LAHORE, 16 January 2006 — Overcast conditions and poor light curtailed play on the third day of the first Test between Pakistan and India here yesterday when only 15 overs could be bowled in the day during which India in its first innings scored 145 without loss.
Pakistan had earlier declared their first innings at 679 for seven before tea on Saturday. India, opening through Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, had replied with 65 for 0 in the 13 overs play that was possible on the second day before umpires called off play with some 19 overs still remaining to be bowled.
Barring a miraculous collapse on the fourth day today, this Test is already doomed for a draw. 24 overs of play has already been lost on the first two days due to poor light while on the third day — yesterday — only 15 overs could be bowled in which the Indian openers added 80 runs before play was finally called off for the day.
Theoretically, India are still not fully out of trouble, needing another 335 runs to save the follow-on. They will have to bat the entire day today to at least ensure that Pakistan have to bat again.
But weather forecast is disappointing for today as well as the last day.
It was the stylish and derring-do Sehwag who provided some fireworks during the brief period of play. The swashbuckling opener gave the same treatment to Pakistani bowlers as was given to the Indians on the first two days by Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal, both notching centuries in 80 and 82 balls on Saturday. Sehwag, who resumed 36 overnight, went on to smash 96, adding 60 runs during the day’s play while his skipper, playing a more circumspect role, was 37 not out at the close of play.
Sehwag treated with utmost contempt the fast offerings from the Pakistani pacemen led by Shoaib Akhtar and piloted India to 145 without loss of any wicket. The frenetic run-rate that Pakistan had maintained was stunningly matched, with only five overs passing without a boundary being scored.
With only few hundred spectators turning up at the Qaddafi Stadium, Sehwag reeled off boundary after boundary, with large doses of nonchalance. Peppered with short deliveries, he adopted his usual stand-and-whack approach, carving over the slips, slapping past point and thumping drives through the covers.
He was occasionally troubled by Shoaib’s thundering bouncers on his ribs, with a backward square leg specifically stationed, but anything on the off side was countered with a mighty flash.
Dravid was the opposite of his partner. He adopted the role of sheet-anchor, holding one side blocked while Sehwag continued to punish Pakistani bowlers. He tucked two successive fours off Naveed ul-Hasan early in the piece, but the assurance with which he left the ball was equally masterful.
