Dadagiri at Kotla

The average Indian cricket fan would probably detest this idea, but a tentative Sourav Ganguly at the crease adds so much value towards an entertaining Test match.

The average Indian cricket fan would probably detest this idea, but a tentative Sourav Ganguly at the crease adds so much value towards an entertaining Test match.

That hesitant front foot in the beginning, the confusion in mind of leaving or playing at it, the flashes outside off-stump going tantalisingly over the extended slip cordon, and half-pulls to the short-pitch — walking in at 93/3 after 84/2, the perspective of a 203 run-chase for a fourth-day win can be pretty heart-stopping and full of suspense. Especially when a Shoaib Akhtar is charging in, and the Indian line-up’s chronic collapse is always at the back of one’s mind.

The beauty of Sourav Ganguly’s innings comes after weathering the initial storm, when the off-side in front of him gets ironed by the meat of the bat. The greater the pace of the ball, lesser is the effort from his blade in dispatching it towards the fence; and the success of a leg-spinner against him can be so marginal—only to the extent of beating the bat on occasions. But the damage received on either pitching full or short can knock four runs off the target.

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Ganguly hit Danish Kaneria twice in three balls to prove that to the packed house at the Ferozeshah Kotla today, besides registering six more hits in his unbeaten stint of 48 as India stopped five minutes before the scheduled close, at 171/3.

Then there’s Sachin Tendulkar, playing second fiddle to Ganguly in this innings, and becoming the second highest scorer in Tests. He scored 32 runs—just exactly as much as India need more to go one-up in this three-match series. The Sunday recipe prepared by the two stalwarts with their unending 78-run fourth wicket partnership may taste a little bland on the final day tomorrow—an Indian victory is a foregone conclusion now.

That has to come, and within the first session itself, with only a few pestering questions—like the margin of victory, or how many balls Ganguly takes to reach his fifty and if he will be the Man of the Match, or will Anil Kumble get it in his first match as skipper—remaining to be answered.

Pakistan made a hash of their innings earlier today. The fifth ball of the day, bowled by Zaheer Khan, went straight to substitute Yuvraj Singh at point from Kamran Akmal’s bat. The visitors’ resistance power kept declining as Sohail Tanvir sent the ball from the same bowler up and into Harbhajan Singh’s hands.

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And then came the vanishing act. Ganguly, bowling with the second new ball, dismissed Misbah with his fourth delivery. Yet again the Pakistan middle-order bat had spoilt it with one rash shot what he had neatly laid out with hard labour.

With Ganguly dismissing Mohammad Sami one ball later, and the innings closing out within the span of three deliveries for just four runs, that act, in retrospect, went against the intentions of scoring runs quickly off the hard ball in the hand of a part-time bowler.

Before lunch, the Indian openers had to see off only four overs, but Akhtar shunted out Dinesh Kaarthick with his searing pace and little away movement. Rahul Dravid and Wasim Jaffer stayed calm after the break to see off Akhtar’s first six-over spell and then played their strokes against an otherwise erring , sedate attack.

Jaffer reached his half-century from 80 balls with his eighth hit to the fence off Akhtar, but the pacer, back in his second spell, snared him next ball as he tried to pull a short-one, Salman Butt taking it at square-leg.

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Akhtar was the sole Pakistan bowler who commanded respect from all. Soon after tea, he removed Dravid through the gate with a quick one to set the match up all over again. That delivery cut in late, and sharp, and Dravid had little clue to counter it. Sadly, Akhtar lacked support.

Pakistan gave up halfway through and Tendulkar and Ganguly blossomed. Their eyes lit up in delight, but the actual light on the field dimmed, forcing them off the field. They, however, looked content to wait till tomorrow, though the celebrations had already begun.

Scoreboard

Pakistan 1st innings 231

India 1st innings 276

Pakistan 2nd innings

(overnight 212-5)

K Akmal c sub (Yuvraj) b Zaheer 21

M-ul-haq c Kaarthick b Ganguly 45

S Tanvir c Harbhajan b Zaheer 13

M Sami c Jaffer b Ganguly 5

S Akhtar not out 0

D Kaneria run out 0

Extras (lb-6, nb-2) 8