RAWALPINDI, 14 April 2004 — What India started with a flourish they failed to finish with finesse. On a lively wicket they found their direction as they ran through the cream of Pakistan batting to leave the home team tottering at 137 for eight. But the lower order proved to be a tall order.

A 70-run ninth-wicket partnership between bowlers Muhammad Sami and Fazle Akbar brought about some order to the Pakistan innings, which ended at 224, that otherwise seemed unlikely after a fine display of fast bowling by the Indian trio Laxmipathy Balaji, Irfan Pathan and Ashish Nehra.

India too were in danger of being blown away by the speed of Shoaib Akhtar, who dismissed Virender Sehwag with his first delivery, but makeshift opener Parthiv Patel and Rahul Dravid safely negotiated the 14 overs they had to face to leave India at 23 for one at close. Dravid was batting 10 and Patel on 13 on an absorbing first day of the “Golden Jubilee” Test, the third and final of the series, here yesterday.

India captain Saurav Ganguly decidedly swung the advantage his team’s way by winning the toss and opting to bowl on a wicket that was green.

But his seam attack nearly frittered away this edge by showing no control and direction with the new ball. Both Irfan and Balaji stuck to a line well outside the off stump and derived excessive swing on the fresh wicket.

This allowed the Pakistan openers Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar to get their eye in, though on occasions they found the ball zipping past their bat as they played late. Just when this pair looked like settling down against the wayward Indian attack, the bowlers produced two gems amid a litter of strays.

A toe-cruncher from Balaji, that sent back Taufeeq, triggered the slide as Pakistan found themselves from 34 without loss to 34 for two. Brought on for a second spell, Balaji’s first three deliveries were nowhere near the batsman, but his fourth was spot on. A swinging in-cutter clipped Taufeeq’s toe and rapped the pads as the batsman played across.

Then from the other end, Nehra brought on as first change, won another lbw decision as Imran Farhat was shaping to drive. Suddenly from an attack, that looked ordinary, took on a new life. The bowlers found their rhythm and line and the two new batsmen, Inzamam ul-Haq and Yasir Hameed were struggling to find their feet. Though Inzamam and Yasir promised a brief recovery by taking the total to 77, Pakistan were rocked by twin blows at this score. Hameed needlessly chased an Irfan’s delivery well outside the off stump and V.V.S. Laxman at second slip held on to a tight, low chance.

Inzamam, not at his confident best, survived an lbw appeal off Nehra in the very next over, only to fall in the very next ball. Nehra’s seaming away cutter caught Inzamam on the back foot and, forced to play saw his snick being held by Patel. Irfan, the pick of the bowlers once again, then got into the act by smashing through Yousuf Yohanna’s defense to uproot his stumps after a scratchy 13, and when Balaji trapped Asim Kamal, who lived dangerously for his 21, leg before Pakistan were staring at a very low score.

But Muhammad Sami and Kamran Akmal led a brief rally till Balaji struck twice to peg Pakistan back again. First he lured Akmal to flash outside the off stump with Laxman pouching the ball, then two balls later knocked Akhtar’s stumps with a fine away swinger. The “Rawalpindi Express” was beaten for sheer pace and movement.

At this stage the possibility of Pakistan totaling 200 looked bleak. But some enterprising batting by Sami and Akbar kept the Indians on the ground longer than they expected to stay.

The partnership blossomed at a fair clip, with Sami initially farming the bowling. But when Akbar showed courage to step out and whack Balaji and Irfan, Sami allowed his partner more strike and they went about their job with panache. Sami even executed an exquisite late cut that left the players rooted and the crowd rising in appreciation.

Ganguly had to resort to the guile of Anil Kumble to break this partnership and he succeeded in sending back Akbar, caught plumb while padding up. Just an over earlier, Patel could have ended the Indian agony had he not floored a sitter of the bowling of Nehra. The batsman to get a life was Sami, who was 34 at that stage. Sami added 15 more runs to his personal tally before be was run out by a direct hit at the non-striker’s end while going for a non-existent run. He made off after a short push to mid off in a bid to get his maiden fifty. But he was left stranded — outside the crease and on 49 — just when he was looking good.

Pakistan too had a dream start with Shoaib, who finished with a spell of 5-4-4-1, sending in a snorter that Sehwag failed to counter. Sehwag was caught out by the rising delivery as he fended at the ball.

The streaking shot was first stopped by a leaping Hameed at gulley, then tossed up by the fielder as the ball bounced off his grasp before turning around to dive and hold on to the catch on the third attempt, to give Pakistan the lone success of the day.

Earlier in the day, hospitality and security clashed at the Rawalpindi Stadium, leaving the “Friendship Series” a bit bruised.

During lunch an Indian photojournalist Suman Chattopadhyay of Pratidin newspaper from Calcutta was assaulted by a police constable, who refused entry to the photographer into the ground.

An altercation ensued and the constable, Imtiaz, slapped the journalist. The incident turned nearly into a full-blown crisis. But the Indian team management and Pakistan Cricket Board officials calmed the situation. The security in charge of the ground SSP Morbat Ali Shah then took the issue in his hands, and made the constable apologize to the photojournalist.

Later the District Nazim (mayor) of Rawalpindi, Raja Mehboob Kiyani, said that the constable had been suspended pending an inquiry. He also regretted the incident.

The PCB also expressed its “deepest regrets”.