Rahul Dravid leads Team India’s charge against Pakistan : Bollywood News

Rahul Dravid leads Team India’s charge against Pakistan

Faisalabad, Jan 22 : Rahul Dravid led from the front as India replied strongly to Pakistan first innings total of 588 that included Shahid Afridi’s blazing fifth century in front of a packed Iqbal Stadium here Sunday.

India finished the day at 110 for one wicket in 37 overs, with Dravid unbeaten on 46 (100 balls, 168 minutes, 7x4s) and V.V.S. Laxman on 28 (83 balls, 110 minutes, 4x4s).

cricket star

The two batsmen looked in control and had put up 71 runs for the second wicket off 157 balls when poor visibility ended play four overs short of the day’s quota.

On Monday, India’s first aim will be to reach 389 to avoid the follow on. The visitors still needed 279 to get to that mark.

Like in the first Test in Lahore, Dravid - four short of his 40th half-century - opened the innings with Virender Sehwag, and they laid a 39-run foundation on a pitch that has assisted batsmen but promises to help spinners later.

Sehwag, as usual, did bulk of the scoring as he hit some stinging boundaries. When at 12, Imran Farhat, substituting for captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, dropped a fast travelling snick from Sehwag’s bat that came off fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. India’s total was 16 for no loss at that stage.

Dravid and Sehwag went in for tea at 39 for no loss, out of which the vice-captain’s share was 31. Sehwag was, however, out soon after tea when Farhat jumped at first slip to take a catch off pacer Abdul Razzaq, bowling his first over after tea. Sehwag scored 31 off 43 balls and hit six boundaries.

Dravid and Laxman, who survived a close leg-before-the-wicket appeal, carried on the consolidation work and took the score past 100 in 28.4 overs. They did not attempt ambitious strokes and scored runs only off bad balls.

Dravid, who had his eyes well set by the time Laxman joined him at the fall of Sehwag’s wicket in the 12th over, did play a few exhilarating straight drives. But it was quite strange that the same 16,000-plus crowd that had lustily cheered Shahid Afridi’s big hitting in the morning, hardly applauded the master batsman.

Pakistan began the day at their overnight score of 379 for four, with Afridi batting on 85 and Inzamam on 79. Overnight, Afridi and Inzamam had raised 163 runs for the fifth wicket.

In the morning, Abdul Razzaq, however, came out to bat with Afridi as Inzamam stayed back in the dressing room with a back problem. The new pair carried on from where the overnight pair had left off and added 88 while being together.

Afridi also began in the same murderous vein as he was on Saturday evening, hitting the bowlers with contempt - barring debutant left-arm pacer Rudra Pratap Singh.

Afridi reached his century off just 96 balls (13x4s, 4x6s). After the feat, the right-hander became more belligerent as he smashed even good length balls for boundaries.

The Karachi-based batsman picked Zaheer Khan for special treatment as he carted the left-arm pacer for 20 runs in one over. On Saturday, he had smashed Irfan Pathan for 22 runs in one over.

One of Afridi’s sixes Sunday landed outside the stadium and the ball had to be replaced as it was never recovered.

Anil Kumble finally got rid of Afridi when he had him caught by Yuvraj Singh. But the batsman had by then scored 156 (128 balls, 20x4s, 6x6s).

New batsman Kamran Akmal did not last long as Kumble had him caught by Sehwag in his next over with the addition of two runs to the total. Pakistan’s score now read: 469 for six.

At the departure of Akmal, Inzamam walked in and gave no impression of the backache, though he batted with a runner. Inzamam completed his 25th century off 162 balls (9x4s, 1x6).

R.P. Singh dismissed Razzaq to claim his fourth wicket and the 20-year-old gave a good account of himself in his first outing at the very highest grade of the game.

Inzamam and Shoaib Akhtar frustrated the Indian bowlers further with a 58-run stand for the eighth wicket.

The Pakistani captain was eventually out for 119 (193 balls, 251 minutes, 12x4s, 1x6) when Zaheer induced a snick for wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to take the catch.

Shoaib went on to make his career high score of 47 (78 minutes, 54 balls, 5x4s), during which he gave excellent support to Inzamam by batting defensively at the other end.

Dravid employed all five bowlers and four of them conceded 100-plus runs. R.P. Singh not only gave away less than 90 runs, but he also looked the most impressive.

Zaheer, who had replaced an injured Ajit Agarkar, ended up with three wickets. Kumble also claimed three wickets but conceded 150 runs.

SCOREBOARD

Day 2, Second Test, India vs. Pakistan, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, Jan 22

Pakistan (1st innings, overnight 379/4): Shoaib Malik c Dravid b R.P. Singh 19 Salman Butt c Dhoni b Khan 37 Younis Khan c Yuvraj b R.P. Singh 83 Mohammad Yousuf c Dhoni b R.P Singh 65 Inzamam-ul-Haq c Dhoni b Khan 119 Shahid Afridi c Yuvraj b Kumble 156 Abdul Razzaq c Dhoni b R.P. Singh 37 Kamran Akmal c Sehwag b Kumble 0 Shoaib Akhtar c Harbhajan b Khan 47 Mohammad Asif not out 6 Danish Kaneria b Kumble 0 Extras: (byes 3, leg byes 4, wides 3, no balls 9) 19 Total: (in 136.2 overs) 588

Fall of wickets: 1-49 (Malik, 11.5 overs), 2-65 (Butt, 18.2), 3-207 (Younis, 53.4), 4-216 (Yousuf, 57.6), 5-467 (Afridi, 106.5), 6-469 (Akmal, 108.2), 7-509 (Razzaq, 117.1), 8-567 (Inzamam, 131.2), 9-584 (Shoaib, 135.1)

Bowling: Irfan Pathan 19-4-106-0 (1 nb) Rudra Pratap Singh 25-3-89-4 (1 nb, 2 w) Zaheer Khan 32-7-135-3 (3 nb, 1 w) Harbhajan Singh 25-1-101-0 (2nb) Anil Kumble 35.2 5 150 3 (2nb)

India (1st innings): Virender Sehwag c Imran Farhat (sub) b Razzaq 31 R. Dravid batting 46 V.V.S. Laxman batting 28 Extras: (nb 4, lb 1) 5 Total: (for one wicket in 37 overs) 110

Fall of wicket: 1-39 (Sehwag, 11.3 overs)

Bowling: Shoaib Akhtar 9-3-29-0 Mohammad Asif 11-3-30-0 (nb 2) Abdul Razzaq 7-0-28-1 (nb 2) Danish Kaneria 9-2-21-0 Shahid Afridi 1-0-1-0

Toss: Pakistan Debut: Rudra Pratap Singh (India) Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (South Africa) and Simon Taufel (Australia) Third umpire: Zameer Haider (Pakistan) Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)