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India push for win, Pak eyes draw : Day 4

Filed under kolkata test match

Misbah-ul-Haq-Kolkata.jpg Fact : Eden Gardens is one of 3 most unlucky test venues for India.

Situation : at the end of Day 4 of 2nd "Indian Oil" India vs Pakistan test series 2007, home team is pushing hard for a win (leads by 301 runs) but Pakistan might have done enough to earn a crucial draw.

The 22 yard strip in the middle of Eden Gardens (formally known as cricket pitch), is heavily roughed up but there's no pace off the track. Pakistani batsman (specially Misbah-ul-Haq & Mohammad Sami), today showed that with NO BACKLIFT, batsman can go on backfoot and defend everything. Ball is taking spin, but turn is too slow to cause major worry as long as batsman keeps patience. in fact, almost 70 runs has been scored per wicket in this test match so far!

Start of Day 4, today, went smoothly for visitors as Sami (38, 123balls) gave good support to smart & confident Misbah. First session produced no wicket for India, and story continued after the lunch before Captain Kumble called up Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman. The elegant batsman bowled his 43rd over in test cricket and picked up second career wicket (see notes below).

Pakistani tail was not tough to warp up but nearly 4 hours of this penultimate day had already been absorbed. Indian openers - Dinesh Karthik & Wasim Jaffer put up 75 runs, at good rate, but as the ball got older - scoring rate slowed down. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, then Sourav Ganguly were promoted before Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar to push towards setting a logical target for Pakistan.

How much India should give Pakistan to chase? well, that's any cricket fan's debate but the only man who'll decide, is Captain Anil Kumble.

In my view - 29 runs more = lead of 330 should be enough. India should give themselves best chance for first ever series whitewash over Pakistan (Indo-pak test summary). India should bowl atleast 80+ overs on last day pitch. Don't forget - its a test match, where all fielders can be set on leg side and start negative bowling... just in case Pakistani batsman go for a win!

India vs Pakistan, second test Kolkata : End of Day 4 score card.
India 1st Inn - 616 for 5 declared.
Pakistan 1st Inn - 456 all out.
Misbah 161 notout, Harbhajan 5 wickets.
India 2nd Inn : 141 for 2 in 36 overs.
Jaffer 56, Karthik 28.
At Crease : Dhoni 28, Ganguly 24.

Day 4 Notes
-Do you know what is the highest successful fouth innings chased total at Eden Gardens? Its just 122, once done by home team.

-VVS Laxman picked up his second test match wicket when he got Mohammad Sami. Who was the first batsman he got out? Adam Sandford of West Indies - a number 10 batsman, right arm fast bowler from West Indies!

-Everyone in Kolkata are getting viral infection. After Shoiab Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir - umpire Billy Doctrove had to leave the field for almost an hour during the morning session. reserve umpire Amees Sahiba came down to fill in.




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