By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, IANS
New Delhi : Maestro Sachin Tendulkar scored his career’s 46th half-century to ensure India’s six-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Test here Monday, and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Tendulkar — who scored an unbeaten 56 (109 balls, 168 minutes, 9x4s) and hit the winning boundary off fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar — was accompanied by V.V.S. Laxman (6, 13 balls, 18 minutes, 1×4) at the crease when the victory was sealed on the morning of the fifth and final day.
Chasing 203 for a win, India finished India at 203 for four wickets in 61.1 overs. Pakistan scored 231 in their first innings after captain Shoaib Malik won the toss, and India replied with 276 — a lead of 45. In their second innings, Pakistan made 247.
Anil Kumble, captaining India for the first time, was adjudged the Man of the Match for his seven-wicket match haul.
India needed just 32 minutes and 6.2 overs on the final morning to record their second successive win at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium. In the previous match in 1999, leg-spinner Kumble had taken 14 wickets, including all 10 in the second innings, to win the match.
“It feels great to start on a winning note. The mood is great in the dressing room,” said Kumble, minutes after the match.
India’s previous Test win against Pakistan had come in March 2005, when they won the second match in Kolkata to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series, which was eventually drawn 1-1.
The second Test in this series starts at the same Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Friday.
Pakistan have not lost a Test series in India for 28 years. Their previous defeated was in 1979 when Asif Iqbal was the captain.
Tendulkar looked in ominous form from the start of the day. He looked confident and middled the ball. Continuing from his fine knock on Sunday evening, he pulled the second ball he faced from Akhtar for a boundary.
In the next over, Tendulkar played an almost identical shot for as many runs off the other speedster Mohammed Sami.
But Ganguly, at the other end, succumbed at his overnight score of 48 (64 balls, 8x4s) as he hooked Akhtar. He failed to connect properly and top edged the ball into the hands of Sohail Tanveer at long leg for an easy catch.
Both Akhtar and Sami relied heavily on bouncers this morning and Tendulkar pulled the short balls most of the time.
Laxman, who often left the short-pitched deliveries alone, also struck a boundary off Sami, but Tendulkar did most of the scoring.
Tendulkar, looking aggressive, then reached his half-century off a powerful cover drive off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.
The maestro sealed the win with another stinging four, a square cut off Akhtar, which ensured a 1-0 lead for India.
Scoreboard
Day Five, First Test, India vs. Pakistan, Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium, Delhi
Pakistan (1st innings): 231
India (1st innings): 276
Pakistan (2nd innings): 247
India (2nd innings, overnight 171/3):
Dinesh Karthik c Akmal b Akhtar 1
Wasim Jaffer c Butt b Akhtar 53
Rahul Dravid b Akhtar 34
Sachin Tendulkar not out 56
Sourav Ganguly c Tanveer b Akhtar 48
V.V.S. Laxman not out 6
Extras: (bye 1, leg byes 3, no ball 1)
Total: (for four wickets in 61.1 overs) 203
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Karthik, 0.6 overs), 2-84 (Jaffer, 27.3), 3-93 (Dravid, 33.2), 4-181 (Ganguly, 57.1)
Bowling:
Shoaib Akhtar 18.1 4 58 4 (1nb)
Sohail Tanvir 12 4 26 0
Danish Kaneria 16 2 50 0
Mohammad Sami 15 1 65 0
Result: India won by six wickets, take 1-0 lead in series
Umpires: Simon Taufel (Australia) and Billy Doctrove (West Indies)
Third umpire: Suresh Shastri (India)
Fourth umpire: Harnarain Singh Sekhon (India)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)