India v Pakistan | 1st Test | Delhi | 23/11/07 | Day 2

[Hash]

Good day for Pakistan.

We have clawed our way back into this game with some good bowling. India will struggle to get a decent lead here. With the pitch expected to crumble for the 4th innings India will need a lead of minimum 100 runs to keep their noses in front. With not much batting to come (just Harbajan, Zaheer and Munaf) they will have to work their socks off in order to do that.

Pakistan will be pleased with the days play. Game is pretty much even. Doubt there will be a draw here and the win could go either way. 50-50 at the moment. Pakistan need to knock off the last 4 wickets in the next 50-70 runs maximum.

 

[KaSaNoVa_G]

So thats the end of day 2... Ind tralis by 3 runs and has 4 wickets in hand. Ind clearly in a better position than Pakistan is.

Not really you need to remember we were defending a small score so to still keep India trailing tonight and only having 4 wickets left i would say has been good 1st innings...

India have to bat last on this wicket and the way it has been odd ball i dont think it be easy for them at all if we make a decent score when we get the chance to bat !!

Coming out to be a very good test match ...

 

[the Great Khan]

well at least we fought back...whens the new ball due? plus were two bowlers short with sami being useless and shoaib unfit..looks like a second innings shootout!! should be fun!!

 

[KaSaNoVa_G]

well at least we fought back...whens the new ball due? plus were two bowlers short with sami being useless and shoaib unfit..looks like a second innings shootout!! should be fun!!

Shoaib unfit the guy hit 96.6 mph i cant see how he can be unfit ??

 

[zedk]

Cant underestimate India,s tail on sub continent tracks. Also, after W,S we havent had good success against tail enders.

Not sure if in the 4th inning, our new ball bowlers can work their way through again although they need some support from the batters to put up a good total.

 

[Uzzy]

well at least we fought back...whens the new ball due? plus were two bowlers short with sami being useless and shoaib unfit..looks like a second innings shootout!! should be fun!!

Cant resist a dig at Shoaib at whatever opportunity can you? The guy has been our best bowler in this match and picked up 2 wickets. Very economical too. What more can you ask?

 

[161]

morning guys ... i slept through most of the match ... just wondering .. was there any reverse swing - particularly from tanvir ?

also how did malik do and did kamran have any drops ?

 

[Hash]

morning guys ... i slept through most of the match ... just wondering .. was there any reverse swing - particularly from tanvir ?

also how did malik do and did kamran have any drops ?

No drops from Kamran....guess he is saving them for the 2nd innings when he will drop Tendulkar twice, Dravid 3 times, Dhoni 4 times and Ganguly 17 times.

 

[161]

No drops from Kamran....guess he is saving them for the 2nd innings when he will drop Tendulkar twice, Dravid 3 times, Dhoni 4 times and Ganguly 17 times.

maybe the thought that sarfraz is breathing down his neck has finally straightened kami out ... had a spirited little innings and no drops till yet

 

[jackal786]

I think India is not in great situation considering the fact they have to bat first. Indian experienced middle order just choked.

 

[Saj]

Even at the moment I would say, considering India have to bat last.

Really need to clean them up early tomorrow and restrict them to a lead of 50 max.

 

[the Great Khan]

Cant resist a dig at Shoaib at whatever opportunity can you? The guy has been our best bowler in this match and picked up 2 wickets. Very economical too. What more can you ask?

its not a dig just a statement of fact..he isnt fully fit...of course he bowled well im not saying he didnt but he's clearley not 100%..maybe 85%...i want him to annhilate the tail tommorrow so he can put his feet up and watch YK AND yoyo score big!..then he can charge in against jaffa cake and karthik on the 4th or 5th day!!

 

[IMMY69]

I thought it was an excellent day for pakistan - after having only made 230 in the first innings they have bowled themselves into contention...with india having to bat last on day 4 or 5, i would say it is neck and neck but india will be feeling the pressure!

i doubt most supporters/fans could have realistically expected pakistan to be in a better position at close of play today after witnesssing what happened yesterday, inspite of the misbah/sami face saving paternship!

 

[the Great Khan]

I thought it was an excellent day for pakistan - after having only made 230 in the first innings they have bowled themselves into contention...with india having to bat last on day 4 or 5, i would say it is neck and neck but india will be feeling the pressure!

i doubt most supporters/fans could have realistically expected pakistan to be in a better position at close of play today after witnesssing what happened yesterday, inspite of the misbah/sami face saving paternship!

i predicted the pak score correctly in my head at night but totally got the indian one wrong..ii thought it would be 250-1 or something when i would wake up in the morning..but lo and behold i got a hell of a good surprise!!..wish the commentary was more objective!

 

[Amjid Javed]

Pakistan need to mop up indias tail tomorrow and keep them to a lead below 50.

70+ runs lead for india could be huge in context of the game, batting last on this wicket chasing 200+ would be tough for india.

 

[the Great Khan]

ii think theyll get that lead..kumble's no mug and he can hold up an end..we need vvs out early..however if our openers go at it in the first hour and knock off the lead with the loss of maybe 1 wicket i reckon we'll get a decent total!!...we play better when we have a target in mind!..remeber multan against england and bangalore?

 

[Hash]

Pakistan need to mop up indias tail tomorrow and keep them to a lead below 50.

70+ runs lead for india could be huge in context of the game, batting last on this wicket chasing 200+ would be tough for india.

I agree. We need to keep India's lead down to less than 70 and we really should do that. Just need to break these two and we are into Harbajan, Zaheer and Munaf.

Anything above 200 in the 4th innings will take some doing. 250 might just be a very healthy target for us to set them. 270 will be game, set and match.

 

[Sultan Yusuf]

Pakistan need to mop up indias tail tomorrow and keep them to a lead below 50.

I think they may need the services of Rameez' head for that...

 

[Mohsin]

Excellent fightback by team Pak, very impressive. We must get an early breakthrough tomorrow morning, and try to mop up the tail fairly quickly. In my view a lead of 40/50 is an absolute max for Pakistan. Insh'Allah knuckle down and grind out the runs and end up with a lead of minimum 230 odd (AND WE MUST NOT FALL INTO THE TRAP OF THE PAST AND TAKE KUMBLE'S OF ANY OF THE OTHER TAILENDER'S WICKETS FOR GRANTED!)

 

[the Great Khan]

I agree. We need to keep India's lead down to less than 70 and we really should do that. Just need to break these two and we are into Harbajan, Zaheer and Munaf.

Anything above 200 in the 4th innings will take some doing. 250 might just be a very healthy target for us to set them. 270 will be game, set and match.

cmon Hash..300..lol

 

[Hash]

cmon Hash..300..lol

300 would be game, set, match and phainty

270 would just be game, set and match

 

[the Great Khan]

yeah so a phainty is what we want to give em!!...hopefully paper cauptaan can muster some agression and play a cuptaans innings!!

 

[Monsee]

Cant resist a dig at Shoaib at whatever opportunity can you? The guy has been our best bowler in this match and picked up 2 wickets. Very economical too. What more can you ask?

Just like you can't resist the urge to 'Defend Mr. Untouchable' at every opportunity you get...isn't he stating the truth and it is also obvious to anyone that Shoaib is struggling big time!

I hope he can last the rest of the series but I feel a 'Twitch News' coming soon...which sadly will be bad for the team cause at the end of the day it is about Pak team and not Shoaib...

I do hope that he stays fit through out the whole series

 

[jackal786]

Kotla pitch will become unplayable last innings. So i say Pakistan is slightly ahead of India. India needed a 200 plus run lead.

 

[siddharth]

Kotla pitch will become unplayable last innings. So i say Pakistan is slightly ahead of India. India needed a 200 plus run lead.

Oh, is that possible with tail? The so called greatest batting line up has just lost it completely.

 

[MaVeRiCk]

i dont think this match will go into day 5, so we need 350+, cannot allow them to get a lead of more than 40. We need to bat sensibly with a target in mind

 

[jackal786]

Oh, is that possible with tail? The so called greatest batting line up has just lost it completely.

Nope.. our line up crumbles always against Pakistan no matter how they bowl. Sehwag used to give us flying start. For the first time in the last 3 series India is playing against Pakistan without Sehwag. He used to take Sohaib factor completely out of the equation with blistering stroke play. I don't expect India to survive in the 4th innings. Never done that. Unless Kumble bowls Pakistan out for 50 runs or so

 

[siddharth]

Nope.. our line up crumbles always against Pakistan no matter how they bowl. Sehwag used to give us flying start. For the first time in the last 3 series India is playing against Pakistan without Sehwag. He used to take Sohaib factor completely out of the equation with blistering stroke play. I don't expect India to survive in the 4th innings. Never done that. Unless Kumble bowls Pakistan out for 50 runs or so

I am so diappointed with the opening pair TBH . i knew that they would fail . I would have taken an out of form Sehwag in place of Jaffer . Risk ,it is .still worth taking that .

 

[nikred]

i see india taking a lead in the range of 70-80 runs unless laxman comes out with a gem of an innings along with the tail.

all in all turning out to be a good match with pak in the drivers seat.