LAHORE, 17 January 2006 — Pakistani bowlers toiled all day without luck as the Indian openers went on to amass 403 runs without loss, when play was called off, due to bad light after only 47 overs could be bowled on the fourth day of the first Test here yesterday.
Earlier Pakistan, in their first innings, had made 679 for seven declared on Saturday, after four of their batsmen, Younis Khan (199), Mohammad Yousuf (173), Shahid Afridi (103) and Kamran Akmal (102 not out) made centuries. Virender Sehwag, who mercilessly mauled all the Pakistani bowlers, scored the second fastest double hundred (200 off 182 balls), which included 38 fours and one six. New Zealand’s Nathan Astle holds the record for the fastest double hundred from 153 balls against England in 2000. On the other hand skipper Rahul Dravid, playing a patient innings, went on to post his 21st hundred from 202 balls, to put India in a solid position at the end of the fourth day’s play. Sehwag was unbeaten at 247 and Dravid was 128 not out when the umpires decided to call off play some 25 minutes after the tea interval. The pair is just 11 runs short of what would be world record for the highest opening stand, the previous one (413) was set by Indians Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy against New Zealand at Madras in 1956.
Bad weather and overcast conditions continued to interrupt the match, which started about one hour late due to bad light and play had to be stopped after Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria had just bowled one over each.
But Sehwag, who had resumed at the overnight score of 94, drove Kaneria to the ropes to score his third century against Pakistan that came from 93 balls. Play was resumed only after the lunch interval and between lunch and tea.
Sehwag never gave any respite to the Pakistani bowlers. He hit Kaneria for four consecutive boundaries in an over and treated all others with equal contempt. The aggressive Indian opener has to his credit all the three highest scores against Pakistan. He made 309 in Multan Test two years ago and followed it by 201 in Bangalore in March last year.
When he had reached 199, Sehwag was fortunate to see Shoaib Malik floor a difficult low chance at third man as he cut pacer Rana Naveed for a four to bring up his 200.
He also survived a confident caught behind appeal on 150 against leg-spinner Danish Kaneria when he went to reverse sweep the ball. Skipper Dravid, by contrast, played a patient innings with his fourth hundred against Pakistan coming just before tea from 202 balls with 15 fours. It is his first century since being appointed captain last month.
Some indication of how lifeless, dull and unresponsive wicket has been prepared by the cricket management is that in the less than four days of play. 1, 083 runs have been scored while only seven wickets have felled, two of these being run outs. On the first day India managed two wickets, five on the second, two being run outs. Pakistan bowlers have yet to claim a wicket with only the last day’s play remaining.
The Lahore wicket has proved to be a graveyard for the bowlers and the manner in which Sehwag was toying with the Pakistani bowlers yesterday, was enough to break the hearts of the best in business.
