The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Dhoni, Laxman prop up India
M.S. Unnikrishnan

VVS Laxman

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar celebrates after dismissing Wasim Jaffer during the second day of the first Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground in New Delhi on Friday. — PTI

New Delhi, November 23
VVS Laxman and Mahendra Singh Dhoni played scintillating knocks to take India three runs shy of Pakistan’s first innings total at close of play on the second day of the first Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground here today.

India were 228 for 6 off 63.2 overs, chasing Pakistan’s total of 231, with Laxman batting on 57 and captain Anil Kumble unbeaten on seven.

Dhoni slammed a swashbuckling 57, studded with eight fours, off 93 balls before becoming leg-spinner Danish Kaneria’s only victim of the day in the 57th over.

Laxman and Dhoni came together for a highly fruitful sixth-wicket partnership following the exit of former captains Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in the space of 20 runs.

Though Dravid, returning to the team fold after being excluded from the ODI series, had played a rescue act early in the innings when opener Dinesh Karthik fell for four, the loss of his wicket reduced the hosts to 93 for five.

But Laxman and Dhoni played some exquisite shots — Laxman mostly to the straight field — to bring runs at a faster pace, and when the partnership was broken at the fag end of the day, they had realised a crucial 115 runs off 28.5 overs for the sixth wicket.

Their partnership helped India close in on the Pakistan total with four wickets in hand and if Laxman, Kumble and the tailenders can add a few more runs tomorrow morning, Pakistan will find the going very tough.

The visitors, however, are a very fighting lot, which they forcefully exhibited in the morning when the overnight pair of Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Sami batted for 10.2 overs to add 21 runs to take the ninth-wicket stand to 87, which came off 41.10 overs.

Misbah, unbeaten on 71 overnight, was run out when Dinesh Karthik’s throw from point hit the stumps, though his jump from the popping crease virtually brought him home, but for his feet being in the air. He made 82 with six boundaries and one six, while Sami remained unbeaten on 28.

Kaneria was bowled by Kumble for his fourth wicket as Pakistan folded up for 231 in 96.2 overs. Kumble had figures of 21.2-6-38-4, and the Pakistan total looked easy to reach.

But the script took a dramatic turn when Karthik was held by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal off Shoaib Akhtar with just 15 runs on the board. Shoaib and left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir bowled with fire to extract bounce from the pitch, keeping the Indian batsmen on their guard.

Akhtar, bowling with a long run-up, was particularly menacing and troubled Wasim Jaffer and Karthik quite a bit.

However, the arrival of Dravid considerably doused the fire of the Pakistan pacers, as in the company of Jaffer, the former captain started collecting runs in a judicious manner. He hit Tanvir for three delectable boundaries to cover and midwicket in the sixth over to ease the pressure.

Jaffar also gained in confidence but when the partnership was going strong, Akhtar got one straight to wrap the Indian opener on his pads for a an lbw verdict. Jaffer’s 32 had six boundaries, which indicated how aggressively he played.

When Sachin Tendulkar walked in, the stadium greeted him with a huge roar. But Tendulkar could last only four minutes before he got himself run out in a needless manner.

It was Dravid’s strike, and he took off for a single comfortably. When Tendulkar lunged forward for a non-existent second run, Dravid said no, but before the former could regain his crease, Mohammad Yousuf’s throw from square led shattered his bails.

A dejected Tendulkar slowly walked back to the dressing room. Sourav Ganguly, too, failed to last long as Tanvir bowled him neck and crop for eight.

Dravid also fell to Tanvir, but to a remarkable ball which moved across to knock down his off stump, and Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson just could not contain his glee as he jumped on his seat. Dravid hit 38 with eight boundaries.

Laxman and Dhoni rescued the innings with a rollicking stand. Dhoni soon overtook Laxman with a flurry of strokes and carted Tanvir to cover to reach his 50 with seven boundaries.

Soon after, he seemed to have hurt his bandaged left ankle, and after being attended by the physio, he got on his feet, stepped out to drive spinner Kaneria, only to miss and get stumped for 57.

Kumble survived the rest of the session in the company of Laxman, and the big question now is how many runs India will be able to gather tomorrow to take a firm hold on the Test.

Scoreboard

Pakistan (1st innings):

Butt b Zaheer 1

Hameed b Kumble 29

Younis c Patel b Zaheer 7

Yousuf lbw b Ganguly 27

Misbah run out 82

Malik c Dhoni b Patel 0

Akmal b Kumble 30

Tanvir lbw b Harbhajan 4

Akhtar b Kumble 2

Sami not out 28

Kaneria b Kumble 0

Extras (b6, lb12, nb1, w2) 21

Total (all out in 96.2 overs) 231

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-35, 3-59, 4-76, 5-83, 6-122, 7-137, 8-142, 9-229.

Bowling: Zaheer 20-5-45-2, Patel 24-5-61-1, Kumble 21.2-6-38-4, Ganguly 14-5-28-1, Harbhajan 15-1-37-1, Tendulkar 2-0-4-0.

India (1st Innings):

Jaffer lbw b Akhtar 32

Kaarthick c Akmal b Akhtar 9

Dravid b Tanvir 38

Tendulkar run out 1

Ganguly b Tanvir 8

Laxman batting 57

Dhoni c Akmal b Kaneria 57

Kumble batting 7

Extras: (7b, 8lb, 3nb, 1w): 19

Total: (6 wkts, 63.2 overs): 228

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-71, 3-73, 4-88, 5-93, 6-208.

Bowling: Shoaib Akhtar 13-2-36-2, Sohail Tanvir 19.2-4-75-2, Mohammad Sami 14-1-58-0, Danish Kaneria 17-3-44-1.

	Dhoni lost at wrong time: Laxman New Delhi, November 23 Stylish middle order batsman V V S Laxman today said India lost Mahendra Singh Dhoni's wicket at a wrong time and would need another big partnership to bring Pakistan under pressure in the first cricket Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla here. "Yes, Dhoni's wicket fell at the wrong time," Laxman said after the second day's play with India trailing by only three runs in their first innings. Laxman, who stitched a 115-run partnership with Dhoni, said the team needed another big partnership and the first session on the third day would be crucial. "It's very important that we've a good start tomorrow. We have to put them under pressure. Tomorrow's morning session will be very crucial," he said. Laxman, who was batting at 57 when stumps were drawn today, said the wicket was deteriorating and it would be tough to bat on the fourth day. "I would now concentrate on developing another partnership. It would be very tough to bat on the fourth day. We want to put up a good show tomorrow by taking a good lead and quickly bowling out Pakistan," he said. About his own performance, Laxman said, "it's one of the important knocks of my career. When I came at the wicket the situation was tensed after three quick wickets. But I love such conditions, to play under pressure and I just want to continue tomorrow." On being able to find a place despite the presence of a number of candidates for the middle order slots in Indian team, Laxman said he found a place due to the captain's faith in him. "I don't think about the things which I can't control. But I think the team management considered my performance in England where I averaged 50. It is good to know that your captain has faith in you." The Hyderabad batsman also praised the Pakistani bowlers, but said Shoaib Akhtar was the best among the lot. "Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Sami and Danish Kaneria all bowled well, but Shoaib was the best," he said. — PTI
	300-run target will be tough: Kaneria New Delhi, November 23 Stating that the first Test is evenly poised, Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria said 300 would be the target which he and his team-mates would give India to chase for a win in the fourth innings. ''If we give them (India) a target of 290 to 300, then we can win the match,'' Kaneria told reporters after the end of the second day's play at the Ferozeshah Kotla here today. ''The wicket has become low and slow and will deteriorate as the match progresses. So batting last would be very difficult,'' he added. Brushing aside the question of missing a partner-in-hand in the team's spin department, he lavished praise on the pace trio of Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir and comeback man Mohammad Sami. ''I certainly don't feel the absence of a second spinner in the team. I have been getting due support from Shoaib bhai, Sohail Tanvir and Sami. ''They bowled pretty well and supported me when I needed,'' Kaneria said. The 27-year-old wiry leg-spinner, who is the only second Indian-origin cricketer to feature in the Pakistan national team after former wicket-keeper Anil Dalpat, termed the Indian 'Little Master' Sachin Tendulkar and ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's dismissal as crucial, which has turned the fate of the match. ''We wanted regular breakthroughs and we got it. But Sachin's dismissal was crucial.” Though Kaneria, who before the start of the series expressed his desire to scalp the prized wicket of Sachin, could not fulfil his dream this time, he gave his side the all important breakthrough by picking up Dhoni and ending his century-plus partnership with VVS Laxman. ''Dhoni played a superb innings together with Laxman. Getting his wicket was wonderful as it was very crucial at that juncture,” he said. Stating that the third and fourth day's play might decide the course of the match, the spinner said, ''The wicket has not broken yet. The conditions in the first two days was misty and the sunshine was not strong enough to break it (wicket). But you never know what the pitch will behave in the last two days.'' — UNI
	India will hold edge in Test series: Akram Kolkata, November 23 Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram Friday said the current Pakistan cricket team is in a rebuilding stage and will take a little more time to settle down. The former left-arm quickie, who was in the city to promote medication for the diabetes patients, said: "When Pakistan came for the last full tour of India it had a mix of youth and experience. There were players like Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul-Haq and myself along with a host of youngsters." "This is a young side with a young captain in Shoaib Mallik. They will need a little more time to settle in. There are a few talented players, and they can never be considered as pushovers," he said. "Besides, coach Geoff Lawson is also new and he is in the process of building an unit." Asked about the fate of the Test series, Akram said: "India has had the advantage in the ODIs. The way they are playing they will surely hold the edge in the Test series too. But this young Pakistani side will give them a good fight. Nothing can be taken for granted." On whether Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly should play at the same time, he said, "There is no question of dropping any of them. They are in prime form and have a few more years of cricket in them. They are around 35 years and they are the best judge of when they should give up." Asked about the bowlers who impressed him most, Akram said: "Sreesanth and R.P. Singh impressed me -- Sreesanth with his nippy bowling and RP with his line and length. But what is most heartening is to see how Zaheer Khan has made a comeback. — IANS
	Mumbai 166 all out Mumbai, November 23 A superb opening spell by left-arm pacer Pradeep Sangwan helped Delhi skittle out defending champions Mumbai for 166 on the first day of their four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Division Group A league match here today. By close of play, Gautam Gambhir had put Delhi in total command as the southpaw was unbeaten on 81 with the visitors replying with 159 for four. Giving Gambhir company was Rajat Bhatia, who was unbeaten on 18. Earlier, Mumbai captain Amol Muzumdar won the toss and elected to bat on a wicket which had some juice for the fast bowlers. The defending champions had a horrendous start as Pradeep Sangwan, along with Ishant Sharma, ripped apart the Mumbai top order to leave them in shambles at 67 for five. Ajit Agarkar and Prashant Naik began a repair job with the latter, playing his first Ranji season, showed character and grit. The two put on 53 runs before debutant spinner Narendra Singh removed both to leave Mumbai at 7 for 133. Agarkar made 32 and Naik contributed 40. Brief scores: Mumbai (1st innings): 166 (Prashant Naik 40, Ajit Agarkar 32; Pradeep Sangwan 3-38, Ishant Sharma 3-60). Delhi (1st innings): 159 for 4 (Gautam Gambhir 81 n.o.; Avishkar Salvi 2-28). J&K take 28-run lead Jammu: Hosts Jammu and Kashmir took a 28-run lead against Jharkhand on the first day of the Ranji Trophy Plate Group B match here on Friday. Brief scores: Jharkhand (1st innings) 105 (Aamir Hashmi 20, Kuldeep Sharma 24 n.o.; Vijay Sharma 5-20, Samiullah Beigh 4-50). J&K (1st innings): 133 (Javed Ahmed 20, Vijay Sharma 26, Samiullah Beigh 33 n.o.; Kuldeep Sharma 3-57, SS Rao 3-56). Jharkhand (2nd innings): 12 for no loss. — UNI
	Uday Kaul (151 n.o.) rescues Punjab Akash Ghai Tribune News Service Mohali, November 23 Evincing great determination along with skill, local lad Uday Kaul salvaged the Punjab innings with his unbeaten 151 against Uttar Pradesh on the opening day of Ranji Trophy ‘B’ Group Super League match at PCA Stadium here today. At the draw of stumps, Punjab had recovered to 324 for 7 after they were 103 for 4 at one stage with Uday and Charanjit playing unbeaten on 151 and 29 runs, respectively. Playing a mature innings, Uday, who came in to bat with the score being 17 for 3, stitched valuable partnerships of 86 and 121 runs, respectively, with skipper Pankaj Dharmani and Ravinder Singh to rescue the team. Put in to bat first, Punjab lost opener Ravneet Ricky (3) at the total of three. Cashing in on the morning conditions, Sudeep Tyagi jolted the home team in the sixth over. On the very first ball, he bowled Ricky and again struck on the last ball. Karan Goel (2) was caught by Amir Khan off Praveen Kumar. However, Uday and Dharmani batted well and played some good shots. Both the batsman gathered 121 runs for fourth-wicket stand. When Dharmani was well set on 46, Praveen Kumar trapped him plumb in the last over of the pre-lunch session. Pankaj slammed 10 boundaries during his innings. Ravinder Singh supported Uday with his 45-run knock before being caught by Amir Khan off Praveen Kumar. Praveen Kumar was the most successful bowler taking 4 for 60. Uday, who completed his 100 off 144, was joined by debutant Charanjit Singh. Putting up good show, Charanjit hit four boundaries during his unbeaten 29-run knock. Scoreboard Punjab (1st innings): Ricky b Sudeep Tyagi 3; Goel c Amir Khan b Praveen 2; Sohal c Raina b Tyagi 8; Dharmani lbw Praveen 46; Kaul not out 151; Ravinder c Amir Khan b Praveen 45; Kakkar c Kaif b Chawla 3; Gony lbw Praveen 8; Charanjit not out 29. Extras: 29 Total ( for 7 in 90 overs): 324 FoWs: 1-3, 2-11, 3-17, 4-103, 5-224, 6-229, 7-240 Bowling: Praveen Kumar 25.2-6 60-4; Sudeep Tyagi 23.4-4-88-2; Mohd Abid 19-4-65-0; Ravi Kant 2-0-5-0; Piyush Chawla 20-2-79-1.
	ICL releases schedule Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 23 The Indian Cricket League (ICL) today announced the schedule for the Twenty20 tournament to be held from November 30 to December 16 at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex, Sector 3, Panchkula. Six teams — Mumbai Champs, Kolkata Tigers, Delhi Jets, Chennai Superstars, Chandigarh Lions and Hyderabad Heroes — will take part in the inaugural tournament. Schedule: November 30: Chandigarh Lions vs Delhi Jets; December 1: Chennai Superstars vs Kolkata Tigers, Mumbai Champs vs Hyderabad Heroes; December 2: Delhi Jets vs Hyderabad Heroes, Chandigarh Lions vs Kolkata Tigers; December 3: Mumbai Champs vs Chennai Superstars; December 5: Hyderabad Heroes vs Chandigarh Lions; December 7: Mumbai Champs vs Delhi Jets; December 8: Chennai Superstars vs Chandigarh Lions, Delhi Jets vs Kolkata Tigers; December 9: Hyderabad Heroes vs Chennai Superstars, Mumbai Champs vs Chandigarh Lions; December 10: Mumbai Champs vs Kolkata Tigers; December 12: Chennai Superstars vs Delhi Jets, Hyderabad Heroes vs Kolkata Tigers; December 14: First semifinal; December 15: 5th/6th classification, Second semifinal; December 16: 3rd /4th classification, Final.
	Golf World Cup Jyoti-Ghei slip to tied 23rd Dongguan, November 23 Jyoti Randhawa and Gaurav Ghei slumped to the tied 23rd spot after returning a three-over 75 in the second round of the Omega Mission Hills Golf World Cup here in China today. The Indian pair, which was tied 11th yesterday with a 65, slipped with a total of four-under 140 alongside Filipinos Tony Lascuna and Gerald Rosales and Japan’s Hideto Tanihara and Tetsuji Hiratsuka after both teams settled for a 73. Americans Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum took the sole lead with a total of 14-under 130 after carding a three-under 69 in the second round of the 28-team event. The English pair of Justin Rose and Ian Poulter, besides the Scottish duo of Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren, were a shot adrift at tied second with an identical 68. — PTI
	Jeev improves to tied 15th Our Golf Correspondent Chandigarh, November 23 Jeev Milkha Singh shot six birdies as he fired a four-under-par 68 to be tied 15th on the second day of the Casio World Open at the Kochi Kurashio Country Club in Japan today. Struggling to defend the title he clinched on the Japan Golf Tour last year, the 35-year-old started badly on the opening day, returning a three-over card of 75 yesterday. But Jeev was a different player today. Shiv Kapur was tied 48th with a three-over-par 147. Leading the field was Japan’s I.J. Chang at eight-under-par 138.
	IA, Namdharis in semis New Delhi, November 23 Last year’s runners-up Namdhari XI and former champions Indian Airlines secured hard-fought victories to enter the semifinals of the 44th Nehru Hockey Tournament here today. Olympian Dhanraj Pillay displayed his class as he led Airlines to a 2-0 win over spirited IHF (U-21), while international Harpal Singh scored a brace to help Namdhari XI overpower Border Security Force (BSF) 2-1. Completing the last-four line-up were Punjab and Sind Bank and Bharat Petroleum. The bankmen had made it to the semis yesterday, while BP had to wait for the result of the match between defending champions Indian Oil and PNB XI. Indian Oil defeated PNB 2-0 in their last super league match and both teams crashed out as BP made it by virtue of better goal difference. BP had six points, while Indian Oil and PNB finished with three points each. Namdhari XI face Punjab and Sind Bank, while Airlines take on BP in the semifinals tomorrow. In a fast-paced match, Airlines scored a goal in each half to oust IHF (U-21). Airlines unnerved their rivals with a spate of incisive moves and counter- attacks and surged ahead in the 32nd minute when veteran Pillay cut through the defence to shoot home a superb goal. The former champions kept the pressure while foiling some good moves from the IHF side and consolidated the lead in the 49th minute when Ousaf-ur-Rehman capitalised on a defensive lapse to send the ball into the cage. Namdhari XI owes it to their young defender Harpal Singh, who scored a goal in each half to put it across BSF. BSF reduced the margin six minutes before the final whistle through Peter Tirkey. — UNI