Nov 25: Pakistan is 167 runs ahead after Kumble, Harbhajan share five wickets together
Indian spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh collectively got rid of Pakistan's top five batsmen in the second innings on day three to get hold of the Test match but the match remains wide open after Pakistan leading by 167 runs with five wickets in hand in the opening Test played at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium here on Saturday.
Skipper Kumble sent back the top three batsmen to reduce Pakistan to 212-5 in the second innings despite a strong start by the Pakistanis. The tourists are now 167 ahead after conceding a 45-run lead.
The last recognised Pakistani pair of Misbah-ul-Haq (29) and wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal (21) were at the crease to keep hopes afloat of their team winning the match, when bad light stopped play continuously on the third day. Both of them stitched a crucial sixth wicket partnership of 51 runs off 75 deliveries.
Earlier overnight batsman Laxman (57) and Kumble resisted the Pakistani attack in the first session for more than an hour before leggie Kaneria broke the 54-run stand for the seventh wicket, when he got Kumble (24) caught by Younis at first slip. India replied with 276 after getting Pakistan all out for 231 in the first innings.
Indian tail didn't wag at all, as they lost their last three wickets for 14 runs. Debutant left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir dismissed Harbhajan (1) with Kaneria removing Zaheer Khan (9) and Munaf Patel (0) off successive deliveries taking his total tally to four.
Later opener Salman Butt batted more than three hours to score a steady 67. He shared a 71-run opening partnership with Yasir Hameed (36).
Kumble broke the partnership by getting Hameed caught by VVS Laxman at silly-mid off, but Pakistan made a fine recovery and went into lunch at 108. India bounced back in the last session by gaining the upper hand as Kumble trapped vice captain Younis Khan lbw for 23 and produced an edge, on a delivery that had more bounce, from Butt into the hands of first slip fielder Rahul Dravid, who held a sharp catch.
Harbhajan got rid of key batsman Mohammad Yousuf in the first ball of his second spell, after the skipper brought him from Delhi gate end replacing Ganguly in the 46th over. Yousuf spooned up an easy return catch to the bowler on 18, and then skipper Shoaib Malik dragged one Harbhajan's delivery back to the stumps and went for 11.
Harbhajan could have got better for India, but Misbah got an amnesty on the score of one when Wasim Jaffer trickled out a catch at forward short-leg. Misbah remained unbeaten on 29, as he struck two sixes to Harbhajan in a single over.
"We are capable of chasing any target because we have quality and experienced batsmen in our side," said Harbhajan at the post match conference.
According to Harbhajan, the wicket is getting better and better and if it continues to be the same, then we can achieve any target set by opposition.
"I think we have a good chance of winning. Kumble has already done very well here and he brought us back into the match with the first two wickets. I don't think the wicket will change much in the next two days."
"The match is evenly balanced at this stage, and anyone can win the match but a lot depends on Sunday's morning session" said Butt.
"A target of more than 300 is always difficult to chase in the fourth innings, especially on a surface, which is getting slower and lower," he added.
SCOREBOARD
Pakistan first innings: 231 all out
Pakistan second innings
S.Butt c Dravid b Kumble 67
Y.Hameed c Laxman b Kumble 36
Y.Khan lbw b Kumble 23
M.Yousuf c and b Harbhajan 18
S.Malik b Harbhajan 11
K.Akmal not out 21
M.Haq not out 29
Extras: (lb-6 nb-1) 7
Total: (five wickets, 65.5 overs) 212
To bat: S.Tanvir, M.Sami, D.Kaneria, S.Akhtar
Fall of wicket: 1-71 2-114 3-149 4-155 5-161
Bowling:
Khan 11-2-32-0 (nb-1)
Patel 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
India first innings (overnight 228-6)
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.Laxman not out 72
M.Dhoni c Akmal b Kaneria 57
A.Kumble c Younis b Kaneria 24
H.Singh b Tanvir 1
Z.Khan c Akhtar b Kaneria 9
M.Patel lbw b Kaneria 0
Extras: (b-11 lb-8 nb-5 w-1) 25
Total: (all out, 78.4 overs) 276
Fall of wickets: 1-15 2-71 3-73 4-88 5-93 6-208 7-262 8-263
9-276, 10-276
Bowling:
Akhtar 16-2-44-2 (nb-1)
Tanvir 24-5-83-3 (nb-4)
Sami 17-1-71-0
Kaneria 21.4-3-59-4 (w-1)
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