It was deja-vu for Indian bowling attack. Saturday began as Friday ended... without any let-up in steam from the Pakistani batsmen. For Indian cricket fans who sat in front of their TVs, hoping expectantly for something to happen, only disappointment came their way.
The second day at Lahore proved how incapable a demoralized bowling line-up can become. The half-full crowd at the Gaddafi Stadium witnessed three centuries being made and almost a double hundred.
First, Younis Khan and Mohammed Yousuf, resuming from Friday evening, clobbered the Indian attack to pieces. With grimaces on the field, and joy beyond it, the two batsmen got two gargantuan hundreds - Yousuf's 173 off 199 balls and Younis's 199 off 336 balls.
It was tragic for Younis who got out, just one short of a double delight for him. He thoroughly deserved a double-ton after looking completely invincible for more than 100 overs.
But he had played his part and ensured that his team cleared the 450-run mark.
As if that wasn't big-enough an infliction of severe physical and mental pain, it was the turn of Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal to go hammer-and-tongs at the poor bowlers.
{{/usCountry}}As if that wasn't big-enough an infliction of severe physical and mental pain, it was the turn of Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal to go hammer-and-tongs at the poor bowlers.
{{/usCountry}}Akmal (102 off 81 balls) and Afridi (103 off 80 balls) reached the three-digit mark at rocket-speed, trying to out-do each other.
No bowler was spared, whether spinner or pacer. In fact, Afridi hit 7 sixes and 7 fours in his innings and helped Pakistan surmount the 650-run mark.They finally declared at a mammoth 679/7.
India, in reply, put up a strong display. Makeshift opener Dravid along with Sehwag played positive cricket.
Final Session:
India started their innings on a steady note, as skipper Dravid along with Sehwag kept the fiery Pakistani pacers at bay, in the second day of the Lahore Test.
Shoaib Akhar in particular, was spitting fire from his end. Consistently clocking at over 97 mph, his bouncers were no less than hand-grenades.
But the two Indian batsmen played positive and managed 65 runs without any loss in the 13 overs they played.
Pakistan had earlier declared their first innings at a mammoth score of 679/7, riding on 4 hundreds by the Pakistani batsmen.
Kamran Akmal (102 off 81 balls) and Shahid Afridi (103 off 80 balls) both hit centuries each at rocket-speed, trying to out-do each other, after resuming in the second session.
Lunch seemed to have infuse a new spirit in them. Gone were their nudges, and in came lofty hits over the fence. They took risks, hitting against the turn, but each ball landed inside the fence.
In one over of Harbhajan Singh, Afridi hit 27 runs - the second most expensive over in test cricket!
The over summary read: 6 6 6 6 2 1.
The first 15 overs yielded 120 runs, as Afridi and Akmal hit their half-centuries.
Morning session:
Just before lunch, Pakistan lost a flurry of wickets as Mohammed Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan departed in quick succession on the second day of the Lahore Test.
It was tragic for Younis who got out 199, after toiling for 336 balls. He thouroughly deserved a double-ton after looking completely invincible for more than 100 overs. But it was a lucky break for India.
Shahid Afridi did not respond to Younis's call as the latter hit straight to Bhajji at mid-on. Harbhajan's direct throw nailed him.
Yousuf trying to further demoralize the Indians, charged down the track, only to miss Kumble's well-disguised dipper. Dhoni completed an easy stumping. He walked back to the pavillion with a huge score of 173 off 199 balls.
Kumble bouyed by Yousuf's wicket, got edgy Inzamam plumb in front for just 1.
Earlier, with just four overs into the day, Mohammed Yousuf completed his 15th Test century with a smacking square drive off Agarkar's wide ball.
At the other end, Younis Khan reached to his 150 two balls later. The two batsmen have broken all records by setting up the highest third-wicket partnership at the Gadaffi Stadium.
The two batsmen resuming the second day's play looked invincible. Dravid tried a few innovative ideas with his frontline pacers, constricting Younis and Yousuf with a 7-2 field and then trying to bounce them out. But Pathan and Agarkar's lack of pace failed to induce a bad shot.
Instead the duo, as if to grind every strategy, upped the ante.
Bhajji replaced Agarkar and managed to stem the flow of runs for a while. He even got Yousuf to edge a few, but his effort did not prove conclusive enough.