The Hindu : Sport : Yet another century by Misbah-ul-Haq

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Yet another century by Misbah-ul-Haq

S. Dinakar

Ishant Sharma picks up five wickets to put India in the driver’s seat

India conceded 76 extras, the highest in a Test innings
Wicketkeeper Karthik conceded the most byes by an Indian

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

STANDING TALL: Misbah-ul-Haq helped Pakistan avoid the follow-on with his second century of the series.

Bangalore: Misbah-ul-Haq’s batsmanship in the series has been as much about out-thinking the bowler as technique. In a fading Pakistan campaign, his defiance has been admirable.

The zestful Ishant Sharma adapted well to the demands of the pitch on the fourth day. This young paceman has possibilities.

Sourav Ganguly may be 35, but is batting like a young man. He continues to waltz with focus and flair.

Misbah’s unconquered 133, Ishant’s first five-for in Tests and Ganguly’s rollicking, unbeaten 63 were the highlights on Tuesday as the third IndianOil Test at the Chinnaswmay Stadium progressed towards a draw.

Ahead by 220 runs with eight wickets left on the final day, India is in the box seat for a series triumph. Will Anil Kumble enforce the declaration at some point on the final day?

Pakistan had a sniff at an unlikely comeback, reducing the host to 26 for two in its second innings; Gautam Gambhir succumbed to Shoaib Akhtar’s change of pace and Wasim Jaffer perished to a virtual shooter from Yasser Arafat.

Vintage Ganguly

The pacemen then lost the plot and their rhythm by attempting to bounce at Ganguly (63 batting, 77b, 9x4, 1x6). The Dada, subsequently, creamed them with a stream of boundaries. He converted the length with clever use of the crease and crossed the 500-run mark in the series.

In compelling duels, Ganguly cover-drove Akhtar past the ropes and struck leggie Danish Kaneria straight and high. Rahul Dravid (35 batting, 89b, 5x4) was solid and front-footed as he combated the low bounce. The seasoned left-right pair has put on 105 runs. India ended the day at 131 for two.

Incisive spell

Earlier, Ishant celebrated. On a pitch of inconsistent bounce, an off-cutter is often a paceman’s biggest ally. During an incisive post-lunch spell of 6.1-2-9-4, the lanky Ishant got his angle right by releasing wider of the stumps. He mixed his incoming deliveries to the tail-enders with the occasional short-pitched delivery a short-leg was in place and the yorker. All through, he was sharp.

Perhaps, he needs to bring his wrist more into play to achieve greater movement in the air.

In the morning, Harbhajan continued to bowl around the wicket to the right-handers but with definite variations in the field. Instead of two short-legs and a short mid-wicket, the off-spinner had a slip, a gully and a silly point. This meant his line would be different; he could either drift the ball across the right-hander or straighten it into the batsman.

The off-spinner ended Kamran Akmal’s defiant effort with a delivery floated across from round the wicket luring the batsman forward. Dinesh Karthik whipped off the bails in a flash.

Clever Misbah

Misbah, however, countered Harbhajan’s ploy by moving across towards the off-stump to minimise the drift and then whipping the bowler from the off-stump to the on-side. He reads the situations well and adapts to the demands.

In the process, Misbah (133 not out, 322b, 17x4) — he has hundreds in successive Tests in the series — has built partnerships with a cool head and judicious stroke-selection.

Misbah added 144 with Akmal (65, 114b, 12x4) for the sixth wicket and Pakistan crossed the follow-on mark.

He then put on 93 with the combative Arafat. Like Akmal, Arafat collected runs square of the wicket. Then, Ishant brought the innings to a swift conclusion.

Dubious record

During the day, India earned the dubious record of conceding the most number of extras in a Test innings; its 76 surpassed West Indies’ 71.

Karthik’s 35 byes is the most by an Indian wicketkeeper in a Test innings.

By not employing his occasional bowlers for more than one over on day four, Kumble, perhaps, was sending a message to the specialists.

SCOREBOARD

India — 1st innings: 626.

Pakistan — 1st innings: S. Butt c Karthik b Ganguly 68, Y. Hameed lbw b Kumble 19, Younis b Harbhajan 80, M. Yousuf c Yuvraj b Pathan 24, Misbah (not out) 133, Faisal c Gambhir b Ishant 22, K. Akmal st Karthik b Harbhajan 65, Y. Arafat b Ishant 44, M. Sami b Ishant 1, S. Akhtar c Gambhir b Ishant 1, D. Kaneria c & b Ishant 4; Extras (b-35, lb-26, nb-15) 76; Total (in 168.1 overs) 537.

Fall of wickets: 1-59 (Hameed), 2-149 (Butt), 3-221 (Younis), 4-227 (Yousuf), 5-288 (Faizal), 6-432 (Akmal), 7-525 (Arafat), 8-527 (Sami), 9-529 (Akhtar).

India bowling: Pathan 37-14-80-1, Ishant 33.1-10-118-5, Kumble 44-12-116-1, Ganguly 10-2-20-1, Harbhajan 38-7-131-2, Yuvraj 6-2-11-0.

India — 2nd innings: W. Jaffer lbw b Arafat 18, G. Gambhir b Akhtar 3, R. Dravid (batting) 35, S. Ganguly (batting) 63; Extras (lb-6, nb-6) 12; Total (for two wkts. in 37 overs) 131.

Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Gambhir), 2-26 (Jaffer).

Pakistan bowling: Akhtar 9-2-21-1, Sami 11-1-36-0, Arafat 9-2-38-1, Kaneria 8-0-30-0.

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