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Filed under kolkata test match

On Wasim Jaffer's debut, Sanjay Manjrekar (former India & Mumbai batsman, now commentator) proudly said - Jaffer has a compact backfoot technique.. don't think too many bowlers around the world can get him out off a short pitched delivery.

20 balls later, Wasim Jaffer was bowled by Allan Donald in that Wankhede test match! 4 & 6 runs he made as Shaun Pollock got his edge to slips in 2nd innings.. Jaffer was again on back-foot!

I assure the readers that this right handed batsman, on debut day (24th Feb 2000), was nervous. cause I agree with Mr. Manjrekar. the opener does have loads of patience, lazy elegance and very low backlift which allows him not over-playing any ball. 7 years & 23 test match later, Wasim now has played test matches against 4 countries and have a century against all of them (see notes).

Second India vs Pakistan test match of this 2007 series started with a gamble from Pakistani camp - Shoaib Akhtar into playing eleven. The fastest bowler of world cricket had chest infection & other niggles but being 1-0 down in the Indian Oil series meant Pak team had to take some risk. Their captain - Shoaib Mallik - also failed the fitness test, so may be, Shoaib too wanted to play the 5 day game to help his buddy (and vice captain) Younis Khan.

Sadly, only 3 spells of 3 overs each was all Shoaib managed to bowl.

Pakistan were short of bowling resources & Danish Kaneria couldn't extract too much out of Day 1 pitch at Eden Gardens, which I must add, looks rough & might help spinners in later half of this second in series (58th over all) India-pakistan test match.

Ind v Pak, 2nd test match : End of Day 1 score card
Toss - India, who opted batting.
India : 1st Innings : 352 for 3. 84.3 overs.
Wasim Jaffer 192* (255B, 32x4),
Dinesh Karthik 1, Rahul Dravid 50,
Sachin Tendulkar 82 (109B, 12x4),
Sourav Ganguly 17* off 25 balls.
Yet to bat : Laxman, Dhoni, Kumble, Harbhajan, Zaheer & Munaf.
Pakistan XI : Butt, Hameed, Younis(cap),Yousuf, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah, Akmal, Shoaib, Sami, Tanvir & Kaneria.

Notes : Day 1, Kolkatta
-West Indies, England, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh - countries against whom Wasim Jaffer have played test match & he has scored one century against all of them. his 192 so far in this Kolkatta test match against Pakistan is 4th in career with an average of 35.14 and best of 212 against West Indies at Kingston, Jamaica.

Interestingly, Wasim Jaffer has played only 2 ODIs for India.

-There were no hawk eye replays shown by the broadcasters (Nimbus) for some logical reasons. Some say email threat from terrorists have made organizers not allow high cameras which tracks the line & length of deliveries and thus we viewers see whether the lbw decision was correct or not. some also argue that organizers didn't want people in stadium to get disturbed by those straight cameras above the sightscreen, whose length was already increased 20% after Indian batsman asked for it.. forcing organizers demolish around 500 spectators seats!

- You won't read too much about Rahul Dravid's batting on Day 1 today but India's one down batsman was phenomenal early on & his 50 runs were as soild like a brick of Wall.He got a bad decision from umpire Billy Doctrove, but not before he made his 68th over hundered partnership with Wasim Jaffer. Quite an achievement this for karnataka man, showing why he's India's best test match batsman!

-I got another bizzare cricket record when I heard that Mohammad Sami has a bowling average (runs divided by wickets in career) of nearly 51... that's the worst bowling average for any International test match bowler who has taken more than 50 wickets at highest level. To name a few - Carl Hooper of West Indies, Paul Wiseman (the kiwi off spinner) & Ajit Agarkar of India also have test match bowling average of nearly 48.

-What is the most runs scored by India in a test match day? yes, now its 352 made by our boys today at Eden gardens. Previously - it was 344 at the same Kolkatta venue.

Flawless Jaffer stands tall on Day 1 : 2nd test

Wanted : Pitch curators for India & Asia

Ganguly & Laxman rub it in on Pak : Day 2 story

Akmal - Misbah lead Pakistan fight-back on Day 3

India push for win, Pak eyes draw : Day 4

Gutsy Pakistan earn draw, keep series alive