Source: Rediff News

Misbah-ul Haq was unbeaten on 99 as Pakistan continued their strong showing with the bat on Day 4 of the third and final Test against India at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Misbah closed in on his second century of the series as Pakistan posted 470 for 6 in 147 overs in their first innings at the lunch break. The right-hander added 144 runs for the sixth wicket with Kamran Akmal, who scored 65, to help Pakistan avoid the follow-on. They now trail India’s first innings score by 158 runs.

More…Harbhajan Singh bagged the only wicket to fall in the morning session, when he dismissed Akmal, stumped, for his second wicket of the innings.

Captain Younis Khan scored a brisk 80, inclusive of 12 boundaries, and Salman Butt 68, adding 90 for the second wicket.

Ganguly was India’s hero with the bat, scoring a magnificent 239, in India’s first innings total of 626. Yuvraj Singh (169) and Irfan Pathan (102) also stroked their way to centuries after India had elected to bat.

India lead the three-Test series 1-0. They won the first Test in Delhi by six wickets, while the second in Kolkata ended in a draw.

Morning session:

India equalled the record for the most extras conceded in a Test when Ishant Sharma bowled a no-ball in the second over of the morning. That extra took the tally to 71, equalling the West Indies, who had conceded 71 extras against Pakistan at Guyana in 1988.

Two deliveries later, Misbah-ul Haq got a perfect half-volley which he hit straight past Ishant for a boundary to move to 60.

Kamran Akmal hit a boundary through square on the off-side to bring up the 100-run partnership with Misbah, as Pakistan continued their fightback.

Akmal brought up his half-century courtesy a streaky boundary through the gully region. The Pakistan wicketkeeper was again proving to be a difficult proposition for the Indian bowlers as he took 10 boundaries to reach his fifty in 83 deliveries.

While Ishant struggled to make any impression, Irfan Pathan’s bowling was a revelation. He was very unlucky not to get a wicket as he not only went past the batsman’s outside edge countless times, but also used the short ball to good effect.

India finally got the dubious world record to their name when a leg bye in the 133rd over, bowled by Kumble, took the extras’ tally to 72. The record was put up on the giant screen inside the stadium and the crowd responded with a huge cheer as if in celebration of it.

Akmal swept Harbhajan for a boundary in the 134th to help Pakistan avoid the follow-on as the total reached 428 for 5. But he lost his wicket soon after when he was brilliantly stumped by Dinesh Karthik off Harbhajan.

Akmal went for a drive against Harbhajan, bowling round the wicket, but was beaten by the flight and Karthik completed a neat stumping.

He was dismissed for a top knock of 65, including 12 boundaries, and had once again rescued Pakistan. His 144-run partnership with Misbah for the sixth wicket saw the visitors thwart the follow-on and give India a strong reply.

Misbah was unbeaten on 99 as Pakistan reached 470 for 6 in 147 overs at the lunch break. They now trail India’s first innings score by 158 runs.

The visitors enjoyed another productive session with the bat, scoring 101 runs in 30 overs. The Indian bowlers did get some help from the pitch but it was not enough to cause any damage.

Pathan bowled a good spell of seven overs before lunch and was unlucky not to get a wicket. Harbhajan also toiled hard and was rewarded with Akmal’s wicket, but Anil Kumble once again looked way below his best. They veteran leg-spinner needs to get back to his wicket ways and strike a few blows as India look to make a match out of it.

 E-mail this article to a friend

Tags: Cricket, India, Misbah ul Haq, Pakistan, Sports, Test Match