Shahrukh Khan
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Pakistan recover after Sehwag double-hundred
The Bulletin by Chandrahas Choudhury
March 26, 2005
India 379 for 6 (Sehwag 201, Laxman 51*) trail Pakistan 570 by 191 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out
Virender Sehwag was more restrained than usual, but he was brutal while dealing with loose deliveries © Getty Images
Virender Sehwag's magnificent 201 lit up the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, but Pakistan fought back superbly in the last session, taking three wickets as India closed the third day on 379 for 6, still trailing by 191 in the first innings. VVS Laxman was the only recognised batsman left, unbeaten on a patient 51. Danish Kaneria took two of the three wickets to fall after tea, and finished with fine figures of 3 for 97.
Full report to follow.
Tea India 274 for 3 (Sehwag 161*, Laxman 9*) trail Pakistan 570 by 296 runs
Virender Sehwag's rapidly maturing game was seen at its crafty and variegated best on the third day at Bangalore as he moved from his overnight 39 to 161, his second hundred of the series and his third against Pakistan in six Tests. Notwithstanding the rate at which he scored, it was Sehwag's most restrained innings of the series, and he was as happy to deal in singles as he was to smite boundaries. But despite having no success in stanching Sehwag's flow of runs, Pakistan could take heart from the dismissals of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar for not too many, and at tea India were 274 for 3, still 97 short of avoiding the follow-on.
With plenty of runs in the bank for the first time in the series, Pakistan produced a focused bowling and fielding performance. Arshad Khan, returning to Test cricket after 51 months, kept one end up with long spells of steady if not overly threatening offspin, Danish Kaneria probed away consistently, and Mohammad Sami produced two hostile spells and made the breakthrough in the morning with the wicket of Gautam Gambhir, wafting at a wide ball. If anything, it was the Indians who were guilty of some complacent cricket, as both Dravid and Tendulkar gave away their wickets.
Dravid tried to lap Kaneria very fine on the leg side and was given out lbw (172 for 2), and Tendulkar, after some adventurous batting against the spinners, aimed a big heave at Shahid Afridi and could only send the ball as far as point (257 for 3). Inzamam-ul-Haq would not have been too dissatisfied with the state of the game as he went to tea.
Sehwag, however, appeared to have set his sights on another big hundred after having missed out on one at Kolkata, when he threw away his wicket in similar fashion to Tendulkar today, trying to launch Afridi over the top. His batting today was beautifully measured, as he continued to find the fence regularly without chancing his arm too much. His reputation for savagery is such that Pakistan were happy to set deep fields to him, and he was happy to accumulate steadily, particularly after lunch, at one stage going 11 overs without a boundary.
Having raised his hundred shortly after lunch, he gave up his helmet for a broad-brimmed hat as Inzamam deployed spin at both ends, and worked the ball around dextrously, vexing Kaneria by first turning him against the spin to leg and then, as the bowler came round the wicket, slicing everything to off for singles. But he still has something of the showman about him, as he proved by bringing up his 150 by launching Kaneria over long-on for six as he had launched Saqlain Mushtaq last year to bring up his triple-hundred at Multan. He appeared to know precisely what every bowler was attempting and where each fielder was placed, and looked in total control except for a five-minute patch just before tea, when he lost concentration and played a couple of iffy shots off Arshad. Pakistan knew that they would have to get him out soon if they were to entertain any thoughts of winning this Test.
How they were out
Gambhir c Younis b Sami 24 (98 for 1) Tried to run a wide ball to third man and found the fielder at second slip.
Dravid lbw Kaneria 22 (172 for 2) Tried to lap Kaneria to leg and was adjudged lbw.
Tendulkar c Younis b Afridi 41 (257 for 3) Looked to launch Afridi over the infield and looped a catch to point off a thick outside edge.
he knows 
agge nikal gaya 
iskey sir pe makhiyan hoti hain..
