2nd Test, day 1, Kolkatta : Jaffer puts Pakistan on back foot
Wasim Jaffer slammed a majestic unbeaten 192 as India took firm control of the second cricket Test against Pakistan by laying the foundation for a mammoth first innings total today.
The 29-year-old Jaffer notched up his fifth Test century as he stole the limelight with some breathtaking shots while Sachin Tendulkar (82) and Rahul Dravid (50) chipped in with notable contributions to steer the home team to a commanding 352 for three at close on the opening day. Sourav Ganguly (17) was giving Jaffer company when play was called off early due to bad light with 5.3 overs still remaining to be bowled.
Electing to bat, the Indians lost opener Dinesh Kaarthick (1) cheaply but the other batsmen made the most of the ideal batting track at the Eden Gardens to put the team in the driver's seat. Jaffer seemed to be in imperious form as he first added 136 runs with Dravid for the second wicket and then stitched 175 runs for the third wicket with Tendulkar against an insipid Pakistani bowling attack.
2nd Test, day 3, Kolkatta : Akmal and Misbah give Pakistan hope
Pakistan were 358 for 6 in their first innings at stumps on the third day of the second Test on Sunday in reply to India's 616-5 declared.
Pakistan have fought back valiantly on day 3 of the Kolkata Test after 100's from both Kamran Akmal and Misbah ul Haq taking them 358 for six at stumps.
Earlier, Misbah-ul-Haq and Kamran Akmal struck unbeaten fifties by tea on the third day to help Pakistan stay afloat at 256 for five. The sixth-wicket pair shared in a 106-run stand to raise hopes of avoiding the follow-on after the visitors had lost four wickets in the first session on a deteriorating Eden Gardens pitch.
2nd Test, day 2, Kolkatta : Laxman, Ganguly take India to huge score
Indian batsmen Venkatsai Laxman and Sourav Ganguly added to Pakistan's misery as both compiled centuries on the second day of the second Test, as India finished in a strong position in Kolkata.
The home side declared their first innings closed at 616 for 5, with Pakistan 50 for 1 in reply at stumps on day two at Eden Gardens. Laxman scored an unbeaten 112 for his 11th Test hundred, while left-handed Ganguly added a solid 102 for his 14th, after India resumed on their imposing overnight score of 352 for 3.
Under-pressure Pakistan faltered in reply as they lost Yasir Hameed for 21 in leg-spinner Anil Kumble's opening over, with Salman Butt (26) and Younis Khan (three) the not out batsmen when bad light stopped play.
2nd Test, day 4, Kolkatta : India 141 for 2 at close
India were 141 for 2 in their second innnigs at stumps on day four of second cricket Test against Pakistan at Eden Gardens today.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan amassed 456 runs in their first innings. Kamran Akmal made 119 runs while Misbah-ul-Haq remained unbeaten on 161 runs. For India, offie Harbhajan Singh was the pick of the bowlers taking 5 wickets conceding 122 runs. Indian captain Anil Kumble took three wickets. Munaf Patel claimed one wicket.
India had declared its first innings after amassing a mammoth total of 616 runs at the loss of six wickets.
2nd Test, day 5, Kolkatta : Second Test between India and Pak drawn
The second cricket Test between India and Pakistan ended in draw after the visitors scored 214 for four in their second innings chasing 345 for win on the fifth and final day today.
Earlier in the morning today, India declared its second innings at 184/4 and set a victory target of 345 runs for the visitors. Pakistani batsmen played defensive cricket from the beginning today as they seemed more interested in saving the game rather than winning it given the overs left for them. Mohammad Younis remained not out on 107 and was ably supported by Mohammad Yousuf who contributed 43 and did not get out.
With India leading the three-match series 1-0, the two teams will now meet in Bangalore for third and final Test from Saturday.
3rd Test, Bangalore : Tendulkar, Dhoni doubtful against Pakistan in third Test
India's quest for a historic Test series win against Pakistan on home soil suffered a blow with Sachin Tendulkar being rendered a doubtful starter as the teams go into the third and final cricket Test here on Saturday grappling with injuries to their key players.
Tendulkar has aggravated a knee injury and the team management will wait till Saturday morning to decide whether to the master batsman for the game which Pakistan desperately needs to win to level the three-match series 1-1. It has been 28 long years since India won a Test series against Pakistan at home and the 1-0 lead has provided Anil Kumble and his men the platform to push for the cause.
Apart from Tendulkar's knee pain, the Indians have more problems at hand with wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni still recovering from a finger injury while most of their frontline pace bowlers like Zaheer Khan, RP Singh and S Sreesanth were also in the casualty list. The visitors, who reportedly had to deal with the leadership crisis on the eve of the match, have also been hit by a spate of injuries which will again see skipper Shoaib Malik sitting on the sidelines.
But despite the injury concerns, Indian captain Anil Kumble put up a bold face and said that there would be no let-up in the intensity among his players. The Indian camp was keen to rest Dhoni, still recovering from a finger injury, but Kumble indicated that the wicket-keeper batsman could be drafted in the playing eleven after Tendulkar aggravated his knee problem.
3rd Test, day 1, Bangalore : Ganguly, Yuvraj push Pakistan on the backfoot
Electing to bat, India were 365 for five at close on the opening day of the third and final cricket Test against Pakistan at Bangalore.
Sourav Ganguly on 125 and Dinesh Kaarthick on three were the unbeaten batsmen when stumps were drawn.
Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh consolidated the Indian innings as runs flowed freely from their bat in the post-lunch session following the triple strike by debutant Pakistan bowler Yasir Arafat.
At tea, India had recovered to 192 for four with both Yuvraj and Ganguly hitting fine half centuries, inclusive of 12 boundaries apiece on the opening day of the test match. Indian batsmen resumed the second session at 65 for four, as Pakistan bowlers struggled hard to break the fifth wicket partnership that has so far yielded 131 glorious runs in 124 minutes.
3rd Test, day 2, Bangalore : Ganguly puts India on top with maiden double-ton
Sourav Ganguly completed a maiden double-century to put India in a commanding position in the third and final Test against Pakistan on Sunday.
Ganguly hit 239 and shared a 178-run seventh-wicket stand with Pathan (102) to strengthen the home side's grip on the match after resuming on 365-5. Yasir Arafat (5-161) and Danish Kaneria shared the last five wickets to finally wrap up the India innings for 626.
Anil Kumble then removed Yasir Hameed (19) to leave Pakistan 86-1 at stumps.
Irfan Pathan, in particular, was in explosive form, striking four sixes and 10 fours in his 133-ball knock as last man Ishant Sharma held up his end to give the all-rounder time to complete a maiden century.
3rd Test, day 3, Bangalore : Pakistan 369 for five at close
Pakistan relied on a gritty batting display to break India's stronghold in the third and final cricket test with the visitors needing just 58 runs to avoid the follow-on on Monday.
Resuming at the overnight score of 86 for one, most of the top order Pakistani batsmen came up with useful contributions to fight their way back into the game on a benign M Chinnaswamy stadium track which gave little assistance to the bowlers. The in-form Misbah-ul haq (54) and wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal (32) were at the crease at stumps on the third day with the tourists reaching 369 for five and looking quite confident to avert the threat of the follow on with five wickets still intact.
Apart from Misbah, Salman Butt (68) and Younis Khan (80) were the main scorers for Pakistan who desperately need to win the match to level the three-match series 1-1. The Indians, who amassed a mammoth first innings total of 626, will not be under any pressure to push for a victory as even a draw will give them their first test series win on home soil against Pakistan in 28 years.
With the pitch showing no signs of deteriorating, the Indians found the going tough with none of the bowlers being able to make much of an impact. The large number of 70 extras, including 31 byes, only compounded the misery for the home team who now need a miracle to stop the match from heading towards a tame draw.
3rd Test, day 4, Bangalore : India lose both openers
India was 131 for two at stumps on their second innings on the fourth day of the third Test against Pakistan at Bangalore on Tuesday.
At the end of the day's play, the hosts had accumulated a lead of 220 runs with Sourav Ganguly unbeaten on 63 and Rahul Dravid was batting on 35.
Earlier Indian medium pacer Ishant Sharma completed his maiden five-wicket haul as Pakistan's first innings folded for 539 at tea. Ishant did exceedingly well in the post-lunch session at the Chinnaswamy Stadium as he polished off the Pakistan tail forcing an early tea with the visitors falling short by 89 runs in the first innings.
Ishant impressed the selectors here to be picked for the Australian tour with five for 113 runs from 33.1 overs. Pakistan's most consistent batsmen in recent times Misbah-ul-Haq remained unbeaten again on a gallant 133, his second Test century.
India Pakistan 2007 Cricket Series starts 11/12
2nd Test, day 1, Kolkatta : Jaffer puts Pakistan on back foot
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