Ganguly, Tendulkar lift India to verge of victory

New Delhi : Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly relied on their vast experience to put India on the threshold of a memorable victory against arch rivals Pakistan with the hosts needing just 32 runs on the final day to clinch the first cricket Test.

Chasing a modest target of 203, the Indians were in a spot of bother at 93 for 3 before Ganguly (4 and Tendulkar (32) came to the rescue of the team with an unbeaten 78-run stand to inch closer to a win which would give them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

India ended an action-packed fourth day at 171 for 3 in 54.5 overs when bad light dropped early curtains on the proceeding.

Earlier, spurred on by a near capacity holiday crowd, the home team took little over 17 overs to polish off the remaining five wickets to bundle out Pakistan for 247, leaving them with a moderate target.

Ganguly’s 61-ball knock included eight hits to the fence, while Tendulkar hit five fours during his 86-ball unbeaten stay.

That the chase would not be a cakewalk on the low Ferozeshah Kotla track was more than evident as Shoaib Akhtar struck in the first over, removing Dinesh Kaarthick (1) caught behind.

Wasim Jaffer (53) and Rahul Dravid (34) calmed the nerves as they put their head down and took the sting out of the Pakistani attack, a few lbw appeals notwithstanding.

Jaffer was particularly strong off his pads something he demonstrated in a Mohammad Sami over, flicking the pacer for two successive boundaries. Dravid, on the other hand, was impregnable as ever and they brought Indias 50 in 17.4 overs.

Jaffer brought his fifty through a fluent square cut off Shoaib Akhtar, but perished to the next delivery when his pull found Salman Butt at square leg. Jaffer added 82 runs with Dravid for the second wicket.

Tendulkar joined Dravid after Jaffer’s exit, but was hardly convincing even though India went into tea with no more setbacks.

On resumption, Shoaib greeted India with a jolt, castling Dravid with a beauty. Pakistan were naturally ecstatic to see the back of Dravid, after the former captain’s cultured 96-ball 34 that had five fours in it.

Ganguly and Tendulkar, however, chugged on. The left-hander at times lived dangerously but looked, by and large, comfortable, while Tendulkar was cautious.

Runs flowed towards the end with Ganguly hitting Danish Kaneria for successive boundaries, while Tendulkar was harsh on Sami.

Earlier Sunday morning, Zaheer Khan and Ganguly claimed a brace each to shoot out Pakistan for 247.

The Pakistani tail was exposed as early as in the fifth ball of the day when Zaheer conned Kamran Akmal into a drive and substitute fielder Yuvraj Singh took a clean catch at point.

Akmal could not add to his overnight score of 21, and left Pakistan at 213 for 6.

Six overs and 13 runs later, Zaheer induced a pull shot from Sohail Tanvir (13) and Harbhajan Singh took a well-judged catch at square leg.

Anil Kumble decided to press Munaf Patel into service, but then changed mind and tossed the ball to Ganguly. Armed with the new ball in the middle of the over, Ganguly responded by claiming two wickets in his last three balls.

Misbah-ul-Haq (45) holed out to Dinesh Kaarthick at long-on and Sami (5) offered a skier to Wasim Jaffer at mid-wicket.

Danish Kaneria (0) was run out by a smart piece of work by Mahendra Singh Dhoni who flicked the ball through his legs to hit the stumps and drop curtains on Pakistan’s second innings.