Finally, Dada on the double

That, in a way, summed up Pakistan in this Test match so far. Like Hameed, they too were grossly ill-equipped 8212; slightly unfortunate too 8212; as they were dangerously exposed in this deciding game for the series.

At the end of Day Two Pakistan, at 86/1, were still 540 runs in arrears. India seemed to have batted their rivals out of the game as they eye the Asian Ashes win at home after 27 years.

But in years to come, Anil Kumble8217;s first series as captain 8212; and that too against Pakistan 8212; will be remembered for Sourav Ganguly8217;s dream run and the launch of Yuvraj Singh8217;s Test career, and less for the visitors8217; faux pas. Decades later, one might be puzzled while scrolling down the scoreboard of the 2007 India-Pakistan third Test: The Indian innings would show scores like 239 Sourav, 169 Yuvraj and 102 Irfan, but there would also be some unusual entries in Pakistan bowling analyses.

Among the bowlers will figure names like Yasir Hameed, Salman Butt and Younis Khan 8212; the frontline bowlers 8212; who shared between them 19 overs. Pace spearhead Shoaib Akhtar8217;s bowling would show merely 10 overs 8212; as many as Butt has bowled, and 29 overs less than the over-worked debutant Yasir Arafat who took 5/168.

One can say that Akhtar8217;s back injury was a bolt from the blue. The bowler missed most of the opening day8217;s play and the entire duration of the Indian innings on day two, despite being on field. The rule-book permits an injured bowler to bowl only after he has spent as much time on-field as he has spent away from it.

But the howlers that Pakistan8217;s decision-makers made while deciding the playing XI were there to see as they suffered yet another miserable day on the field. On the eve of the Test, Pakistan captain Younis Khan had said that they would go all out for a win and the only result they were looking for was a 1-1 draw. 8220;It wouldn8217;t matter if we lose 0-1 or 0-2. Even a draw wouldn8217;t help us,8221; he had said, promising an aggressive approach from his team.

But the conservative team line-up showed that Pakistan were not in do-or-die mood. A bat-heavy playing XI meant that it would be tough for the visitors to take 20 wickets. Despite having the all-rounder Arafat in the side, they excluded the reasonably successful left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir. Today, as Akhtar stood on the field as a mere spectator, and Tanvir did drinks duty, it was clear that Pakistan8217;s problems were partially man made.

With the pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium not aiding bowlers and the frontline pacers from either sides sidelined, odds are high that it could turn out be the tamest series between the arch rivals in recent times.

After India8217;s run marathon, Pakistan captain Younis, in the company of Butt, was busy doing groundwork for digging trenches on the pitch and launch a counter. Though the ball is keeping low on this pitch, like in Kolkata, this batsmen8217;s game too seems like a meaningless run chase. The batsmen here don8217;t just come to bat, but also roll their arms around.

The story was true on either side. With India8217;s frontline bowlers Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma ineffective, the day8217;s double centurion Sourav Ganguly came in to bowl two overs.

Ganguly was bowling to Butt after Butt had bowled to Ganguly. Do such contests need abdomen guards?

DAY II DATA

8226; Sourav Ganguly 239: Highest by an Indian left-hander. Previous best: Vinod Kambli 227, vs Zimbabwe in Delhi, 1992-93

8226; Irfan Pathan 102: Highest individual score. Previous best: 93 vs Zimbabwe in Delhi, 2005-06

8226; 7th-wicket record: Ganguly 038; Pathan 178; versus Pakistan. Previous best: Roger Binny 038; Madan Lal 155, same ground, 1983-84

8226; Salman Butt, who scored his sixth half century in his 19th Test, also completed 1000 runs in Test cricket