Sport

Misbah and Akmal lead fightback scoreboard

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

GUTSY SHOW: Misbah-ul-Haq came up with a fighting century just when India looked like running away with the match.

Kolkata: Adversity can stoke combative instincts, throw up heroes. Misbah-ul-Haq and Kamran Akmal handled Test match pressure in the cauldron with steel and strokes.

The two also provided Pakistan with a lifeline at the Eden Gardens on a Sunday of fortune swings. Given their fight, it seemed a travesty that only one of them walked back undefeated.

Even as the light deteriorated on day three, India revived hopes of sealing the IndianOil series in the second Test. Harbhajan’s flight drew Akmal forward and his spin breached the batsman’s defence. The off-spinner is zeroing in on the footmarks created by the left-arm pacemen.

At 358 for six, Pakistan requires 59 more runs to avoid follow-on. Misbah (108 batting, 204b, 10x4) had Mohammad Sami’s company during the last five minutes. Pakistan sights a draw, while India has other ideas.

Reducing Pakistan to 150 for five before lunch, the host appeared to have cut all escape routes for the visitor before running into a major road-block.

The 207-run association in 378 balls between Misbah and Akmal is the highest sixth-wicket Test partnership at this famous venue. More than the numbers, it was the spirit of Misbah and Akmal that shone through.

Akmal (119, 210b, 20x4) exploited the attacking fields with rapier-like strokes that streaked past the in-field; there was little cover on the boundary. He pegged a rampaging Indian attack back.

Balance comes more easily to short batsmen and Akmal is no exception. He cut and cover-drove with flair, whipped deliveries on the leg-side. Four of Akmal’s five Test hundreds have arrived against India.

Misbah’s footwork against the spinners was compelling. He curbed his natural urge to knock the cover off the ball and milked the bowling with firm drives. This Pakistani is a sweet timer.

A compulsive hooker, he rather unwisely decided to duck or fend when Munaf Patel aimed at his rib-cage with the second new ball. Misbah survived, reached his maiden Test hundred and then kissed the pitch.

At the fag end of the day, a Harbhajan delivery from the Club House end kept low. While the pitch is unlikely to break up, variable bounce will demand application and front-footed play from the batsmen.

There was a hint of assistance for both the pacemen and the spinners before lunch due to the morning moisture. Then, the surface eased out.

Both Misbah and Akmal are right-handers, but the difference in their heights meant the bowlers were forced to alter their length. This is never easy.

With the pitch offering little, the Indians attempted to buy wickets. Kumble had just one man in the deep, at a squarish third-man fence, operating at Misbah. The bait was laid.

Staring at vast open spaces, Misbah launched into Kumble in an attempt to clear mid-wicket.

A diving Sachin Tendulkar failed to nail the opportunity. Misbah was just 22 then and India paid for the lapse.

It was a different scenario in the morning. Salman Butt was getting into his stride when the left-hander edged a Harbhajan delivery spinning across him to Rahul Dravid at slip. Interestingly, Harbhajan did not go round the wicket to the southpaw.

Star batsman Mohammad Yousuf was deceived in flight by Harbhajan. Younis Khan was done in by the extra bounce of a Munaf away seamer as he attempted a cut. Kumble’s clever use of the crease had Faisal Iqbal misreading a top-spinner. Pakistan was in a mess.

Then the game changed shades. Zaheer recovered swiftly from a minor fitness concern but struggled on a slow pitch. Strangely, the pacemen have not been able to achieve appreciable swing at the Eden Gardens.

Munaf bowled creditably but blotted his copybook by misjudging the flight of the ball after Akmal (on 87) top-edged a pull off Zaheer.

Kumble was baulked by the track. Harbhajan relied more on flight and conventional off-spin than the doosra. He was the pick.

SCOREBOARD

Pakistan — 1st innings: S. Butt c Dravid b Harbhajan 42, Y. Hameed lbw b Kumble 21, Younis c Dhoni b Munaf 43, M. Yousuf b Harbhajan 6, Misbah (batting) 108, F. Iqbal lbw b Kumble 0, K. Akmal b Harbhajan 119, M. Sami (batting) 0, Extras (b-4, lb-7, nb-7, w-1): 19; Total (for six wkts. in 104 overs): 358.

Fall of wickets: 1-38 (Hameed), 2-77 (Butt), 3-85 (Yousuf), 4-134 (Younis), 5-150 (Iqbal), 6-357 (Akmal).

India bowling: Zaheer 20.2-4-65-0, Munaf 16-4-77-1, Harbhajan 31.4-8-86-3, Kumble 27-6-81-2, Tendulkar 7-1-32-0, Ganguly 2-1-6-0.

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