Nov 23: A change is always for good as it became evident in case of newly crowned skipper Anil Kumble, who executed as many as eleven changes in his first day at the office by rotating his six bowlers restricting Pakistan to 210 for 8 on day one of the opening Test played at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium here on Thursday.
A late act by Misbah-Ul-Haq and Mohammed Sami, who stitched a crucial 68-run partnership for the ninth wicket, bailed their team out of serious trouble denying India any breakthrough in the last session after the hosts dominated the first two sessions limiting Pakistan to 142 for 8 at Tea.
Misbah remained unbeaten at 71, stuck for more than four hours in his innings, for his maiden half-century in eight Tests while tailender Mohammad Sami was the other not-out batsman at stumps with 20, when light was offered to them.
Veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble finished with the best figures of the day by scalping three wickets conceding only 38 runs in his 20 overs.
Zaheer initiated the Pakistan fall down by picking two quick wickets in his first spell with visitors struggling at 35 for 2.
Misbah gutsy 204-ball knock include one six and five fours. He hit a straight six to Sourav Ganguly. He committed only one mistake in his patient innings by mistiming a Munaf Patel short pitch delivery that went straight to Harbhajan Singh at mid wicket, who failed to hold the catch. He was then on 69.
There was nothing in the pitch as the Pakistani batsmen didn't apply themselves. They let down their team by not converting the starts in to big one. Yasir Hameed (29) and experienced Mohammad Yousuf (27) looked settled before they were dismissed.
The Indian bowlers were at their best with an accurate line and length in the first two sessions, making the batsmen struggle for runs. Zaheer struck in his third over when he bowled left-handed Butt (1) with a delivery that came in sharply. He then forced Younis (7) to play a reckless hook and held by Patel at fine-leg.
Kumble who completed his half-century of wickets at Kotla soon joined the party by foxing opener Yasir Hameed with a Wrong Un in his fourth over, before scalping Kamran Akmal (30) and Shoaib Akhtar (2), tottering Pakistan 74 for 3 at lunch.
Ganguly got a big wicket in the first ball just after the lunch, when he trapped experienced Yousuf leg-before and later Patel removed skipper Shoaib Malik for a duck.
The Pakistani batting continued to struggle as Kumble bowled Akmal and Harbhajan trapped debutant Sohail Tanvir (4) leg-before.
Sourav Ganguly had praise for 'Sami and Misbah', as both of them batted well. "It's a good performance under pressure," said Ganguly praising Misbah.
"We bowled very well today. There is still a lot of cricket left in this match. We will have to maintain the discipline in bowling," he added.
On his own bowling performance, Ganguly said, "I enjoyed my bowling as it is the only thing which has no pressure at all."
Ganguly also praised paceman Munaf Patel, saying he made a good comeback after an injury lay off.
On Kumble's captaincy, he said, the Karnataka spinner was superb. Even before he was not a captain I knew he had ingredients of a good captain.
"He handled the field placements very well and moreover he made me bowl early on sums it all," Ganguly said.
SCOREBOARD
Batting
Salman Butt b Khan 1
Younis Khan c Patel b Khan 7
Mohammad Yousuf lbw b Ganguly 27
Misbah-ul-Haq batting 71
Shoaib Malik c Dhoni b Patel 0
Kamran Akmal b Kumble 30
Sohail Tanvir lbw b Harbhajan 4
Shoaib Akhtar b Kumble 2
Mohammad Sami batting 20
Extras (b 6, lb 11, w 2) 19
Total: 210 for 8 wickets in 85.4 overs
Bowling
Z Khan 16-3-36-2 (2wd)
MM Patel 20.4-4-54-1
A Kumble 20-5-38-3
SC Ganguly 12-5-24-1
Harbhajan Singh 15-1-37-1
SR Tendulkar 2-0-4-0
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