Yousuf Youhana delighted and Asim Kamal defied, but India were able to maintain their stranglehold over the first Test as Pakistan ended day four on 257 for six in their second innings at the PCA stadium in Mohali, Chandigarh, on Friday.
The visitors were 53 runs ahead at close of play. With a day left, India will fancy their chances of a big win in the Test.
Laxmipathy Balaji and Anil Kumble pulled India through in a close last session of play, getting vital breakthroughs after the Pakistani middle-order showed some spine.
Abdul Razzaq, who played a subdued innings of 22, and Kamran Akmal (9) will resume the fightback for Pakistan on the final day.
Earlier in the day, the Mohali track came alive with some fine bowling by Irfan Pathan and Laxmipathy Balaji. Both bowlers got the new ball to swing both ways and rock the Pakistani top order after the Indian first innings ended at 516.
The importance of Danish Kaneria cannot be overstated in this Pakistan bowling line-up. The leg spinner was the pick of the bowlers, claiming six wickets for 150 runs off 53.4 overs.
Morning session: India innings (69 runs, 16.4 overs, 4 wickets)
On a bright day, the Indian batsmen walked out with a more positive approach. They looked unshackled, pinching runs and finding the gaps comfortably.
It was the quick ones and twos that got the scoreboard ticking before VVS Laxman's wristy flick to the square leg boundary. Irfan Pathan tried to farm runs on the on-side, employing the pull-shot to good effect against Naveed-ul Hasan Rana. The Baroda batsman once again gave a measure of his textbook play with a well-timed off drive to Rana.
Just when the runs were coming freely -- India scored 18 runs in the first four overs of the day -- Inzamam used his trump card. The fast bowlers had let him down once again; they lacked consistency and penetration.
Kaneria took only three balls to work Pathan out. The batsman was going for his shots and Kaneria drew him out with a flighted delivery. It was another wrong' un from the bowler and Pathan completely missed the line of the ball. Kamran Akmal whipped off the bails with Pathan a long way down the track. (465 for 7)
Laxmipathy Balaji was sent ahead of Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan; the Indian think-tank sensing his ability to come up with the goods against the arch-rivals.
The Tamil Nadu batsman played a breezy innings of 31. Despite Kaneria attacking with a slip and silly point, he kept pushing the ball through the gaps, finding the rope twice past backward point. He also hit Kaneria for a classical cover drive in the same over to pick 14 runs in the over.
Balaji, like most Indian batsmen, was also given a life by the Pakistan fieldsmen. He edged Kaneria to first slip's hands, but Younis Khan, who had hardly caught anything through the course of the match, obliged once again. Balaji though wasn't shy to poke at a turning delivery yet again. This time the wicketkeeper, Kamran Akmal, snatched the ball off Balaji's edge. (507 for 8)
The Pakistani leg-spinner was quick to wrap the Indian innings. Another googly was tweaked and Laxman, failing to read it, chopped the ball onto his stumps. Kaneria had completed his first five-wicket haul against India. He joined his hands and said a quick prayer to the Almighty in thanks. (516 for 9)
His sixth wicket came two balls later, as he held on to Zaheer leading edge. India were all out for 516, losing the last four wickets in 16.4 overs in the morning.
Morning session (Pakistan - 52 runs, 13 overs, 3 wickets)
In the second over of the innings, Balaji, who is enjoying a dream run against the Pakistanis, picked the wicket of Taufeeq Umar. The ball swung in late and Umar tried to force it on the on-side. He was unlucky as the ball hit his pads and touched the back of the bat on its follow-through to the bowler. (6 for 1)
Pakistan vice-captain Younis Khan was disappointing in the second innings as well. The experienced batsman shouldered arms to a Balaji delivery that held its line and crashed into the stumps. After a torrid day in the field, he messed up with the bat as well. (10-2)
Salman Butt was out in the next over. The 19-year-old, still finding his feet at the international level, overlooked the basic theory of keeping the bat down while ducking. Pathan pitched the ball outside, short and wide on the off stump, and it kissed Butt's raised bat on its way to the keeper. (10 for 3)
Pakistan had a few narrow escapes after that, with Youhana looking tentative against the short-pitched stuff from the Indian seamers. One of his attempted pulls off Balaji he was on 10 then -- lobbed into the air but fell between the rushing wicketkeeper and fine-leg fielder.
Inzamam was again the calming influence for Pakistan. Having demoted himself in the batting order, the captain pulled off some elegant shots to steady his team. He also helped Youhana settle in. When the umpires called lunch, Inzamam was unbeaten on 31 and his ex-deputy on 11.
Sourav Ganguly's decision to opt for three seamers in the match was an indication of changing times. By the rule of thumb, whatever the conditions, you should pick your best bowlers. Though the Mohali track looked green and pace-friendly, the Indian team was actually saying that Balaji was a better bowler that Harbhajan. The dependence on spinners at home was shrugged off.
When was the last time India had so many options in the pace department and could afford to leave out a match-winner like Harbhajan?
Post-Lunch session (98 runs, 26 overs, 1 wicket)
The afternoon session was going to be the most crucial stage of the game so far. Pakistan needed to guard their wickets to make sure they make India bat the second time. Fortunately, the visitors had their two most experienced batsmen at the crease.
Inzamam is Pakistan's best batsman, and with the added responsibility of captaincy he almost looks obliged to carry the burden of the team all the time. On Friday afternoon too he took it upon himself to grind out the Indian attack.
Despite coming in after the loss of three quick wickets the Pakistan captain wasn't afraid to play his shots. The fluency of his batting made it look like he was playing the percentages. But the fact was he manufactured intelligent cricketing shots.
Even when Anil Kumble, who has got him out five times in the last six matches, was brought into the attack in the second session, he carried on effortlessly, showing the full face of the bat rather than hiding it behind his pads. A square-drive off Kumble, shifting back his body weight for the short ball to craft it for four, showed the agility of his broad frame.
Inzamam got his fifty, with a flick through square leg for two, in only 53 balls.
There were a few glitches. He found it more difficult to play Zaheer, who angled the ball away from him, and survived a couple of close lbw shouts from Kumble.
Youhana supported his captain well. He came out after the lunch break and hit two elegant cover-drives. Though there was some confusion in calling for the runs at the beginning of the session, Inzamam and Youhana ran hard between the wickets. Inzamam, particularly, was active to call for the quick singles.
India was losing the plot a bit. Pakistan's attack had forced the Indian captain to spread the field. They were then happy to work the ball around and with the two quality batsmen at the wicket, boundaries came at a regular rate. The bowling changes had stopped hurting Pakistan.
Inzamam and Youhana also tried to unsettle India's leg-spinner. Inzamam tried to get on top of the ball all the time to guide the ball on the off side. He also hit a straight six off Kumble by coming down the track.
The partnership had built up to 139; Inzamam looking good on 86. Then Kumble struck. The Pakistan captain was slow to get his bat down as Kumble's straighter one struck his pad. Australian umpire Darrell Hair ruled him out. The batsman screwed his face before starting his slow long walk back to the pavilion.
Asim Kamal, Pakistan's batting mainstay in the first innings, started by playing at a ball well away from his body. Kumble had his tail up and almost had another wicket to his name when Kamal again poked his bat at a delivery that left him. But Rahul Dravid, usually a safe slip fielder, grassed the catch.
Pakistan went in for tea at 150 for four, with Youhana (47) and Kamal (1) at the wicket.
Post-Tea session (105 runs, 35 overs, 2 wickets)
The day's final session began with a close shout for lbw against Youhana. The right-hander was struck in front of the off stump. A similar appeal against Inzamam was upheld by umpire Hair, but he ruled this one in the batsman's favour.
Youhana brought up his half-century with a cracking drive through cover off Balaji. With Inzamam gone it was up to him to keep the flag flying across the border. Spectators from both countries sported India colours on the right cheek and Pakistan's on the left as they egged on the teams.
Kumble bowled round the wicket to Kamal to exploit the rough created by Balaji outside the off stump and induced the edge twice but Dravid was slack at first slip.
Dravid, who had dropped Kamal before he could score off Kumble, failed to pouch another catch and the ball ran away for four. The batsman hit a similar shot off the next ball, this time through gully, which also raced for four. The next two balls were spanked through cover to complete the series of boundaries in the over.
After the initial anxiety, the left-hander tried to keep his head down and support Youhana.
Youhana, on reaching his fifty, hit a flurry of boundaries -- a straight drive past the diving Balaji was the pick of the lot. The right-hander was heaving some touch blows at the Indians.
The batsman though was unfortunately bowled off the inside edge by Kumble. The ball came off the edge onto the pad and hit the boot before rolling on to the stumps. India had once again got the timely break, as Youhana was looking dangerous on 68. (193 for 5)
Kamal pulled the ball over the boundary to wipe off the first innings deficit.
Zaheer bowled a disciplined line in the second innings too. He kept the seam upright and banged the ball in to extract extra bounce from the wicket. The fast bowler also tried to change the angle by coming round the wicket to Abdul Razzaq.
The Pakistani all-rounder, who was reckless in the first innings, was more watchful to start with. Three runs and 18 balls was enough to throw caution to the wind. He rocked on to the back foot and picked Kumble for a four over mid-on. Razzaq was lucky that his airy shots during the next few overs did not cost him his wicket.
Zaheer may have experimented too much with his line and length. The left-arm seamer wasn't getting any swing and was too wide and short by the end of his spell.
The Pakistan batsmen played safe; Kamal was concentrating hard and, for once, Razzaq put the defensive foot forward. In fact, Razzaq used up 58 balls for 15 runs, with his second boundary coming after 40 balls.
With the afternoon tiring out and the batsmen digging deep, the Indian captain, who has been reluctant to use his part-time bowlers in the match, swapped his bowlers at a frantic pace. He brought back Pathan in the 63rd over and replaced him with Sachin Tendulkar in the very next over from that end. The fast bowler was then brought in during the 70th over again and Tendulkar gave way to Balaji after a three-over spell.
The final change brought the desired result for the home team. Balaji pitched the ball fuller and had it swing in to the left-hander. The ball struck him in front of the middle-stump and even before the umpire gave the decision the Indian camp started celebrating. Kamal was out on 48.
With four overs to go in the day, the Indian team came alive again. Balaji was smiling and Kumble came in for a final burst at the Pakistani batsmen. But Razzaq wouldn't budge. He played out 75 balls for his 22.
Kamran Akmal, the wicketkeeper, also showed some spunk and took Pakistan to close of play without any further damage.
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