Dec 13: Skipper Anil Kumble (5-60) and Yuvraj Singh (2-9) shared seven wickets in Pakistan’s second innings before fading light halts India’s quest of victory. Sourav Ganguly won the Man of the Match and Man of the Series with his amazing run with the bat and ball, while Kumble got a taste of success in his first series as captain.
Skipper Anil Kumble’s sudden transformation into a medium-pacer did the trick for India as he notched up a fiver in Pakistan second innings but bad light saved the day for the visitors as the match ended in a draw after they were given an improbable target of 374 by India in 48 overs on the concluding day of the final Test played at the Chinnaswamy stadium here on Wednesday.
Eventually, India wins the three matches Test series 1-0 against Pakistan at home after a long wait since 1979-80. The margin could have easily been 2-0 had India made the declaration little earlier. The match was called off due to bad light with Pakistan tottering at 162/7 and India had still 12 overs in their hands to finish off the tail.
When India gave Pakistan a target of 374 in just 48 overs, the Bangalore Test appeared to be heading for a draw. Pakistan’s opening pair of Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed added 44, it looked that the match could be called off soon but all of a sudden an unexpected turnaround from Anil Kumble and Yuvraj Singh brought Pakistan at the doorstep of the defeat.
Yasir Hameed was first to go followed by Younis Khan. Both fell in the space of four balls, one bowled by a Kumble faster one and the other gifted a return catch. Later Butt and Faisal Iqbal provided some resistance with a 29-run stand. Butt got a thin edge behind to give Kumble his third wicket, when Pakistan decided to give a blast Indian attack, to bail themselves out of trouble as offence is the best defence.
Misbah-ul-Haq and Iqbal added 73 at the run rate of seven per over. Kumble struck again to raise some hope before the start of mandatory overs. Iqbal tried to pull back shorter one from Kumble but it landed up in the hands of Ishant Sharma at mid-on.
Kamran Akmal joined Misbah at the centre, but the rescuer duo of Pakistan couldn’t do much this time. Kumble uprooted Akmal's off stump with a faster one. Mohammad Yousuf saved the blushes by avoiding the hat-trick.
Birthday boy Yuvraj Singh came to the fore and left his mark with his slow left-armers after a fine first innings century. An arm ball by Yuvraj ended Misbah's cameo on 37, while Yasir Arafat was cleaned up on his straighter one.
India was only three decent balls away from a famous victory with Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria had to come but Mohammad Sami held the fort with Yousuf long enough to deny India a possible victory. As soon as the umpires offered light to the batsmen they readily accepted it, as if they were waiting for it.
Earlier in the morning, India resumed in the lead by 220 runs. Sourav Ganguly started the morning with an inside edge for four off Sami. Kaneria came early on, and was not easy to play as he was constantly bowling into the rough. The runs were not coming thick and fast.
The partnership between Dravid and Ganguly was worth 152 when Dravid was foxed by a googly from Kaneria, and three balls later, Ganguly (91) slashed a wide ball from Sami straight to Iqbal at gully. Another nine runs and he would have become only the seventh man in history to make a double-hundred and a century in the same Test.
Yuvraj went to the pavilion soon as Rudi Koertzen gave him out caught behind off Sami for two. As per TV replays the bat had made contact with boot rather than ball. India from 178 for 2 had gone to 184 for 5, but instead of slowing down VVS Laxman and Dinesh Karthik upped the ante.
V.V.S. Laxman received a painful blow on his left-elbow when an Akhtar’s rising delivery did not climb. He left the field in pain but an x-ray revealed no broken bone. Dinesh Karthik made an efficient half-century of cuts, pulls, drives and sweeps.
Sourav Ganguly won the Man of the Match and Man of the Series with his amazing run with the bat, and Kumble had tasted success in his first series as captain.
SCOREBOARD
India , 1st Innings: 626
Pakistan , 1st Innings: 537
India , 2nd Innings: (overnight: 131/2)
R Dravid lbw b Kaneria 42, S Ganguly c Iqbal b Sami 91,
VVS Laxman retired hurt14, Y Singh c Akmal b Sami 2, D Karthick c Akmal b
Arafat 52, I Pathan not out 21
Extras: (9b, 24lb, 7nb, 1w) 41
Total: (6 wkts dec, 76.3 overs) 284
Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-26, 3-178, 4-178, 5-184, 6-284
Bowling: Akhtar 17-5-43-1, Sami 20-2-63-2, Arafat 13.3-3-49-2, Kaneria 26-2-96-1
Pakistan , 2nd Innings
S Butt c Karthik b Kumble 8, Y Hameed b Kumble 39, Y Khan c & b Kumble 0
F Iqbal c Sharma b Kumble 51, M-ul-Haq b Yuvraj Singh 37, K Akmal b Kumble 0
M Yousuf not out 10, Y Arafat b Yuvraj Singh 0 and M Sami not out 4
Extras: (12b, 1lb) 13
Total: (7 wkts, 36 overs) 162
Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-44, 3-73, 4-144, 5-144, 6-148, 7-154
Bowling: Pathan 7-4-30-0, Sharma 6-3-22-0, Kumble 14-4-60-5, Harbhajan 6-1-28-0, Yuvraj 3-0-9-2
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