By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, IANS
Bangalore : Pakistan fought back and were 369 for five, replying to India’s first innings score of 626, at the close of third day’s play in the final Test match here Monday.
Half-centuries from stand-in captain Younis Khan (80, 220 minutes, 156 balls, 12x4s), opener Salman Butt (68, 206 minutes, 149 balls, 13x4s) and Misbah-ul-Haq (54 not out, 192 minutes, 162 balls, 8x4s) kept alive Pakistan’s hopes of at least saving the Test at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. At stumps, Misbah was batting with Kamran Akmal (32 not out, 192 minutes, 162 balls, 8x4s).
Pakistan need to win this match to level the series 1-1 and avoid becoming the first team since 1979 to lose a Test series in India, still trail by 257 runs and need 58 more to avert the follow-on.
With a solid Misbah and a doughty Akmal at the crease, they look like easily achieving the follow-on target on the penultimate day. The pitch is also assisting batsmen.
India’s 70 extras, comprising a whopping 31 byes, 25 leg-byes and 14 no-balls broke their own record and is just one run short of the unwanted world record of 71 extras by the West Indies, also against Pakistan in Georgetown in 1988. India’s previous record of 60 was against England in Birmingham in 1979.
Lanky pacer Ishant Sharma was the worst offender, overstepping the line eight times, as his problems with no balls continued in his second Test.
Barring pacer Sourav Ganguly, the six-man Indian attack sent down an erratic line throughout the day while Dinesh Karthik’s wicket-keeping left a lot to be desired. He conceded an unusually high 31 byes as the bowling and wicket-keeping contributed in Pakistan clawing to the game.
Pakistan dominated all three sessions. In the fist session, they scored 94 off 28 overs and lost Butt after he registered his highest against India. The Ganguly delivery moved just enough to induce the left-hander to edge the ball to Karthik for a well made second half-century of the series.
In the second session, Pakistan scored 85 off 31 overs and lost Younis and Mohammed Yousuf in two overs. While Younis was bowled attempting a reverse sweep shot off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, Yousuf was caught by Yuvraj Singh at point off pacer Irfan Pathan.
The third and final session was Pakistan’s most profitable as they tallied 104 off 31 overs while losing Faisal Iqbal (22). Iqbal got out as he failed to keep the ball down while playing a defensive shot to a Sharma delivery that jumped a bit more.
But credit is due to Younis, Butt and Misbah, who took full advantage of India’s undisciplined performance and gave Pakistan a fighting chance.
Misbah particularly was in total control of the situation as he played his shots with assurance. Younis too was in good touch and reverse-swept Harbhajan Singh and the stroke also was his undoing as he missed one to be bowled by the off-spinner.
Opener Butt, who looked good for big knock, was caught behind off Ganguly for 68.
SCOREBOARD
Day 3, Third Test, India vs. Pakistan, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
India (1st innings): 626
Pakistan (1st innings, overnight 86/1):
Salman Butt c Karthik b Ganguly 68
Yasir Hameed lbw b Kumble 19
Younis Khan b Harbhajan 80
Mohammad Yousuf c Yuvraj b Pathan 24
Misbah-ul-Haq batting 54
Faisal Iqbal c Gambhir b Sharma 22
Kamran Akmal batting 32
Extras: (byes 31, leg byes 25, no balls 14) 70
Total: (for five wickets in 117 overs) 369
Fall of wickets: 1-59 (Hameed, 16.3 overs), 2-149 (Butt, 46.2), 3-221 (Younis, 69.1), 4-227 (Yousuf, 70.6), 5-288 (Iqbal, 96.1)
Bowling:
Irfan Pathan 28 11 61 1
Ishant Sharma 23 7 88 1 (8nb)
Anil Kumble 28 8 71 1
Sourav Ganguly 10 2 20 1 (1nb)
Harbhajan Singh 23 6 66 1
Yuvraj Singh 5 2 7 0 (1nb)
Umpires: Simon Taufel (Australia) and Rudi Koertzen (South Africa)
Third umpire: G.A. Pratapkumar (India)
Fourth umpire: Suhas Phadkar (India)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)