V.S Laxman (not out) 72, M.S. Dhoni c Akmal b Kaneria 57, A. Kumble c Yousuf b Kaneria 24, Harbhajan b Tanvir 1, Zaheer c Akhtar b Kaneria 9, Munaf lbw b Kaneria 0; Extras (b-11, lb-8, nb-5, w-1): 25. Total (in 78.4 overs): 276.

Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Karthik), 2-71 (Jaffer), 3-73 (Tendulkar), 4-88 (Ganguly), 5-93 (Dravid), 6-208 (Dhoni), 7-262 (Kumble), 8-263 (Harbhajan), 9-276 (Zaheer).

Pakistan bowling: Akhtar 16-2-44-2, Tanvir 24-5-83-3, Sami 17-1-71-0, Kaneria 21.4-3-59-4.

Pakistan — 2nd innings: S. Butt c Dravid b Kumble 67, Y. Hameed c Laxman b Kumble 36, Younis lbw b Kumble 23, M. Yousuf c & b Harbhajan 18, S. Malik b Harbhajan 11, K. Akmal (batting) 21, Misbah (batting) 29; Extras (lb-6, nb-1): 7. Total (for five wkts in 65.5 overs): 212.

Fall of wickets: 1-71 (Hameed), 2-114 (Younis), 3-149 (Yousuf), 4-155 (Butt), 5-161 (Malik).

India bowling: Zaheer 11-2-32-0, Munaf 9-1-48-0, Kumble 20.5-7-55-3, Ganguly 8-2-16-0, Harbhajan 15-4-51-2, Tendulkar 2-0-4-0.

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