Dec 03: Misbah-ul-Haq and Kamran Akmal fought back hard, stitching a 207-run partnership for the sixth wicket, providing Pakistan much needed resistance against India on the third day of the second Test played at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday.
The crucial 207-run alliance between Misbah and Akmal came in 378 balls, which also became the highest sixth-wicket Test partnership at Eden Gardens thus far. The runs scored at the time of adversity showed the true character of both the players as more than the numbers, it was the guts that mattered at the end.
After the end of day’s play the scoreboard read 358 for six with Pakistan still needing 59 more runs to evade follow-on. Misbah (108 batting, 204b, 10x4) joined by Mohammad Sami for the last five minutes after Akmal was cleaned up by Harbhajan and it also enlightened the hopes for Indian team at the fag end of the day.
On the fourth day, India will come out hard to force follow-on on Pakistan and aiming for the kill to wind up the series, while Pakistan will start their rescue act again in quest of a draw.
The Sunday’s first session was totally dominated by India as they constrained Pakistan to 150 for five before lunch. But the situations turned around in the remaining two sessions with Akmal and Misbah lead the Pakistani fightback.
Akmal (119, 210b, 20x4) looked under no pressure at all as he came up with a free-flowing strokes irrespective of the attacking fields set by Indian skipper. Four of Akmal’s five Test hundreds have arrived against India.
On the other hand, Misbah’s temperament and his feet movement against the spinners was convincing. He milked the Indian bowling attack with firm drives. Sachin Tendulkar failed to grab the opportunity when Misbah was just on 22 then and India had to pay for the lapse.
Earlier in the morning, Salman Butt edged a Harbhajan delivery to Rahul Dravid at slip. Mohammad Yousuf foxed by the flight of Harbhajan’s delivery. Younis Khan paid the price for cutting Munaf Patel’s rising ball. Faisal Iqbal too deceived by Kumble’s top-spinner and got trapped in front.
"I believe I got out at the wrong time. I should have carried on. Whatever God wills. Today's century came in a difficult situation and under pressure," Akmal said after his fifth Test century and fourth against India.
"Our plan was to take it half an hour at a time," Akmal added.
SCOREBOARD
India — 1st innings: 616 for five decl.
Pakistan — 1st innings
S. Butt c Dravid b Harbhajan 42, Y. Hameed lbw b Kumble 21, Younis c Dhoni b Munaf 43, M. Yousuf b Harbhajan 6, Misbah (batting) 108, F. Iqbal lbw b Kumble 0, K. Akmal b Harbhajan 119, M. Sami (batting) 0, Extras (b-4, lb-7, nb-7, w-1): 19; Total (for six wkts. in 104 overs): 358.
Fall of wickets: 1-38 (Hameed), 2-77 (Butt), 3-85 (Yousuf), 4-134 (Younis), 5-150 (Iqbal), 6-357 (Akmal).
India bowling: Zaheer 20.2-4-65-0, Munaf 16-4-77-1, Harbhajan 31.4-8-86-3, Kumble 27-6-81-2, Tendulkar 7-1-32-0, Ganguly 2-1-6-0.
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